Is Kenneth Faried Better Than Anthony Davis?
By Chris Kirby
The Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans will be meeting up for the fourth, and final, time this season when they play at 5:00 tonight. The Nuggets have won two of the three previous meetings.
Over the past three seasons, this matchup has often come down to the battle of the big men, Kenneth Faried and Anthony Davis. You shouldn’t expect anything different in tonight’s game, if the past is any indication.
Davis is having a Most Valuable Player-caliber season, averaging 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.8 blocks per-game. He has the Pelicans contending for a Playoff spot, with a 36-29 record. They currently sit in at eighth place in the Western Conference.
Most fans would consider Davis the unquestioned, best power forward in the NBA, which makes sense if you look at his numbers. However, if you dive deeper into the statistics, you will find out that Faried has measured up very well when facing off against The Brow.
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Since Davis entered the league in 2012, the two forwards have faced off six times, with the Nuggets winning four of those games.
Over the course of those games, Davis has nearly averaged a double-double against Faried, with 17.8 points and 9.5 rebound per-game. On top of it, Davis has rejected 2.3 shots per-game, but don’t let that stat fool you, Faried has gotten his.
Faried has had the upper hand in his matchups with AD, averaging 19.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, while shooting an incredible 65.7-percent from the field. Davis has been one of the best defensive players over the past three seasons, but that hasn’t affected the way Faried has played against the Pelicans.
Davis has had the better campaign in 2015, but Faried has still had success against the past two times they’ve met up this season (Davis sat out the March 1st meeting with a shoulder injury).
Faried is shooting 56.5-percent against Davis this season, while averaging 16.5 points per-game. That is a 4.7 points per-game increase from his season average of 11.8 points per-game.
There is a chance that these two won’t get the opportunity to lock horns tonight. Davis sustained a head injury during his last outing, Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. Concussion tests came back negative and he is questionable for tonight’s game.
Even if Davis does play, there is the chance that Melvin Hunt goes with his small-ball lineup. He has been playing Faried at the center position since he took over as the interim head coach. The team has played well with this lineup, compiling a 5-2 record, but this could be the wrong lineup to play against New Orleans.
Faried started at center during that March 1st game against the Pels, and he was thoroughly beaten like a couple of eggs destined for a cake. He matched up against Omer Asik, and finished with three points and six rebounds, while shooting one for six from the field.
On the other side of the ball, Asik dominated Faried. He scored nine points and pulled down 16 boards, imposing his will on the Denver frontline. The Pelicans also won that game, after losing the previous two meetings.
Conventional wisdom would say that you would want Asik on Faried, instead of Davis, but if you look at the numbers, Davis would be a more attractive opponent. Either way, this game will be decided in the post and whoever wins the battle, will likely win the war.