Derrick Favors vs. Blake Griffin
Derrick Favors – 9.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 STL, 48.7 FG%, 30.0 3P%
Blake Griffin – 21.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.0 STL, 49.4 FG%, 34.5 3P%
A mere season ago, this may have been a tougher match-up to come up with an answer to. Derrick Favors was on the rise scoring over 16 points per game and nearly averaging a double-double. Yet, even if Favors was at that level, All-Star Blake Griffin still would more than likely have the edge, but considering how poorly Derrick has played this season, that is even more the case than usual.
Favors has obviously been hampered by injuries, but even so his low production has been mightily disappointing. After how solid he looked last season, there were high hopes that he would be able to have a breakout year this season.
Instead, one look at the stats above will tell you all that you need to know. Favors is well outmatched against Blake Griffin. Griffin struggled with some injury issues of his own this season, but has largely been able to bounce back and has looked just like his former self since the All-Star break. He’s a physical and versatile player capable of wreaking havoc on both ends of the floor.
Much like the Hill-Paul match-up though, perhaps the one key advantage Favors holds is his length. Favors is no pushover strength-wise by any means and physically he could provide a tough match-up for Griffin as long as he’s firing on all cylinders.
The other piece to the puzzle, though, is that Derrick will need to be engaged. In Utah’s recent loss to the Blazers, Favors looked far from focused against a much less daunting Portland frontcourt. He’ll need to be completely locked in if he hopes to have any chance of stopping Griffin.
To be quite honest, depending on Favors’ health, there’s a reasonable chance that Boris Diaw or Joe Johnson could get the nod as starting power forward rather than Favs. Both of them are versatile, but neither one has had overwhelming success against Griffin aside from a few solid sequences from Johnson in Utah’s lone win over the Clips.
Therefore, if Utah hopes to neutralize one of LA’s most dangerous and effective players, they’ll almost certainly have to have a strong and focused Favors in the mix. Nevertheless, even at full force, he still isn’t quite as formidable as the Clippers All-Star power forward.
Advantage – Blake Griffin, Clippers