Kenneth Faried has been the subject of trade rumors since the season started. There were talks about him being traded to the Knicks for Iman Shumpert, but the Nuggets said it’s not going to happen. It doesn’t mean Faried won’t be traded. If the right deal comes along, he’s gone. There are no untouchables on the Nuggets roster.
First-year Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly knows this is not a roster that is not scaring elite teams to good teams, so if he can find young talent to build around for years to come, he will do that.
Still, there are players on the roster Connelly should keep. One of them is Faried. He is a double-double machine, and he is a guy that fits well in Brian Shaw’s halfcourt offense.
The third-year Nugget is averaging 10.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. From watching him play last year, there is an upside in his game. He is still learning about the game. He has to know how to be consistent every game. His double-double performance of 12 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes against the Bulls last night should be the norm in every game he plays.
When Faried gets going, there’s no stopping him. He feeds off from confidence. The key is to feed him the ball and have him be in a position to succeed. If he does not, he goes through a funk that he does not recover in the game.
The third-year Nugget needs to be mentally focused at all times. He has to bring it for 48 minutes if he wants to get more playing time. There’s something he is working on.
People forget he is 24 years old. He can get better. It’s times like this where patience is a virtue, and Faried’s best basketball game is still ahead of him. He is still learning on the job.
One of the things the Nuggets power forward must do is developing a post move. He needs to take control of the paint and overcome defenders when he has the ball.
His free throws must improve. He is unreliable when he is on the charity stripe. Often times, he makes one of two free throws. It’s why teams will foul him with the idea chances of him missing is good.
Faried needs to develop an outside shot. That will come with experience and practice.
He also has to continue to develop a mean streak on defense, which is denying guys to score and making sure other teams don’t get second chance.
There’s plenty of time for him to do that. That’s why this year has to be a starting point and turning point of what should be a good career. He has to grow now. Before he knows it, his rookie contract will expire. If he does not show improvement, the Nuggets are not going to pay the going rate for a power forward like him.
There’s no rush to trade Faried. He has two years to go until he is a restricted free agent. Having him develop this year is the prudent thing to do for the Nuggets. For all we know, he can have a breakout year.
There’s a reason he is in high demand. Teams know he can be better. Why can’t it be with the Nuggets?
Yes, there are so many guys on the roster that play his position in JaVale McGee, Timofey Mozgov, Anthony Randolph and J.J. Hickson, but Faried is a keeper compared to the other four.
McGee is nothing special. He is good for 12 minutes a night, and that’s it. He is never going to be the big men the Nuggets envisioned when they acquired him couple of years ago. He has played enough years to know he is not that guy.
Mozgov is a bench player at best. He is good enough for 10 points a game off the bench.
Randolph has been meh, and Hickson has been a pleasant surprise by averaging 9.6 points and 9.2. rebounds per game.
As good as the four are, Faried gives the Nuggets a chance to be in a position to win in crunch time. He gives them a good spark when he gets hot. The organization knows that, too, so that’s why he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
The Nuggets have to hope he keeps improving his game, so that they can give him the money he deserves of a big man in a few years.
They also hope he can be the player they can build around in winning a championship one day.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter
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Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
