Most Nets fans understand that it’s going to be baby steps for rookie Derrick Favors this season, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get his cage rattled by the coach after an underwhelming performance. That’s exactly what Avery Johnson did after last night’s ugly loss to the Magic
“He’s got to give us a reason to start him,” Johnson said. “We need to see more consistent energy. We need to see him dunk on three people one night. We need to see more than what he’s been giving us.
“Yes, he’s 19. Yes, he’s a rookie. But one of the discussions we had (Sunday) was we just need to see a little bit more energy.”
I’ve come to accept that with all of the trade talk going on, the Favors-era in New Jersey is not going to last much longer. With that said, I’m still rooting like crazy for the kid, and his physical gifts are off the charts. He’s going to figure it out eventually and if he’s in a Nets jersey when it happens, all the better. In the meantime, Avery is right to challenge the kid, especially when it comes to energy. At the bare minimum Favors should be able to be an energetic sparkplug off the bench.
