Nuggets F Kenneth Faried on his play this season: 'awful'
Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Fariedtold the Denver Post his play this season has been "awful."
Faried, who was a member of Team USA during the 2014 FIBA World Cup, said he "just hasn't been playing my game" through the first 16 games of the season, and that "everything" needs to be corrected.
"I know it. My teammates know it. My coaches know it," he said. "Hopefully, this month of December, I turn everything around. But for me, it's awful. You've got to be able to look at yourself, look at the man in the mirror and say that to yourself. And be able to correct yourself."
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Faried is averaging 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds so far this season, down from the 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds he averaged in 2013-14. Faried's shooting is also down as he's shooting 50 percent from the floor, compared to 55 percent for his career.
The 2011 first-round draft pick averaged 12.2 points in 21.4 minutes and shot 63.8 percent at the FIBA World Cup.
Faried signed a five-year, $60 million extension with Denver in October, and said he feels some pressure to perform because of the new deal.
"But I've got to just deal with the fact that I'm that type of player now," he said. "Next year, I start getting paid that type of money, so I can't be making the mistakes that I've been making. Or not doing what I usually do, or what got me the contract. I've got to focus back in and get, not even just rebounding and scoring, just find my love for the game like I always had."
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The Nuggets (8-8) play the Utah Jazz (5-12) on Monday.
- Molly Geary
