Portland, Ore. • The sore knee/IT Band Syndrome that's dogged Derrick Favors since the beginning of training camp has spilled into the regular season.
The Jazz will be without their starting power forward on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers in the season opener for both teams. With Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks both unavailable — Hayward broke his finger and Burks is still recovering from offseason knee surgery — the Jazz will begin the season without arguably their two best players and three really important pieces in Quin Snyder's rotation.
"He's got a unique presence," Snyder said.