Signs Pointing to Faried starting for Team USA
By Eric Meyer
Aug 15, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; USA Basketball Team forward Kenneth Faried (33) and forward Rudy Gay during national team practice at Quest MultiSport Complex. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Signs are pointing more and more to Denver Nuggets Power Forward Kenneth Faried being a starter for Team USA when the FIBA World Cup begins on August 30th in Spain. Originally Faried was added to the practice roster as a “Body” to help get the team ready for the tournament. But as the roster has been altered by injuries and players leaving the squad, Faried has become a bigger and bigger part of the team’s “Core” of players according to an article on Probasketballtalk this morning. The author of the article, Kurt Helin makes the following observation of Faried’s obvious benefit to the team and why he fits into the team as a starter:
"Scoring was never going to be the issue for Team USA, the roster is loaded top to bottom with guys who can score the rock. Maybe not like Durant, but they can score. What Faried brings in terms of being the glue guy with hustle and energy binds that together. It makes it a fit that works for the starting five, and leaves plenty of fire power off the bench."
In addition to Helin, the article quoted something ESPN’s David Thorpe has stated regarding Faried’s value to the team:
"As ESPN’s David Thorpe is fond of saying, energy is a skill. Not every guy brings it like Faried, and what he brings can help a team’s intangibles greatly (not to mention its rebounding)."
As I have said before in this blog, I feel that Faried’s inclusion on Team USA is an invaluable experience for the energetic Power Forward and will help him immensely in his growth as an NBA Player. My hope is that the Nuggets reap the benefits of Faried’s time with Team USA and get off their rear ends and get a long term contract done for the “Manimal” before it’s too late!