Kenneth Faried plays the game as hard as anyone in the NBA. He has made his living, so far, by outworking his competition, but he also has a very nice skill set. Faried can finish around the rim in traffic above or below the rim, he has an uncanny ability to find space inside to finish plays.

Throughout his three seasons in the NBA, his scoring averages have risen from 10.2 points, to 11.5, to 13.7 last season. He's has a career 55.4% field goal percentage to go along with pulling down 8.6 rebounds per game. Today he was named as one of 19 players to compete for the USA's 2014 Men's National Team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Forwards named for 2014 <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball">@usabasketball</a> MNT include <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5">@KDTrey5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KennethFaried35">@KennethFaried35</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/blakegriffin32">@blakegriffin32</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinlove">@kevinlove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USABMNT?src=hash">#USABMNT</a></p>&mdash; USA Basketball (@usabasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball/statuses/488686800920399873">July 14, 2014</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”><p><a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/USA?src=hash”>#USA</a>! <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/USA?src=hash”>#USA</a>! <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/USA?src=hash”>#USA</a>! &#10;&#10;Kenneth Faried is among 19 players invited to training camp for the 2014 Men&#39;s National Team. <a href=”http://t.co/ZzXPPlXOrB”>pic.twitter.com/ZzXPPlXOrB</a></p>&mdash; Denver Nuggets (@denvernuggets) <a href=”https://twitter.com/denvernuggets/statuses/488702068991852546″>July 14, 2014</a></blockquote>

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Some pretty unique company for the Manimal with Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Love being the other forwards invited to the team.

Here are the other players that have been invited to the team USA training camp, that will take place July 28th to August 1st in Las Vegas.

Added to the 2014-16 USA National Team roster and participating in the July-28-Aug. 1 USA National Team training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, are NBA standouts DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors) and Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks).

Previously named USA National Team members who are confirmed to participate in the 2014 Las Vegas training camp include: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings);Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); Andre Drummond(Detroit Pistons); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks); Damian Lillard(Portland Trail Blazers); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); and Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors).

The 2014-16 USA Basketball National Team coaching staff features USA head coach and Duke University’s Naismith Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski. Serving as assistant coaches are USA Basketball and Syracuse University and Naismith Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau and New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams.

Congrats to the Manimal.