Michael Reddick doesn’t claim to know a whole lot about the New Jersey Nets, but he does know about Derrick Favors.
Reddick coached the 6-foot-9 Favors at South Atlanta High School before Favors spent a one-and-done year at Georgia Tech.
With Favors now projected as the No. 3 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Reddick thinks he would be a good fit for the Nets, who pick in that slot.
“I don’t know too much about the Nets,” Reddick said by phone. “I know if he goes in, he’s going to be a hard worker. Once he gets adjusted to the NBA system, he’s going to be a very productive player.”
Favors averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 boards in his single season at Tech. Over his final 10 games, Favors averaged 15.8 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field and 78 percent from the stripe in ACC games.
With Kentucky point guard John Wall and Ohio State combo guard Evan Turner projected to go 1-2 on June 24, Favors is one of a number of players Nets president Rod Thorn is looking at.
“We’re really concentrating on three or four kids right now — DeMarcus Cousins, Wes Johnson, Favors and certainly Turner if he falls there,” Thorn told The Star-Ledger.
Favors himself told reporters he could envision himself playing in New Jersey.
“I know they had a tough year but they can be a good team if they get some pieces,” Favors said, according to the Daily News.
Despite finishing 12-70, the Nets already have a strong core in point guard Devin Harris and center Brook Lopez. They will enter the LeBron James Sweepstakes and have some $26 million to spend in salary-cap space.
“I can see [Favors] in that situation because I know they already have a young center in Lopez and him at that power forward I think would be a great complement,” Reddick said.
With his ability to rebound, Favors could complement Lopez — and potentially free agent backup center Shaquille O’Neal –– in the frontcourt.
“His biggest strength to me is his rebounding ability,” Reddick said. “He can really suck those balls up. Whether he gets two shots a game or 20 shots a game — he’s going to shoot over 50 percent. He’s going to shoot high a percentage.”
Asked if Favors had a weakness, Reddick said that Favors might be “too coachable.”
“He’s almost too coachable,” Reddick said. “He’s going to do what the coach tells him to do, where sometimes he sees openings and he needs to go in and react to that opening.”
Favors is only 18 and weighs about 250 pounds, yet Reddick calls him “extremely athletic.”
“He’s going to continue to get bigger and stronger,” the coach said.
If the Nets were to somehow land LeBron and Favors, Reddick sees a bright future for the franchise.
“What a heck of a line that would be for a while, so who knows?” Reddick said “The Nets’ fans got a lot to be excited about, it’s just a matter of how the management pulls the trigger.”
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