When you’re an NBA center or power forward these days, you’ve probably heard the suggestion from coaches that maybe you should shoot some three-pointers, even if it’s never been part of your repertoire. While 6-foot-10, 265-pound Derrick Favors has always been open to the idea, he also has a keen understanding of his strengths, based on how he can most help a team.
“I do want to shoot threes, but that’s not my main focus,” said Favors, who attempted a total of 78 last season with Utah. “I try to find the things other guys won’t do, as far as rebounding, defending, doing all the dirty work, being efficient in the paint, efficient in pick-and-rolls. When I get an opportunity to shoot a three, I’m going to take it, but I’m about doing those little things.
“There are a lot of guys in the league or on this team who are probably going to be shooting way more threes than me. So why add myself to that mix? I can just clean up the misses.”
That self-awareness and emphasis on fitting into a team chemistry-wise partly explains why New Orleans was interested in trading for the nine-year NBA veteran when he became available in the July trade market. After a handful of years of playing alongside top-tier Jazz center Rudy Gobert – which meant Favors lined up at power forward – he’ll get to start at the “five” position in New Orleans. That shift may positively impact him defensively; at power forward, he spends more time chasing stretch fours around the perimeter, while opposing centers generally allow Favors to patrol the paint, where he protects the rim and blocks shots (career average of 1.3 bpg). Favors noted that the NBA has changed noticeably at the defensive end for players like him since he debuted with the then-New Jersey Nets in ’10.
“It’s affected me because when I came into the league, it was still more of a post-up league,” he said of teams preferring to play inside-out, the opposite of today’s emphasis on three-point shooting and spacing. “The Lakers were playing two bigs with (Andrew) Bynum and (Pau) Gasol. The Spurs were using big lineups with Tim Duncan (and a center). You had teams who still ran their offense through their bigs. For me, I’ve had to adjust my workouts and my focus (to adapt to needing to cover more ground).”
The Pelicans hope Favors’ savvy and experience playing for a Utah squad that was consistently excellent on defense (top-three ranked each of last three seasons) will help them improve at that end of the floor, after New Orleans finished No. 22 in efficiency in ’18-19. He’s also been a mobile defender, able to hold his own when switched against smaller players.
“With the way the NBA is going, where you might switch at every position 1 through 5,” Favors said of the need for versatility defensively. “I can contain guards on the perimeter, and also use my athleticism and quickness against other centers in the league. I’ve been used to running with guys on the perimeter and reading certain situations. I think that will help this team out a lot.”
Favors is also interested to see what impact New Orleans’ offensive style will have on his game. In Utah, the Jazz regularly were one of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams, the opposite of the Pelicans, who ranked No. 2 in tempo in ’18-19 and aim to lead the league in that stat this season.
“I look forward to it,” Favors said on Media Day of the opportunity to run and play in transition. “I never thought we played slowed in Utah; it was more like we were under control. We didn’t have the athletes of some teams, but we still played at enough of a pace to where we could get shots up. Obviously with this offense, I know Coach (Alvin Gentry) wants to play a little faster – well, way faster – get up and down more and take more shots. I’ve got to find where I fit in, as far as doing all the dirty work, cleaning up misses, just playing as hard as I can play.”
Off the court, a young Pelicans roster could also use Favors’ experience, with the 28-year-old having appeared in 31 career postseason games with Utah. New Pelicans teammate JJ Redick, 35, faced Favors in the ’17 playoffs – the Jazz ousted the Clippers in Game 7 of that Round 1 series – and noted that Favors could play a vital role for a team that has so many untested players in their early 20s.
“He’s very valuable on the court. He can do a lot of things well,” Redick said. “He has the potential to be one of the premier defensive anchors in the league. He’s obviously no slouch offensively, either. And he’s a man. You need men in your locker room, and Derrick is a man. I have the utmost respect for him as a competitor. He’s an intense competitor.”
After being acquired by New Orleans three months ago, Favors factored in the Pelicans’ style of play during his workouts and conditioning, saying, “I definitely slimmed down a lot, worked more offensively on getting ready for the faster pace.”
From the position he’ll play, to the style the Pelicans utilize, to moving to the South for the first time in his NBA career – he’s an Atlanta native and Georgia Tech product – there are several brand-new elements to Favors’ surroundings in the Crescent City. He believes his career refresh will be beneficial for he and his new team.
“I wanted to bring my value and what I bring to the game,” he said of his desire to play for the Pelicans. “I think it will help them out and they will help me. I thought it was the perfect situation.”
