Kenneth Faried was the last one to come out onto the practice court and address the media yesterday at Pepsi Center for the Denver Nuggets media day, arriving some 15 minutes after everyone else had left the court. In the most literal sense, when he sat before the cameras he had everyone’s attention. He didn’t let that spotlight go to waste.
In a series of interviews, one with the media as a whole and another with our own Chad Andrus, Faried laid out his perspective coming into the season and let’s just say that he doesn’t seem to be as excited or content as everyone else on the roster. Over the course of about 15 minutes he dished on everything from his belief that he is a starting caliber player to the chip on his shoulder that he is carrying into the season. He even contrasted George Karl’s coaching style to Michael Malone’s in what could be taken as a dig at the team’s current coach.
It is clear from this interview that Faried is not happy but he was also adamant that every time he steps on the court this season he will be giving it his all. Whatever issues he has with the organization, coaching staff, fanbase (yes, he mentions them too), and role, he made it crystal clear that he will not be quitting on the team when the lights are on. Still, it appears that Faried’s discontent will be a storyline throughout training camp and possibly linger into the regular season and beyond.
