Denver Nuggets Mid-Term Grades: Kenneth Faried
Jan 9, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) during the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As we approach the midway point of the 2014-15 NBA season, it’s the perfect time to evaluate the performance of each player to date. This week, Nugg Love editor S.E. Shepherd will be handing out mid-term grades for each player currently on the Nuggets’ active roster. Next up: Kenneth Faried.
B-. Kenneth Faried came into the season with sky-high expectations surrounding him. While he’s played decently, especially since snapping out of an early season funk, he hasn’t come close to delivering on the preseason hype. He’s still a big part of this team, both on the court and in terms of marketing, but whether or not he will be a centerpiece of the team for years to come remains to be seen.. F. Denver Nuggets. KENNETH FARIED
Player: Kenneth Faried
Key Stats: Faried is averaging 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers per game. He is shooting 51.8% from the floor, and giving the team 26.9 minutes per game.
Best Game: Faried had a monster game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 26, scoring 26 points and grabbing a whopping 25 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end. The Nuggets won the game by 4 points.
Worst Game: The most frustrating thing about the play of Faried this season is his tendency to play great for several games and then go completely invisible for a game. His worst game of the season came in an 8-point loss to the L.A. Lakers on December 30, when he posted just 4 points (on 2 of 7 shooting) and 4 rebounds. He had scored 15 or more points and grabbed 14 or more rebounds in each of the three preceding games.
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Bottom Line: There’s no denying the fact that Kenneth Faried is one of the most popular players on the Nuggets’ roster and the franchise puts him out front as a face of the club along with Ty Lawson. Like it or not, Faried is known as an energy guy, and for the most part, he’s lived up to that reputation this season.
But before the 2014-15 season got underway, expectations were sky-high for Faried. Coming off his best season as a pro and a gold-medal winning performance with Team USA this summer that turned a lot of heads, Faried signed a rich extension with the Nuggets. Despite bumping heads with head coach Brian Shaw at times last season, fans expected Faried to buy in following his re-signing and come out guns blazing this season. Instead, he got off to a relatively slow start and didn’t really hit his stride until December.
It’s not likely the team will make Faried available ahead of this year’s trade deadline, and he seems locked in as part of the franchise’s long-term plans. I think Faried is great at what he does (create havoc on the boards, sprint up and down the court, get in opposing players’ heads), but he can be a defensive liability against some of the more talented power forwards in the league. If the Nuggets want to designate him as one of the centerpieces of the team going forward, I can live with that. But if they change course and decide to see what they can get for Faried on the open market, you won’t see me crying any tears following his departure.