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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

New Expectations for Kenneth Faried

One of the breakout stars this summer for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup was Kenneth Faried.  The forward for the Denver Nuggets was considered somewhat of a longshot to make the team at the beginning of camp, but he turned into one of their best players.  That performance came at a perfect time for him, as he was due for a new contract in the NBA.  After getting a five year deal worth $60 million, new expectations will be surrounding him.

Throughout his basketball career, Faried has been the overachieving underdog.  He was lightly recruited out of high school, ending up at Morehead State. Despite putting up huge numbers there, he slipped into the end of the 1st round in the NBA Draft.   Even in the NBA he has largely been undervalued because his fantasy basketball numbers are not out of this world.  What makes him valuable is his ability to do the little things and play at full speed 100% of the time.

Denver was crushed by injuries last year, and they finished well out of the playoffs.  Faried performed pretty well in fantasy basketball, but now he will be asked to take on a bigger load on offense.  He has been working on his shooting to stretch the floor a little, and it is getting better and better.

Now that he is making well over $10 million a year, it is time for him to take on a bigger leadership role.  He isn't really considered a star just yet, but he has the potential to be that type of player for Denver.  That Nuggets have always had trouble being fast, athletic running team to use the thin air to their advantage.  In that sense, Faried is the perfect fit.  He seems to be more than happy to stay in Denver, but now people will be expecting more out of the gold medalist.

-Vince Martin

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