Well Stiffs, it is snowing. No really, if it keeps going like this, Monday may be even worse than usual.
But anyway, there is one topic that hasn't really been addressed by Nuggets fans lately, and that is if Kenneth Faried will develop into that post presence/midrange threat we all desire on this team. If he had a jumper out to 18 feet like a Nenê, the lane would open up considerably. However, he hasn't shown that yet, even if he hasn't received much of an opportunity to take shots in this offense unless he is really feeling it.
Faried is the guy you want on your team for that energy and hustle, but we have that guy in Brewer already (who could stand to distribute some of his plays to our low post guys), and for Faried to be any better, he must first start with on ball defense, as well as PNR defense. That's where his contributions will be felt the most for this team, and is the single most important thing he can improve on his game, the second being his moves around the basket.
The same can be said for Javale McGee, and his lack of development in the post, or for that matter everywhere. We love his ability to play above the guys that play above the rim, but it's his lower body that needs addressing. His footwork, positioning on rebounds, and keeping his feet under him when going for blocks as opposed to launching out at a guy. I remember watching the Wizards game, where he stood basically under the rim, and Okafor snuck around him to the block to get better position on a rebound. Javale had no idea, and was pushed further away from the ball and allowed an O board and put back.
My problem with him sometimes is he gets tunnel vision. Have you ever seen him run on a fast break where he doesn't look for the ball but basically stares at a spot on the floor he wants to run to? My goal for him would be to play with his head up more, look to receive a pass on the break, or find your man on defense and understand what's happening. If his awareness can rise on both sides of the court we will see the potential everyone wants to see.
Finally, when the two play together, the defense turns to sliced cheese. Karl won't play his uber talented big men together unless they harness some of that brainpower and use it to play better together. Of course he may not play them together for more than 3 minutes during the game but you never know. They are the future, and need to start acting like it.
In three years, the starters should be:
Lawson, Fournier, Gallinari, Faried, McGee with Jham as the sixth man. That's the lineup we as fans should be looking forward to, but it won't happen until Faried and McGee start to see just how good they can be.
