Denver Nuggets: 15 best draft picks of all-time
By John Buhler
7. player. 73. . PF. Morehead State Eagles, 2011 (No. 22). Kenneth Faried
Though his role with the team has largely diminished and his salary looks largely awful, power forward Kenneth Faried was a solid starter for the Nuggets his first few years in the league. Faried was taken by the Nuggets No. 22 overall out of Morehead State in 2011. He rose to prominence as an elite rebounder and for being the best player on a Morehead State team that upset the No. 4 Louisville Cardinals in the first-round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
To date, Faried has spent his entire seven-year NBA career in Denver. He was named to the All-Rookie first-team in 2011-12. The following season, Faried was named the MVP of the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, as well as the J. Walter Kennedy Sportsmanship Award. Faried was on the fast track to being a star in the Mile High City.
However, not having a 3-point game in the modern NBA game has rendered Faried an on-court liability in some capacity. He appeared in just 32 games for the 2017-18 Nuggets, starting in just seven games for a near-playoff team. His eight-figure salary might be immoveable, but it looks like Faried will stick on the Nuggets’ roster for at least part of the next two seasons.
Though his NBA career never reached the heights we all thought it would when he was trying out for Team USA, Faried has proven to be one of the best draft picks the Nuggets have made in franchise history. Through the 2017-18 NBA season, Faried is averaging 11.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 24.9 minutes per contest with the Nuggets.
