Kenneth Faried Admits to Flopping (VIDEO)
Nov 9, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) reacts after being pushed away by Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
During the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 116-100 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Kenneth Faried and Steve Blake mixed it up following an exchange of body-bumps that ended with Faried hitting the hardwood and Blake charged with a flagrant foul. It ultimately wouldn’t have an impact on the outcome of the game, but it certainly added a little drama to the proceedings.
Following the game, Comcast Sportsnet reporter Chris Burkhardt spoke with the Nuggets forward, and here’s how Kenneth Faried admits to flopping in order to draw a response from Blake:
"“He got mad I back-picked him,” said Faried. “I’m playing offense, I’m making sure my point guard got open, and he ran into the back pick trying to go to my point guard. Then he got mad about it and pushed me. Yeah, I fell down to make sure the ref saw it.”"
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The play produced a mild scrum that saw players from both teams step in to make sure the situation didn’t escalate. Faried is receiving some criticism around the web for his actions, especially in light of the fact that the NBA seems intent on clamping down on players who flop this season, but I have no problem with Faried’s actions. The Nuggets need to show some toughness and scrappiness if they want to get their season under control before it’s too late, and playing mind games with opponents — even if that means throwing a hip-check here and there — is all right in my book. Faried wasn’t looking to hurt Blake, and if his actions get his teammates fired up, then it’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned.
The Nuggets square off against Portland again on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to see if Blake looks to retaliate during the game.