• Age 29
• Experience Ten seasons (one with Pelicans)
• Games Played/Games Started 51/49

Derrick Favors has been around the NBA long enough to know that when a roster is filled with young players – as well as numerous teammates who’ve never played together – a slow start isn’t out of the question. That’s exactly what happened to New Orleans early in 2019-20, as the Pelicans went 7-23 in their first 30 games, before surging back into the playoff race. Of course, there are also some things you can never anticipate, such as Favors being sidelined for 16 of those games, after his mother Deandra died in November. He missed all but three games of the club’s franchise-record 13-game losing streak. With their starting center back in the mix, the Pelicans started winning with regularity, something Favors was proud to see.

“I think we showed a lot of fight,” he said Aug. 10. “At the beginning of the season, we knew there were going to be some growing pains, with a young team and a lot of new guys around each other. Naturally there are things you have to work out and work through. After we went on that 13-game losing streak, we put ourselves in position to make the playoffs. We can only get better from here. All the young guys, they can learn a lot from this experience, and come in next year hopefully more prepared.”

Derrick Favors Per-Game Stats from 2019-20 NBA Season

• Minutes 24.4
• Field Goal % 61.7
• Three Point % 14.3
• Free Throw % 56.3
• Points 9
• Rebounds 9.8
• Assists 1.6
• Steals 0.6
• Blocks 0.9

The Georgia Tech product is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but said in mid-August he needed time to recharge before even thinking about that process (tentatively scheduled to open Oct. 18).

Favors: “When that time comes, I will talk to my agent and try to make a decision that I feel comfortable with moving forward with my career.”

Derrick Favors | By The Numbers

• 14.5

  Rebounds per 36 minutes for Favors this season, topping New Orleans by a wide margin (Jahlil Okafor was second at 9.8). He ranked ninth in the NBA among all qualified players in that statistic, which was led by Cleveland’s Andre Drummond (16.6). The only non-center in the top 10 was Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (16.1).

• 6-15

  New Orleans record when Favors did not play. The Pelicans were 24-27 with him in uniform, including 22-17 after Dec. 18. Given how important Favors was to stability and the backline of the defense, it probably was no coincidence that he didn’t play in any of the three games in which the Pelicans lost by 25-plus points.

• 468

  Distance in miles between New Orleans and Favors’ hometown of Atlanta. Favors on getting to play in the South for the first time as a pro: “I enjoyed it. I enjoyed my time. I was blessed to be in this position, to come down to New Orleans, which is close to Atlanta. I enjoyed the experience and the season. We’ll see what happens from here.”

Derrick Favors | Most Notable Games from 2019-20 NBA Season

• #1, Nov. 14, New Orleans 132, LA Clippers 127

  One of the most impressive Pelicans wins of the season featured one of the best statistical games of Favors’ career. Facing a Clippers team that had Paul George on the floor for the first time, Favors deposited 20 points and 20 rebounds, going 9/13 from the field. He also sank his only three-pointer of ’19-20.

• #2, Jan. 16, New Orleans 138, Utah 132 (OT)

  Favors did not get to play in Salt Lake City against his ex-team this season, due to injury and a game being shifted to the Orlando bubble, but he faced the Jazz twice at home in a 10-day span in January. In that second meeting, he went for 21 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and three blocks. He was 10/12 on field goals.

• #3, Jan. 26, New Orleans 123, Boston 108

  The Pelicans continued their second-half resurgence with a convincing home win on ESPN. Favors’ double-double consisted of 15 points and 10 rebounds, one of a dozen games in which he achieved that statistical feat despite playing less than 30 minutes.