Kenneth Faried: Is Nuggets PF Finally Getting Back On Track?

Is Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried finally getting back on track after a slow start to the season?

Kenneth Faried was one of the heroes of Team USA this past summer, and was expected to come out this season as a breakout star. That didn’t end up being the case, and Faried has been having a very unforgettable season.

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Over the last two games, Faried has been beginning to play like the star power forward that he was expected to be. Against the Brooklyn Nets on December 23rd, he scored 20 points to go along with 14 rebounds. Last night against the Minnesota Timberwolves he came through with one of the best games of his career, scoring 26 points to go along with 25 rebounds.

He hasn’t been the active player that he was for Team USA, and that has been one of his biggest issues. Through his first 27 games this season, Faried has averaged just 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds. His rebounding numbers need to be much higher than that in order for him to be the impact player that he is capable of being.

Denver hasn’t played well ever since George Karl was fired, and Faried simply doesn’t have the role under Brian Shaw that he needs.

After those two very impressive outings, however, the question has been arising as to whether or not Faried is back on track after the slow start this season.

The answer to that question is very simple. Yes, Faried is back on track. He is too talented of a player with too much potential to continue playing at the pace that he had been, and he is getting back to what makes him such a dangerous player.

Attacking the boards and getting easy looks inside is exactly what has made him successful throughout his career. This past summer with Team USA he was the most active player on the team, and that got him easy putback layups and dunks.

It will be intriguing to see what ends up happening over the next week or two with Faried and the Nuggets. They have a much more talented roster than how they are playing, but Faried appears to be taking it on himself to get them back on track. If he continues playing with the heart and effort that he has over the last two games, he is going to be nearly impossible for opposing defenses to stop.

Faried only had two double-doubles heading into the last two games, and he matched that number. There is no question that he has the ability to be a double-double threat each and every night, and should be with the skill that he has. Expect to see him maintain the type of energy that he has shown, and to turn his season around in a big way moving forward.

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