Kenneth Faried, known as Manimal among Denver Nuggets aficionados, is pretty special. He has a heart of a champion, intensity of a determined veteran, the hunger of an All-Star, yet he is only going into his second NBA year with the Denver Nuggets.
Faried, standing at 6’8″, was considered undersized by critics to play the power forward position. However, he showed critics they miscalculated one item in his scouting report: his work ethic.
Faried didn’t receive ton of play time until Nene became injured and was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards, but once he did, he took the Nuggets and the NBA by storm.
He was energetic, athletic, intense, and his high-flying antics made NBA enthusiasts from all over the world swoon.
He was compared to Dennis Rodman from the opening of the gates and his first season did not disappoint , but what should fans expect for next season?
He didn’t even play the full 66 games last season, but still nearly racked up 8 rebounds per game in 22.5 minutes. Imagine what he will do with a FULL off-season, Summer League under his belt, a real training camp and a full 82-game season?
He’s coming into his sophomore season with a huge role in Denver’s system and as a vital part of the young core along with JaVale McGee and Ty Lawson. A classic description of the Denver Nuggets offense is their run-and-gun style and Faried compliments this with his high octane energy and bouncy athleticism. This very thing is what allows Faried to get a leg-up on other big men in the league who often are sluggish in transition.
Next season, we can expect more rebounds, more dunks, easy layups, and more double-doubles from this Denver fan favorite.
