The Derrick Favors video that the ratings crew at NBA 2K doesn’t want you to see

It’s never too early (or too late) to start campaigning for your boys. And as a Utah Jazz fan who has spent years loyally buying 2K products, I’d love to see a little more love from them. Derrick Favors is so very out-of-sight / out-of-mind because he plays in a small market in a low population time zone for a team that’s been to the NBA Playoffs once in his career — five years ago. He was an injury replacement in the Rookie / Soph game in his second year in the league, to talk about disrespect. I guess part of that was going to a team adamant on starting Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. But another part of that is just the national media / casual fan blackout that exists if you suit up with a note logo jersey.

Now, it’s true; the Dynamic Rating card for Favors in NBA 2K16 (MyTeam) has him as an overall 85 player. That makes him a Gold level player (better than Silver and Bronze, less than of the truly elite — and somehow less than Ian Mahinmi’s playoff card update). Gold is good. I’m happy that it happened after so many years of being Silver level (like so many of the Jazz’s current roster).

But this player is better than an 85 overall. A “50” in contact dunk is abjectly conflicted by the video evidence we see above. Furthermore, the abuse Favors doles out to casual fan darling Anthony Davis at the 1:50 mark should be taught in deprogramming camps. He backs the ‘Brow in from 6 feet from the basket to about 3 feet, drop steps, and dunks on him against his pathetic contest attempt.

The video also shows Favors’ smooth transitions from the post into a sequence of fluid moves, hooks, up-and-unders, and finger-rolls. It’s not just pick-and-roll finishes with Derrick. Moreover, his ability to take and make no-hesitation mid-range jumpers seems impossible to someone just going off of what he can do in a video game. The overall frame of reference being constructed here is that Derrick Favors is more talented and capable on offense than his low 70s in jump shooting and low 80s in the paint would lead one to believe.

Defensively, well, the knock on favors coming into the league was that he was just a very raw defender. Now going into his 7th season in the NBA Favors hopes to leave behind that assessment and his 78 block rating from NBA 2K16. The 78 rating in blocking shots isn’t that hot. Not compared to what we’ve seen him to do guys (that Marcin Gortat block at the rim from a few seasons back continues to haunt to Polish Hammer.)

But for the fun of it, here are some of the guys who have a higher rating than 78: Jamaal Franklin (88), Jordan Mickey (88), Branden Dawson (88), Terrence Jones (85), Jerami Grant (83), Willie Reed (83), Thomas Robinson (82), Lou Amundson (82), K.J. McDaniels (81), heck, free agent Kenyon Martin (79) too! [N.B. The original roster Favors had a block of 81, the Dynamic rating went down.]

I don’t think random shooting guards and small forwards are better rim protectors than Favors.

Anyway, I don’t need to deconstruct the entire video or Derrick’s game. But you can watch it, it’ll be a closer inspection he gets from us than he will from the people who make the ratings over at 2K. Reverse-jinx aside, I love me some 2K and can’t wait for my pre-order game to arrive in my mailbox.