Ten days into the season, Derrick Favors leads all rookies in several areas, including field goal percentage; player efficiency rating; rebounding efficiency (where he leads all players); offensive rebounding (where he is second in the NBA); offensive rebounding efficiency (where he also leads all players); and rebounds per 48 minutes. Rebound efficiency is the percentage of available rebounds a player grabs while on the floor.
He's second to Blake Griffin in rebounds, 10.0 to 9.5 per game, and dunks, 11 to 8. ESPN's David Thorpe, like NBA.com's Drew Packham, ranks Favors the #3 rookie, writing, "If we handed out an award for Most Improved Player from July to Halloween, Favors would be the easy winner."
Thorpe ranks Damion James #24, putting the two drafted Nets rookies at the same spots where they were picked. Ben Uzoh, who was undrafted, is ranked at #39. He has yet to play.
Not everyone gets off so easily at ESPN. John Hollinger sees disturbing trends from the four free agents the Nets signed during the off-season. Although Jordan Farmar is playing well and Hollinger states that Johan Petro is predicatably bad, the big negatives are Anthony Morrow and Travis Outlaw.
- 2010-2011 NBA Rookies - Top 50 - David Thorpe - ESPN
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2011 NBA Rookie Card Page - Derrick Favors - David Thorpe - ESPN Insider
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Change of Pace: Early-Season Trends - John Hollinger - ESPN Insider