No video for this one guys, sorry. Couldn’t get my hands on any game files for Georgia Tech. I have seen a bunch of their games live though, so I feel like I can talk about Favors game in detail.
Overview
The Reasoning
I know that Derrick Favors is to be considered somewhat of a “project,” and right now the Nets need a guy that can contribute a ton right away. Derrick Favors is just too good (and I really think that he is going to be a big time player in the NBA) to pass up at the three spot though. Also, I think that pairing him up with Brook would allow him to put up some pretty good numbers, while still developing his game. Imagine this. Brook getting on the post, and gets doubled by the opposing team 4 man. Favors cuts on the double, and Brook hits him for the dunk. I mean, I get chills thinking about it.
Player Comparison
In my opinion the best case scenario for Favors is Amar’e Stoudemire. They have the same body type (Favors actually weighs 250, but he is so tall and lanky he looks skinnier), and right now they have the same type of athleticism. Plus their offensive game is really similar when you look at Stoudemire’s rookie season and Favors right now. Favor’s worst case could be Tyrus Thomas. Just a guy with great athleticism, but no feel, or real willingness to develop an inside game.
Pros
Nice Touch Around The Basket
Despite still being raw in terms of an offensive repertoire, Favors has a real nice touch around the basket. When he gets it in close, he usual finishes. His eFG of 59.8% is actually 59th in the entire NCAA. Sure most of these are probably dunks, but it tells you something about a guy when he is probably younger than anyone on the court (Favors is still only 18), and without any superstar to draw attention away from him, he is still getting to the rim, and finishing.
Draws Fouls
Along the same lines of Favors finishing at the rim. He also draws a ton of fouls. Favors draws 4.7 fouls per 40 minutes (ranked in the top 500), and his Free Throw Rate is 48.6 (which is in the top 300 in the entire NCAA).
Rebounds/Defense
Though Favors is still raw, he still can use his athleticism to effect the game. He grabs a ton of boards with an Off. Rebound Rate of 13.4 and a Defensive Rebound Rate of 21. On defense, though he still is learning the defensive side of the game, he can get himself blocks and effect shots. He blocks a total of 8.3% of shots that occur when he is on the court. He is going to be a scary player when he learns how to properly play defense (in terms of footwork and rotations).
Cons
Foul Shooting
We talked about Favors being able to get to the line, but when he gets there, he isn’t able to convert. Favors shoots 58.6% from the line. That is something that is going to have to improve in the pros.
Raw-ness
When you talk about raw-ness, you are talking about offensive polish, inability to shoot a jumper, or create his own shot. Right now, he is just feasting on offensive rebounds, and he is using his athleticism to get baskets. In the pros he is going to have to do a little more to be a truly-productive big man in the NBA. I do think having Brook there to take a lot of attention away inside could help his development (he would be able to work without a lot of attention or double teams early in his career because teams wouldn’t want to leave Brook). The Nets need a lot of help right now though, so even though Favors has a incredible upside, he might not be the right fit for this team.
