Despite all the hand-wringing, and DeMarcus Cousins' threats, in summer league and preseason, Derrick Favors remained cool, confident. Others may have doubted him, but he kept plugging away ...until regular season. And so in the first rookie rankings, the league's youngest player is ranked #3, just behind John Wall and Blake Griffin, the overall #1 picks the last two drafts.
NBA.com's Drew Packham, mirroring what Nets fans felt coming into the season, writes, "Favors has been more impressive than expected, especially on the boards. He's active, athletic and always attacking". With many of the draft's lottery picks under-performing (only Wall, Favors and Cousins are averaging double figures), the Nets look like they made the smart choice.
ESPN's David Thorpe says basically the same thing, calling Favors the "most improved" between summer and Halloween. He ranks Damion James at #24.
- Rookie Ladder - Welcome to the Show - Drew Packham - NBA.com
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NBA Rookie Rankings: Head of the class - David Thorpe - ESPN