Will Derrick Favors eventual return to New Orleans Pelicans impact winning?

Continuing to slump through their nine-game losing streak, the return of Derrick  Favors might start swinging games in the New Orleans Pelicans’ direction.

The New Orleans Pelicans need all the help they can get as they continue to deflate amidst a 6-18 start to the 2019-2020 NBA season. In what’s good news for their cause, it looks like starting center Derrick Favors could soon return to the fold.

Following minor, early-season injuries to his back and lower body, Favors was forced to deal with the death of his mother this November. Particularly close to and raised by his single mother, Favors has been given the time he needs to grieve.

Now back with the New Orleans Pelicans and involved in shootarounds, it seems like a matter of time before Derrick Favors is back in the starting lineup.

"“He’s one of those guys who doesn’t say much but doesn’t really need to. I think all the guys have a ton of respect for him and know what a big-time pro he is,” Head Coach Alvin Gentry said of Derrick Favors."

Listed as questionable tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, Favors traveled with the team and very well could make what would be just his tenth appearance of the season tonight on the road.

When available, Favors has been a solid two-way force for the Pelicans, though his true value for this team comes on the defensive end of the floor. Fans will look back at his 20 points and 20 rebounds in their win against the Los Angeles Clippers as one of the best performances of the season up to this point.

Starting in 7-of-9 appearances this year in New Orleans, Favors is averaging 8.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and shooting 62.1% from the field.

It should be noted that in Favors’ glass cleaning, he’s grabbing 3.4 offensive rebounds per game, which means he’s keeping offensive possessions alive.

Overall, his metrics glow with positivity, starting with his 19.6 PER, which ranks second on the team only to Brandon Ingram, the team-high 28.5% rebound rate, and his +1.9 box plus/minus is tied with Ingram for the best on the squad.

So far in his time with the New Orleans Pelicans, Favors has certainly put this team in better positions to win.

The New Orleans Pelicans are also 2-5 when Derrick Favors starts and are 2-7 as a whole when the 6’9″ big checks into the game. Simply put, he’s helped them win games before and should help them win even more if he can stay healthy.

In some ways, just having a consistent interior force should open up this team a lot more in late-game sets, as teams will have to keep Favors honest inside or get picked apart by the Pelicans’ sharp, passing guards. This means they should have cleaner looks from three in the fourth.

Overall, this team and its trove of young players really need Favors to relieve their woes on both ends, however, especially as it relates to this team’s young bigs.

Right now, this team is relying on rookie Jaxson Hayes and an alright backup in Jahlil Okafor to anchor the paint, as Nicolò Melli didn’t help inside, getting bullied by stronger bigs. They’ve even tried to work Ingram at the five in limited spots, but they really need a post maven.

Both struggling with fouling, Okafor (3 fouls per 18.3 minutes) and Hayes (3.2 fouls per 21.2 minutes) will be able to play more physical with Favors back in the mix. While averaging 21 minutes per contest, Favors only fouls 2.3 times per contest, keeping interior scoring attempts from making the team pay at the line.

While Favors isn’t going to be the difference in going to be the difference that pushes this team into contention, his solidarity in the post can start setting things up for a run when Zion Williamson returns sometime in the next month or two.

Alvin Gentry needs someone in his rotation to just beat people up inside; it’ll help open up everything for this New Orleans Pelicans team if Favors can be the rim-roller he’s been during his long stretch with the Utah Jazz.

If the Pelicans don’t get better on the defensive end when Favors returns, however, they might have to really start taking stock in their season. That means either gutting the roster to stack some assets or making a move for a guy who can help them run to the playoffs.

If the New Orleans Pelicans can get a healthy Derrick Favors back in their rotation, they could really start seeing this machine start to function. However, they’ll need the rest of the team to rally around Favors as well, as no one outside of Ingram has it going at the moment.