When in top form, Denver coach Michael Malone calls him “the heartbeat” of the Nuggets.
Kenneth Faried, meanwhile, is just happy that he’s getting healthy.
“Little injuries here and there, especially the ones that kept me out were kind of depressing,” Faried said. “But had to get my mind back right, and I think I’m in a place where I’m fine.”
And if he’s fine, then the Nuggets’ heartbeat is that much stronger.
Going into games Monday night, the veteran forward ranked 14th in the NBA in rebounding at 9.1 per game, fifth in the NBA in offensive rebounding at 3.5 per game and sixth in the NBA in field goal percentage at 55.6 percent.
Many of those are marked improvements from a season ago. His rebounds are the highest since his second season in 2012-13. His field goal percentage is the highest since his breakout rookie season.
“I’m trying to stay locked in,” said Faried, who is in the first year of a four-year contract extension worth up to $52 million with incentives. “I don’t have to do some of the things I used to have to do, like sit out certain minutes, or have to worry about my energy level. I’m getting back to my normal self, that’s why I’ve been getting double-doubles.”
Double-doubles like the 21 points and 13 rebounds he racked up in the Nuggets’ loss to New Orleans on Sunday night. That was his fifth of the season, but more importantly to the Nuggets, his second in the past three games.
He played just more than 24 minutes Sunday, making him just the 15th player in the last 30 years to put up a 21/13 line or better in 24 minutes or less. Faried’s done it more than once, and the only other active NBA player to do so is San Antonio’s Tim Duncan.
But it’s the wins that matter, and when Faried is getting double-doubles the Nuggets are usually winning, unlike on Sunday. They’ve won 66 percent of the 101 games in which he’s recorded a double-double.
“I’m going to consistently start getting them more and more,” Faried said. “Personally I grab offensive rebounds at a high clip, I’m trying to get up there into the top five in double-doubles. I know it’s a stretch because of the injuries I had, but I’m going to still try and do my best.”
Faried’s free throw shooting has inexplicably become an issue. He’s shooting 53 percent from the line, which is nearly 10 percent lower than his previous worst free throw shooting season, and is 16 percent worse than last season, which was his best free throw shooting season.
Faried has pretty well lived at the free throw line after practices of late, trying to reverse his slump. Defensively, he still makes the spectacular block, but Malone wants him to do a better job on routine rotations.
Still, Malone loves the energy Faried brings each game.
“When he plays with that type of energy, it’s contagious,” Malone said. “When he’s running, when he’s rebounding, when he’s screening and rolling and he’s blocking shots, those are things that cover up a lot of mistakes that get us easy baskets, which we need. He’s kind of the heartbeat of our team when he plays like that, and we need him to play like that as consistently as possible.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or @dempseypost
L.A. LAKERS AT DENVER
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
TV/Radio: ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Kobe Bryant:
The longtime Lakers star is making his penultimate trip to the Mile High City, having announced that he will retire when this season ends. Bryant, 37, has made only 33.9 percent of his shots in 23 games this season, but his shooting is improving. In his last six games, Bryant has averaged 18.8 points and made 48.9 percent of his shots, including 36.4 percent shooting on 3-point attempts. He also is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists during that span.
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets:
Danilo Gallinari didn’t participate in practice Monday because of his sprained ankle and is listed on the team’s injury report as out for Tuesday’s game. Gallinari is Denver’s leading scorer this season, averaging 17.3 points. The Nuggets will re-examine his availability at the morning shootaround Tuesday. Darrell Arthur is questionable because of soreness in his right knee.
Lakers:
Kobe Bryant, who missed the team’s previous game because of a sore shoulder, is listed as probable for Tuesday. But he’s listed as doubtful for dunking in the game. He suffered his shoulder injury on a dunk against Houston on Dec. 17. Coach Byron Scott told the Los Angeles Daily News that Bryant’s dunking has to stop. “I don’t want him to dunk no more,” Scott said, laughing. “I’ll tell him to save it for Game 82. Then he can dunk again.”
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
