PnB Mailbag: Is Derrick Favors A Top 10 NBA Big Man?

Greg Foster is here to answer all of your burning questions about the Utah Jazz season.

Welcome to the PnB Mailbag: Edition No. 8. My coffee mug is filled to the brim, my mind is racing and my fingers are properly stretched and ready to fire. Have a question you’ve been itching to get off your mind? Hit me up on Twitter.

Today, we’ll be covering Derrick Favors‘ blazing start to the season, Raul Neto’s cuteness, how bad it sucks to have Dante Exum out and much more.

Is Favors a top ten big? – Spencer Wixom

So far this season? You can bet your sweet tukhus he is. The guy has been playing some mighty fine ball. How good? I’m glad you asked.

Outside of the two games that Derrick played when he was sick, he’s averaging 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, 1.5 blocks, less than two turnovers, and 2.1 fouls in 32 minutes per contest. The only other players to put up those numbers this year are: Kevin Love, Paul Millsap, Demarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Chris Bosh.

Oh, weird! All those guys are multiple time All-Stars and considered elite players.

As I pointed out in my last column, at just under 25, Favors has a top 10 league PER.  Also, his Player Impact Estimate—a stat that ranks a player’s impact on the game—only trails Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. MORE ELITE, MULTIPLE-TIME ALL-STAR, FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS!

Favors has become the heart, soul, and anchor of the Utah Jazz. He’s become incredibly efficient and effective on both sides of the floor. Need a stop? Sick Favors on him. Need a bucket? Iso a wing on the perimeter and run a pick-and-roll with Favors. Or just dump it in to the post. Problems solved.

Without him, the Utah Jazz are a lottery team. And the best part? He’s only 24.

So go ahead, try to name me 10 big men playing better than Derrick Favors right now. I’ll wait…

PS: Every Jazz fan should send a thank you/Xmas card to the Brooklyn Nets for trading Favors away.

Why are Jazz fans so ticked their arena isn’t named after a crappy airline or toxic waste company anymore? – Clint Peterson

The only logical answer is that Jazz fans love the Toxic Avenger series and having their flights delayed. Seriously, I’ve never had a Delta flight take off or arrive on time—side note, you can’t spell “delayed flight” without Delta.

Really though, who cares about the name of an arena? The only thing that matters are the games played inside—that was the most crotchety, old man thing I’ve ever written, but it’s true. Vivint might be the home of the RVCA shirt, the flat-brimmed hat and the most Muscle Milk ever consumed in a day, but I don’t remember any other company handing out 500 free tickets to a Jazz game. I’m all for it, especially if the beer prices go down.

How long before the #FreeTibor campaign starts? Alex, N

October 2017, mark my words. Tibor Pleiss isn’t ready for prime time and moving him to the D-League was the right thing to do. He proved in the preseason that he’s not yet a NBA caliber player. He needs time to develop, get used to the physicality and speed of the NBA and to get bigger and stronger—maybe the Vivint bros can lend him some of their Muscle Milk.

I’m still holding onto hope when it comes to Tibor, but he has a long way to go.

On a scale of 1 to 10,000, how much does it suck that Dante is out this season? – Nosek, A

Probably right around 8,000. The Jazz’s biggest woe is their lack of a starting point guard. Neither Raul Neto nor Trey Burke fit that bill; the triple wing has been the Jazz’s best lineup without question.

Even though Dante wasn’t going to be an offensive juggernaut this season, his length, defense and ability to be disruptive would have come in handy. And you know he was going to improve after his rookie season. He was bigger, stronger and looked more confident before his ACL decided to take a dump on him.

So yeah, it sucks a lot. And it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the Jazz decided to make a move to get a competent starting point guard and make a legitimate playoff push. I see this as a positive. It gives the Jazz another asset and allows Dante to heal and develop as a player.

Ultimately, I hope the kid is all right and is able to make a full recovery.

Would a trade of Trevor Booker/Tibor Pleiss for Channing Frye and pick swap rights be a good deal for the Jazz and Orlando? – Rick Blackham

Hmmmm…. Trade a beloved, 28-year old power forward who plays his heart out, is an emotional leader and has fantastic chemistry with his teammates, along with a seven-foot-three center with a ton of potential for a 32-year old stretch forward who plays awful defense while averaging six points per game and draft rights? Reminder, the Orlando Magic are currently 10-8 and are a legitimate Eastern Conference playoff team.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.

If this was the Channing Frye of a few years ago, I’d consider it, but certainly not this version.

Why do we find out we had awesome players (Ian Clark) on the team AFTER we trade them? – Linus Stubbs 

Hindsight sure is a cruel mistress. But let’s not get it twisted, Ian Clark is not an “awesome” player. He’s a backup point guard who averages 2.7 points per game for a career. He just so happened to catch a little fire and hit some wide-open threes against the Jazz.

Where this does apply is with players like Kyle Korver and Wes Matthews. Letting both of those guys walk still stings. Especially with Korver.

Next: Utah Jazz Must Learn to Close Out Games

Is Hayward worried that Neto might be the team’s new “cute one”? – Emily O’Connor

Oh man, I can just imagine the internal dialogue. Just think of this conversation playing out like the business card scene in “American Psycho.”

It’s the end of practice, and the guys are finishing up with a blue vs white scrimmage to 11. The blue team, which has both Neto and Hayward, are about to inbound the ball and currently hold a 10-9 lead in the game.

Neto: “What’s the play, Gordon?”

Gordon: *internally screaming, while thoughts are racing through his head*
Oh for hell’s sake look at those gleaming eyes, that boy band smile.  Oh damn, he has the rippled shoulder muscles. He’s so pretty. Whatever, my hair is still pristine, I got this.
“Get me the ball when I come off the double screen. I’ll handle things from there.”

Neto: “Got it.”
His eyes twinkle while an endearing smile cracks in the corner of his mouth. Raul is excited to run the play.

Gordon: My stock is falling. Even my wife isn’t going to find me as attractive. I’m going to lose so many Twitter followers. Why is life so cruel? Actually, who cares, I’d totally p0wn him in Black Ops.
“Perfect, let’s go.”

The play is ran, Neto finds Gordon off the curl, Gordon drains a free throw jumper for the win.

Gordon: “BALLGAME! THAT PASS WAS GORGEOUS! ALMOST AS GORGEOUS AS MY SHOT… AND MY HAIR. I’M THE MAN! THE JAZZ ARE MY TEAM! WHOOOOOO!!!!”

Everyone else: *awkward silence*

Gordon: Uuuuhhhhh…. I’m going to go hit the showers. Alone.

If we’re keeping it all the way real, as “cute” as Hayward and Neto may be, neither one of them are touching the dreaminess of Kyle Korver a.k.a. Threesus Christ. Neither of our current Jazzmen are having their pink jerseys fly off the sales racks the way Korver’s did back in the day.