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Jarred Vanderbilt will fill Kenneth Faried’s shoes

By Mathew Huff

DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Denver Nuggets draft pick, Jarred Vanderbilt, is introduced during a press conference on June 22, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Denver Nuggets draft pick, Jarred Vanderbilt, is introduced during a press conference on June 22, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets drafted Jarred Vanderbilt with the hopes that he could become their new Kenneth Faried.

Shortly after the Denver Nuggets drafted Jarred Vanderbilt, Kenneth Faried was dealt in a trade which saw him and Darrell Arthur shipped to the Brooklyn in an effort to get below the tax threshold.

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While Faried had fallen out of the rotation, he still brought a lot of intangibles to the table which are sometimes hard to find in today’s NBA. He was a hustler and an expert offensive rebounder despite being undersized for his position at the power forward spot. Not to mention, the energy he brought night in and night out was second to none.

How will the Denver Nuggets be able to replace this type of effort? They are hoping that Jarred Vanderbilt can be the answer. Vanderbilt will most likely not get much time this season, but if he can refine his game enough, Denver may not have to look far into the future when they need a solid presence coming off the bench at the four spot.

Plus, Vanderbilt has the potential to be a bit more versatile on the defensive end than Kenneth Faried ever was in his Nuggets’ tenure. Per sports reference, Vanderbilt had a defensive rating of 93.7 in his lone season at Kentucky. He also possessed a defensive rebounding percentage of 27.9% to go along with a total rebounding percentage of 25.7% as well.

In terms of rebounding, it looks as if Vanderbilt should not have much trouble filling Faried’s shoes in this regard considering he averaged 7.9 rebounds in his one season in college.

The Denver Nuggets do not need him to be averaging 18 points per game. They need him for the intangibles which do not show up in the box score.

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Hopefully, the team can maximize his potential for the better.

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