Team USA Basketball announced their 30 finalists for the roster that will compete for the gold metal in the Rio De Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenneth Faried was the only member of the Denver Nuggets to be listed as a finalst. The Manimal, as Faried is often referred to, will attempt to make the final roster again after being a key piece to the men’s team that won the gold medal in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain in 2014.
The National team is often stacked with super star talent and the list of 30 finalists is not short of big names with the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry all being in the final group. However, since the program failed to bring home gold medals in the early 2000s, a shift has been made in the thought process of how the National team should be built. Gone are the days of simply taking the 12 best players willing to go to the Olympics, instead the program focuses on matching various skill sets to create the most complete team as possible. Faried fits into this philosophy perfectly as his rebounding prowess and ability to run the floor make him an excellent piece on the roster.
