Battle of The ATLiens Dwight Howard vs Derrick Favors (Measureables)

 I think it’s unfair to assume they would have similar outcomes based on those numbers.  Favors is projected more as  power forward than center anyway.  But the numbers that jump out at me are favors 6.5% body fat and Dwight only getting 7 reps on the 185 bench.  That was when he was still such a skinny little high school kid though.  

 I was very high on Favors out of GT.  Hard to say if he will become a perenial MVP candidate like Howard, but I would be very suprised if he doesn’t make a few All-Star appearances.  

I don’t think Favors is going to be an All-Star. He’s not aggressive or skilled enough to reach that level, and he’s not quite freakish enough athletically to make up for his lagging skill set. I think at best he can be a 13 or 14 ppg guy who gets you 8 rpg, but I have doubts about him being an All-Star. I have serious doubts that he has the mindset of an All-Star player. He seems like a solid starter who has good athleticism at best.

Jamal Maglorie and Memet Okur were all-stars at one point, sometimes it takes a few injuries and a lack of that position in a conference to make the all-star team so I could easily see Favors making it at some point.  He’s also a kid, why do we make these assumptions about the future of his career will be when the guy can’t even drink alcohol legally yet? 

I mean if you have to bring Jamaal Maglorie into the equal and hope for injuries, then maybe I should say it like this: I don’t think Derrick Favors will ever be an All-Star level player. I don’t think Favors has the aggressiveness of an All-Star. I’ve seen Favors float on the court more than I’ve seen him dominate. That could change, but just how much? I don’t think he’ll just flip like that, but he could. It takes more than looking good in the jersey and being a good athlete to be an All-Star.

I think Favors will ultimately be a Center and I am sure he does enough to get at least two all Star bids.

He’s not a Center though. He doesn’t play like a Center at all really.

I think Favors will be a an All-Star in two years and appear many times after that.

What you have to remember is that even though their measureables are very similar, they are different players. Howard still can’t shoot a jump shot, and Favors will be a very smooth jump shooter with range out to twenty feet and possibily 3 point range in a few years.

I watched Favors very closely this last year as he was my #1 fantasy pick in a keeper league, and was a little disappointed in his performance at the first of the year, but after his trade to Utah, he made a lot of strides and started to come around. I think he’s late bloomer who will gain confidence as he matures. It was interesting, he played his best defense and looked more comfortable at C in the few times he played there at Utah. It’s all about confidence for Favors, he was very tentative because he was fouling and couldn’t stay in the game. Once he learns how to play tough without fouling, the sky is the limit, and his natural aggressiveness will flourish.

He will be able to play both positions interchangeably, though I think his defense lends him more to center. He’ll put on 10-15 pounds of muscle and simply become a beast in the middle, much as Howard has. He still has some baby fat and hasn’t even begun to mature physically, which is simply scary.

20-10 player easily with appearances on the all defense team.

Put him next to Kanter, and look out.

Howard’s vertical doesn’t tell the whole story of how freak of an athlete he was coming out of high school. He is more athletic than Favors at the same stage, and even today he still more athletic.

You’re wondering if Derrick Favors will become one of the most dominant big men in the game?  Ha, no he won’t come close to Howard’s status.

 wow… 

i cant believe u r gnna look at combine numbers and "assume" that one day favors will live up to dwight’s potential

ITS A F*CKING COMBINE!! 

Hey JNixon-Iggy9, I bet you’ve seen a freakin 19 year old in his rookie season float more than dominate. Seriously, look at what your writing. This guy is 19 years old, with all the potential in the world. Now we can debate the limit and realization of that potential, but to say that he won’t merit a single All-Star selection because in his rookie season, 2/3 of which was plagued by trade rumors, is crazy, just because you saw him "float" instead of "dominate".

Come on man, really?

"Hey JNixon-Iggy9, I bet you’ve seen a freakin 19 year old in his rookie season float more than dominate. Seriously, look at what your writing. This guy is 19 years old, with all the potential in the world. Now we can debate the limit and realization of that potential, but to say that he won’t merit a single All-Star selection because in his rookie season, 2/3 of which was plagued by trade rumors, is crazy, just because you saw him "float" instead of "dominate".

Come on man, really?"

I’m talking about as a whole, since I’ve been watching him play. I’ve seen Favors play alot over the past 4 years. He was a good big in HS because he was big and athletic, but not because he was very skilled or aggressive. Alot of times he floated. In college he had to be set up at the rim on drives to be a factor in games offensively, and wasn’t very aggressive or assertive. Very rarely dominated competition. In the NBA he floated alot, and wasn’t agressive. Sure, he finished the season strong. But that’s what all rookies tend to do. Do you see the kinds of lineups teams put on the floor at the end of the seasons? If you’re playing a team that has a losing record, they usually play their young guys alot and backend rotation players. If you’re playing a team that’s in the playoffs, they are resting their starters and playing young guys and backend rotation guys as well. I think Favors will be a solid starter, but I don’t see an All-Star. He doesn’t even show the potential to play with an All-Star level passion for the game.

It wasn’t that Favors and Howard will wind up the same players, because they won’t. Memphis was just bringing up the similar numbers at the combine and asking if you could project they would be the same players.

Obviously not.

We don’t know how Favors will mature, who he will become because there is so much growth left in him. He’s a much better shooter, not quite the athletic freak that Howard is, and will probably be a much better offensive player, not the defensive player or shot blocker. Favors will be more versitile, be able to switch back and forth between the C and PF position. Probably a better scorer, not the rebounder or shot blocker, but close.

I beg to differ about who he will become, he will become one of the dominant big men in the game, but not quite to Howard’s level, who is the best center in the game today.

I see Favors as a top ten big man in the NBA, about on the stature of Gasol or Randolph.

Howard is simply the best center in the game today. I will be thrilled to see Favors even mentioned in the same sentence as Howard. Close but not quite there.

If by "better offensive player than Dwight Howard," do you mean he’ll average more than 23 ppg on 59% from the floor? Because Howard did that this past season. I have a real hard time believing Favors will be better than that.

motor

Favors won’t be a #1 option on a championship-caliber squad, but lets not let his demeanor get in the way of our opinions. If this guy was a jackass with twitter and calling out everybody, then what? Does he have the confidence to be an All-Star then? This guy will be a very good player in this league.

"If this guy was a jackass with twitter and calling out everybody, then what? Does he have the confidence to be an All-Star then?"

Thats *YOUR* perception of confidence, I guess. I didn’t say anything about calling people out or Twitter lol. That’s what you said. My perception of confidence is dominating the way his size and athleticism would suggest he should. And he hasn’t shown that. And he never really consistently has since I’ve watched him play. I don’t see him having an All-Star level mindset. He will be a good starter though, as I keep saying.

Favors has an excellent motor and he is certainly aggressive enough defensively. That being said, he is being overrated by a lot of you.

He is not a center, he most likely won’t grow another inch, he’s probably not going to be a 20 PPG scorer and he’s not on Dwight Howard’s level athletically.

He has too great of a work-ethic to flop like some people are predicting. Tyrone Corbin is also an excellent coach for developing bigs. He’ll most likely end up a 15-10 player with a few blocks and great overall defense, but first he has to learn how to play great defense without getting into foul trouble, and that’s no easy task.

 that it took Dwight howard 4 years to start averaging over 20 points per game, before that alot of critics were starting say that he would never amount to an all-star caliber player (we all know how that turn out). I believe Derrick Favors would never be the defensive force that Dwight is in the paint, but I think he has more potencial offensively since got a better chance to develop a mid-range jumpshot. Plus, if Al jefferson helps him work on his post moves he can accelerate the process and start being more productive offensively. Most players dont hit the prime of their career until they are 28 years old so I think it would be a little unfair to say that this kid (20 years old) wont be nothing more than a role player for the rest of his career.

btw i was reading in sports illustrated that dwight howard can pump out 27 reps on the 225 lb. bar which would be equivalent to about 45 reps on 185…lol

"If by "better offensive player than Dwight Howard," do you mean he’ll average more than 23 ppg on 59% from the floor? Because Howard did that this past season. I have a real hard time believing Favors will be better than that."

The number of points Favors scores isn’t the deciding factor of how good an offensive player he is. Gasol is a better offensive player than Howard, and doesn’t average as many points.

It all depends on the offensive schemes of the respective teams. Obviously Howard commands a very large percentage of the inside the paint chances for the Magic.

Will Favors average 23 a game? Maybe…But I think that would indicate the Jazz had no one else to go to, and were forcing the ball into Favors too much. I think that is where the Jazz failed with Stock and Malone, not having other options to score and take the burden off of Malone.

I’d ideally like to see the Jazz have a more balanced attack, with four or five starters averaging over 15 points a game, and seven players in double figures. Merely as an example, and not projecting this is what they actually do average, what I’d like to see is Favors averaging about 20 and 11. Similar numbers for the center, and the other starters over 15 a game.

When Howard has to average 23 a game for the Magic to win, I think it creates problems with the offense. There needs to be more options for the Magic to score inside. Having a decent big man next to Howard would be a big boost for their offense, and create more open shots for the bombers.

Also, remember Howard gets a lot of points off of offensive rebounds and hustle plays. If he only had a jumpshot……

For the bench press reps, remember, Favors is a year older because he went to college, and a year is alot when you are talking about guys that young. A year later, I bet you Dwight was up ot at least 12.

 i dont see why yall gotta be haters. Favors is one of those guys you either believe he will succeed or he will be a bust.  Just because he has the same measurables to Howard doesn’t mean he has to have the same statistics in the nba as Howard.  I think he will have a successful career but being a jazz fan i guess i am biased.  Someone mentioned above that Corbin is good at developing bigs. I agree just look what he did for Okur he turned him from a jump shooting center to having a decent inside game as well.  Also i think Jazz management accept the fact Favors is 19and needs time to develop where in NJ he was little more than "Melo Bait".  I think he makes multiple all star appearences in a couple of years. 

One question how was howards offensive game before he started working with Ewing? he probably mostly got by on "potential" kind of how Favors did last year.  Jazz need to get him working with a former great power forward.  I can think of one who told the jazz organization he is just a phone call away.

To me one of the keys to how dominate Favors plays will be how hard he hits the weight room, if he gets alot stronger and gains 15 lbs of muscle, you’ll see him be a big force in the middle, whether as a PF or as a C.  Favors already has a better outside game than Howard, he has alot of room to improve but he’ll be real good.

I hope the Jazz draft Kanter and develop both Favors and Kanter as their front court of the future, both can average 20/10 or close to it. 

To me one of the keys to how dominate Favors plays will be how hard he hits the weight room, if he gets alot stronger and gains 15 lbs of muscle, you’ll see him be a big force in the middle, whether as a PF or as a C.  Favors already has a better outside game than Howard, he has alot of room to improve but he’ll be real good.

I hope the Jazz draft Kanter and develop both Favors and Kanter as their front court of the future, both can average 20/10 or close to it. 

 I would like to see that too. If you throw Jimmer and Hayward into a lineup with those two they will make you pay for double teaming one of the bigs.

I think Favors as he is right now, has allot of a potential just on the defensive end to keep him on the floor for significant minutes the rest of his career. I would absolutely be shocked to not see him make all defensive team at least twice in his career, as a Jazz fan I understand where the hope comes from, due to our current roster situation he is realistically the only hope we have for a superstar calibur player, I think the offense will come eventually, as well as the jumpshot. In my opinion we have one of the best shooting coaches on the planet in Jeff hornacek, whom completely transformed both Paul Millsap and completely reworked Andrei Kirilenko’s jump shots in a single season, wether or not he reaches that potential is completely up to him and the work he puts in.

First you cant judge Favors based on his first half perfomance (before trade to Utah). He had to deal with constant rumors not to mention He didnt start out with a vote of confidence in his corner. That being said i think he will do very well and could make an allsatr team or two down the line. We could all argue but its clear his play was much better the second half of the season and i think he will get better from there.

yeah i think Favors lack the demeanur to be an allstar or even to bring the best out of him, that why i like more Serge Ibaka as the upcoming star big and i think he would be a great player with adding 1 or 2 offensive go to moves

I think the Jazz coaches and management see the potential in Favors and I think they will push him to develop into the player they think he can be. Sloan was a little different, he just let the player develop on his own, Corbin has worked to help develop young players as an assistant coach and he is more hands on in developing and working with players. I will be real surprised if Favors doesn’t develop into a perenial allstar.

otherwise they wouldn’t have traded an all star for him.  Agreed that Corbin is more of a players coach. With Sloan it was like he expected rookies not to make rookie mistakes and his whole pay your dues theory hurt more players than it helped.  So what if John Stockton came off the bench his first couple years he was backing up an all star.  When DWILL came here none of his pg counterparts were all stars they were passable pg’s at best.  You remember how DWill felt about that. 

 " I don’t think Favors has the aggressiveness of an All-Star "

What the hell does that mean?   Did Dirk or Tracy McGrady show you this "aggressiveness" when they were rookies?  Granted some guys like Amare come in the L and start intimidating veterans right away, but for many they are just that, rookies.  In your myopic view, the rookie year sets a tone for the rest of their careers?

 they didn’t average that many points or rebounds in college so they can’t average that many in the nba.  Stupidest arguement i have ever heard in that case all players that came straight out of high school should have career averages of zero because they didn’t attend college.

Howard was 5 months younger than Favors at the combine. Favors is younger than most in his class and could have been a freshman this year.

A player being aggressive and assertive is partially their own personality , part self confidence, part how coaches treat them.. Coaches can have alot to do with how much aggresiveness a player plays with. Alot of rookies play timid or scared or reluctant to assert themselves either because of the coaches or because of a lack of confidence or feeling comforable in the system etc. Once they learn the system, gain an understanding of what is expected of them, become stronger, gain confidence and coaches give them more of a green light, they will become more assertive, aggresive and if they have the ability they will become more dominate.  Give Favors another yr or two and we will see whether or not he has the drive from within to be great.

"What the hell does that mean? Did Dirk or Tracy McGrady show you this "aggressiveness" when they were rookies"

Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki would have dominated at Georgia Tech. And I know McGrady was more aggressive and showed the ability of a superstar at Mt. Zion in NC. Derrick Favors? All his All-Star potential talk is because he’s athletic and has good size. Dirk and McGrady had Superstar potential and proved it by dominating, no matter what level they were at. Favors didn’t dominate like them. He has never really shown the mindset going out there and dominating consistently.

@JNixon uhhhhh yea favors was only the Naismith player of the year in high school in 2009, no big deal though, we can only hope he is half as successful as T-Mac who had that great playoff run year in and year out.

He was a 6’9 220 PF who could catch and finish whenever he wanted against guys who weren’t his size or as athletic as he was. That doesn’t make him dominate or aggressive, because he wasn’t dominate when he went up against top level competition consistently either.

39 points 18 rebounds vs Demarcus Cousins (got the better of him 3 of the 4 times they matched up)

30 points 20 rebounds vs Perry Jones

25 points 17 rebounds vs Keith Gallon

Yeah really wasn’t dominated against top level competetion. Favors was also pretty damn good when he was able to stay out of foul trouble at Ga Tech.

His ceiling is in the Chris Bosh/LeMarcus Aldridge range.. Bosh is good but D12 is great.. Howard is light years ahead defensively with an expanding offensive game.. Favors will be a better shooter and have a better face up game.. Ask your self.. Who displayed the passion to have the better career from day one? Howard. Who will have the most influence on a winning teams success? Howard.

 so i guess a high school game were favors had 42 points 20 rebounds and 12 blocks isn’t being aggressive enough wtf. So once favors gets out of the first round of the playoffs he’s already had a more productive career than mcgrady is that what you’re saying.  Wasn’t McGrady on one of those teams that had one of the longest losing streaks ever.

I haven’t seen Favors play a lot his rookie season but he was definitely very aggressive in high school and at Ga Tech.

All I’m saying is that Derrick Favors doesn’t seem like an All-Star-type to me. He’s not as aggressive in his mindset as I think an All-Star-type player is. He has the physical tools and athleticism that you like, but I’m not sure I think he’s a star type of player. Solid starter I think he can be, but an All-Star-level player? I do have doubts.

"I haven’t seen Favors play a lot his rookie season but he was definitely very aggressive in high school and at Ga Tech."

He wasn’t all that aggressive at all at Georgia Tech. He had some games were he was a strong at the end of the conference slate but there was also times were people were questioning how good he was because he was very unproductive. That’s what I remember about Favors at Tech. He wasn’t as dominate overall as he should’ve been.

He didn’t dominate because he couldn’t stay out of foul trouble and his head coach was an idiot. Not to mention he had to share touches with Lawal. When he stopped getting in early foul trouble he averaged 18 and 9.

He didn’t dominate because he couldn’t create offense and never demanded the ball, as well. Even when he was getting production is was basically off easy catch and finish plays.

 you think when Perry Jones comes out we will be having this same discussion he has also been knocked for not being aggressive enough in some peoples opinions.

 Am I the only one who noticed Dwight ran a 3.14 3/4 court? That is really fast, especially for a center.

Iggy: You can’t tell whether or not a player has the aggressiveness to be an allstar in just their first yr, I think Favors has more fire in his belly than you know. He definitely has the athleticism and that is what most people see that makes them see he can and will be an all star.   McGrady didn’t do hardly anything in the NBA for several years, he played in Toronto and didn’t do anything to show he was going to be an allstar.

 Iggy, it’s obvious you don’t like Favors, just as it’s obvious that some of us do and think more highly of him. Whether he becomes the player we think he will be is dependant on one thing, and that’s the kid’s attitude and desire. I think he’s got the desire and the determination to succeed. We’ll see. The physical talent is there for greatness.

It’s fruitless to look at GT and make comparisons off of that, you said he can’t create and demand the ball. What does that mean? If you’re a PF or C who doesn’t touch the ball because the guards who are dominating the ball refuse to pass it to you, is that your fault?

GT has been a nightmare for players lately, mostly because of the coach, his system, and his refusal to demand the guards play team ball and not hog the majority of touches. Same thing is happening with Jones at Baylor, where the guard play was simply about as selfish and foolish as I’ve seen in a long time. Senior guards who thought they should be taking the shots when someone like Jones was on the court. Incredible. I hope for the Jazz’s sake that trend continues this year, and Jones is available at the GS pick the Jazz own.

When you’ve got a horse, you ride it. Let’s just see what happens.

you think when Perry Jones comes out we will be having this same discussion he has also been knocked for not being aggressive enough in some peoples opinions.

Hell yes.

I think it’s part of the reason he went back to school, he felt he hadn’t accomplished anything. As I indicated in the previous post, it’s not all his fault. One of the things I like about Perry Jones is his unselfishness, his willingness to defer to his teammates. Which was probably a mistake for the good of the team.

We’ll go through this again, unless his coach gets kicked in the head and gets some sense.

 My opinion on Derrick Favors is this…He has all of the physical attributes and talent to be a top power forward in the game one day, He’s only 20 and his potential is really high. My knock on him though is kind of the same thing that was said about Rudy Gay and is still said about Rudy Gay sometimes, he doesn’t have the killer instinct/ motor. At least not yet. Rudy Gay has gotten better as an overall player as his career has went on but he should be putting up more than 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks. He should have better stats than that for a player who was said to have the highest potential in the 2006 draft class.  But Rudy has gotten better and worked on his game, last off season he said he gained 19 pounds of muscle so he could compete with the other top small forwards in the league. So I think the same thing will happen with favors, Good player, all star at some point, but never dominant. But I think he will get better as he goes on. Rudy Gay was also drafted at 19. Same age as Favors.

 personally, i think favors has great potential, we can all agree on that.. he has the work ethic i think to be reall good

but i dont think we can assume just yet he doesnt have "IT" to be a great player or the killer instinct, true he is 19

and we never know, he can be a 20 ppg scorer or be a stromile swift player one day

hes very raw, and came on strong at the end of the season, but take in account what iggy 9 was saying about playing time at the end of the season

none of us know whats really gnna happen to favors like i stated

look at jermaine oneal for an example, took him a good four yrs to get established and find a consistent role and really break out

now will favors turn out to be jermaine oneal in his prime healthy? idk, i hope so lol

"Iggy, it’s obvious you don’t like Favors, just as it’s obvious that some of us do and think more highly of him."

I hate when people do this. Why do I hate him? Because I don’t think his an All-Star I hate him?? I don’t even know the man, so how can you say I hate him? You don’t know what I hate, so it’s not obvious at all that I hate him. I repeatedly have said going to be a solid starter, it’s not like I’m saying the guy is going to be a bust. The lamest thing in the world to me is whn people say stuff like you’re "hating" on somebody just because you have a difference perception of them. Get it together man…

Where is the word hate?

I said you didn’t like him as a player as much as I and others do, that’s a completely different thing. Other people mentioned haters, not me. I don’t think they meant personally, either.

If I say I don’t like a player, it’s that I don’t like the way he plays. We don’t even really know the players at all.

I can see why you feel that way a little, but I think there were some extenuating circumstances. The system at GT, all the bullcrap at NJ with the trades getting into Favor’s head..

I make mistakes about players all the time, if you speculate about a player or project what he’s going to be, then that’s just part of the game.

If I’m making a mistake about Favors, we’ll find out. Then I’ll eat crow,(it doesn’t taste very good) and we’ll go on being NBA fans.

I sincerely hope I’m not, because the Jazz would be in trouble.

 Derrick Williams will gain mass after some growth hormone use and instantly be Superman 2.0.

IGGY,,,

isn’t you the same person who two years ago was saying Favors would have now problem with 20/10 stats and would be comparable to b-easy?? i remember yoir debates with quincy..and after he had only average season you really really started to hate him..
 

That was before Iggy and Quincey became the same person.

LOL, Favors won’t be anything close to Dwight.

I think he will be similar to Chris Wilcox.

Is this thread for real?  Wait till Favors at least becomes a full time starter before we start comparing him to the most dominate big man since Shaq.

BTW, anyone else ever think about how Dwight got so dam huge? I know he loves to work out and all, plus he had the frame but damm. Same with LeBron. Not accussing anyone of anything, but I have often wondered about steroids and HGH in the NBA…

Favors asked for the ball he just didn’t always get it. Shumpert even admited he didn’t use Lawal and Favors as much as he should have. Favors – Wilcox comaparison is not a good one…he will be a better NBA player.

Residing in New York, I caught some glimpses of him while he played (I use the term loosely) for the Nets but they never really wanted the kid and the emergence of Humphries really posed a setback in his progression. I mean, let’s face it. With talk of trading him for Melo shortly after he was drafted they only picked him up for bait. I like the fit in Utah because he has a couple of forward types (Al Jeff/Millsap) to help mentor him and grow. Also they generally do a good job of investing in productive forward types (Malone, Boozer, Al Jeff, Millsap, and now Favors) so I think it’s good fit and obviously there is a logjam there right now though they probably view it as depth which is always a good thing to have. That their combine measurements are eerily similar bodes well for him but the mindset is pretty much what it boils down to. He did look timid and awkward at times but then again he is a kid and is learning and he probably didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. In interviews he’s said the right things but you just don’t know exactly where their head and their hunger is at until they show it on the court. But that’s why I have faith that his potential will materialize because Utah knows how to cultivate their bigs and upon Jerry Sloan’s resignation Karl Malone was interviewed and said he would help in the organization any way he could if he was asked. So as a last (or first) resort type thing depending on how you look at it, he could potentially mentor him the way that Stockton did with D-Will. So the measurements are nice, obviously those are great signs but they are not everything. Remember, Dwight pretty much lived in the weight room to get to where he’s at so he has an uncanny worth ethic that Favors will need to duplicate if he ever has hopes of becoming a spitting image.