Tuesday night was a glimpse of everything coming together the way Kenneth Faried hopes it will during the regular season. The running and rebounding were there. The energy was there. The defense was there.
Even the jump shot — yes, the jump shot! — was there.
Kenneth Faried’s 22 points and 12 rebounds in the Nuggets preseason win over Golden State underscored one important point about this year’s training camp, his fifth. It has been the best camp of his career.
“Hands down,” he said. “Just overall.”
This is how Faried breaks it down.
“My first one was cut short for me as a young guy,” he said. “My second one I thought ‘Oh, I know the game.’ I came in with kind of a big head, but I still came out and performed early and did what I had to when we won a lot of games.
“My third one I was hesitant because of a new coach (Brian Shaw), I didn’t know what was going on. My fourth one, I just came right off of World Games, I thought this is going to be easy.”
And now?
“Now I’m like, ‘Hey I’ve got to get back to being who I was,’ and that’s humble, appreciative and thankful,” Faried said. “Once all of that tied into one I was able to go out and do what I can to help my team win.”
Faried is counting on having a breakout season, and the signs are good early in training camp. To the pleasure of Nuggets coaches and teammates, defense has been arguably his best, most-improved, trait.
“Kenneth had four or five plays where he’s covering for this corner and then getting back to that corner, taking the charge here and blocking a shot there (against Golden State),” Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur said. “He’s just flying all over the place. And that’s because of what coach is emphasizing with the defense.”
It’s also because Faried is determined to become a better all-round player.
“I envision myself to be great,” Faried said. “People may say he’s the energy guy, he doesn’t have the intangibles, but I don’t believe that. If I believed everything people say I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”
Faried was 4-of-4 on jump shots against the Warriors, including three from at least 17 feet.
“I’m in the gym, everyday,” Faried said. “All it took was confidence in me, from myself. And coaches that have confidence in me, and tell me ‘Hey, it’s okay, you can shoot the ball, you don’t have to be hesitant. If you’re open, shoot it.’ They can respect you. So, with that type of confidence and that type of green light you just have to shoot the ball and shut everybody up.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or @dempseypost
