Denver’s dark horse: Kenneth Faried
By Jordan Reid
Faried may still have a key role on this team.
For several years now I’ve been ready to give up on Kenneth Faried. He’s a freak athlete that’s exciting to watch, but has a narrow skill set.
For several years, he was a high-energy guy, who could rebound with the best of them and score around the basket when needed. However, he has never been able to shoot the ball well from distance, and his defense has not been anything to write home about.
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I’ve always respected his hustle and winning attitude, but did not think he had the skill set to be great in the NBA. This season I changed my mind though. He may not ever be an all-star but, I think he’s found a perfect fit in the Jokic system.
Through the 2016-17 season, Denver had the most success when running their offense through Jokic, and surrounding him with 3-point shooters. Nikola Jokic is an offensive juggernaut. When the 7-footer drives to the basket, the defense collapses on him and he can kick out to three point shooters.
When he doesn’t drive, his shooters (such as Gary Harris and Jamal Murray) can cut to the basket. Jokic constantly displayed his impressive passes to cutters for easy layups and dunks. Not to mention, the guy doesn’t need to pass. He can score.
The Joker, can post up, shoot the mid-range, shoot the three, and run the fast break. He’s one of the best offensive players in the league. But what does this have to do with Kenneth Faried?
If Jokic runs the offense and is surrounded by three three-point shooters (say, Murray, Harris, and Hernangomez), then that leaves Faried to do what he does best- own the paint.
Faried can place picks to get three-point shooters open. He can also roll to the basket for easy dunks. When Denver’s shooters open up the floor, Faried will have room to score inside. Most importantly though, Faried can rebound and get Denver’s offense second chances.
The Manimal is such a good rebounder for his size that he’ll out rebound almost any PF he’s left one on one with. And with most of the defensive attention on Jokic, Kenneth can have a big impact.
What about his defense though? Last season, serious improvements could be seen. His biggest defensive improvement was taking charges. Faried was able to get in position time and time again to put his body on the line and take charges.
On Nov. 25th Faried also had a game-saving block on Russell Westbrook that took the game to overtime.
Lastly, it’s possible that next season Denver will be starting four players who have been in the league for three years or less (Murray, Harris, Hernangomez, Jokic). The Manimal may be the vocal leader this team needs.
Faried has a winning attitude and the grit of a champion. When Malone didn’t start him last season, Kenneth was on a mission to prove he belongs in the starting line-up. He may need to prove himself again this season. If he does, he could have his best year yet.
Denver’s offense is a perfect fit for Faried’s game. Faried is one of the only remaining players who has been to the playoffs with the Nuggets. With playoffs realistically in sight next season, Faried can help lead the team there.