With Troy Murphy back in the rotation and slowly picking up minutes, Derrick Favors' numbers have slipped a bit this week. After starting off at #3, Favors dropped to #5 in the NBA.com rankings, behind DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe. ESPN's rankings still have him in the top three...and the big surprise.
Drew Packham of NBA.com writes of Favors, "he's still putting up solid numbers and providing good energy when he's on the floor. Through seven games, he's averaging 9.0 points and 7.3 rebounds and leads the rookies in field-goal percentage."
ESPN's David Thorpe calls Favors the player who has most risen above expectations. "Favors has grown from a player a year or two away from being a solid contributor into a dynamic player right now," he writes.
In Tuesday night's game vs. Cleveland, Favors played 16 minutes, five less than his season average, scored six points on 2-for-4 shooting and grabbed seven boards, two offensive. Avery Johnson said don't expect a big drop-off no matter how well Murphy goes, because "part of this year is about the development of Favors".
- Rookie Ladder - Feel Good Stories - Drew Packham - NBA.com
-
NBA Rookie Rankings: Early surprises - David Thorpe - ESPN Insider