2010 NBA Draft: Derrick Favors Equals NBA Elite in Five Years

An 18-year-old kid out of Georgia Tech is about to make the career jump of his life.

See, most teenagers going to the NBA come with some type of baggage, attitude problems, maturity issues, that sort of thing. Not Derrick Favors.

Sure he has his moments, like every teenager does, but a well disciplined and respectful young man deserves a place in the NBA. At the age of 18, Derrick Favors is all man, physically and mentally.

Please consider that at the age of 18 he stands at 6'10'', with a 7'4'' wingspan, weighing at a smooth bulked 245 pounds (6.5 percent body fat), with a 35" vertical. In essence, with his length, athleticism, and aggressiveness, Derrick Favors is literally a pterodactyl in a pair of Nike's. The fact that he has another possible three years of growth, where he could easily reach 6'11'', means Derrick Favors has a lot of talent to offer a young team.

However, don't let the numbers fool you one bit. Derrick Favors is every bit of prospect as any raw talent coming into the draft. While he's superbly athletic, he's very unpolished, very young, and coming out of Georgia Tech, where there was a lack of point guard play, Derrick Favors has a lot of question marks going into the NBA.

While being incredibly efficient (61 percent), please consider 13 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 BPG, 1 APG, 1 SPG. The way he did his scoring is no mystery. 20 percent of his possessions came off of his own teammates misses, meaning he basically had to work for his own shot, which is something I don't think his future coach would mind utilizing. With his athleticism, he is able to catch and finish, rebound, block shots, and even has a nice jump hook.

But while very young, his fundamentals on the defensive end, and his intangibles are no question at all. This kid wants to be good, he wants to be great. He knows his potential, and while soft spoken, his ram rattling dunks would suggest otherwise.

He has the length and lateral quickness to guard three positions in the NBA, this is why he's a legit three through five pick.

While very raw, his upside is enormous. Think about it, this guy has the length, the build, and the body, at 18 years old. How many prospects have that when they are 23? What he lacks now is his polish, which is much easier to develop, hence his potential.

There are some analysts saying that Derrick Favors could end up being the best player from the 2010 NBA draft five years down the road, an NBA veteran at the age of 24. It's very possible.

Thanks for reading!