Does Kenneth Faried Make Sense For The Cleveland Cavaliers?
Kenneth Faried’s name is swirling around NBA trade rumors, but does he even make sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers to pursue?
Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is actively being shopped after reports of a deal for Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap broke by ESPN‘s Zach Lowe.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will likely be included in the trade rumors thanks to the uncertainty of star forward Kevin Love. The Inquisitr‘s Adrian Lawhorn makes the case for the Cavs to swap Faried and Love, but is it really a good fit?
Cleveland is coming off of their first NBA title in franchise history, and delivered the city their first major sports championship since 1964, so why would they deal Love?
There is no surprise that Love has questioned his role in Cleveland and where he fits in before. From a sense of there not being a great fit, it makes sense for Love who came to the Cavs after being “the guy” for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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The biggest problem for the Cavs was the way that former head coach David Blatt would use Love. He would often stick him on the perimeter as a spot-up shooter to hit three’s after LeBron James and Kyrie Irving drove towards the rim.
Current head coach Tyronn Lue has used Love in a number of different ways, including on post-ups, pick-and-roll situations and as a spot up shooter. Lue has showcased different areas of Love’s game and has made him a more demanding player after being more complacent under Blatt’s regime.
Analyzing a deal for Faried isn’t perfect. BSNDenver believes that the Nuggets would likely have to package Faried with another player, such as Will Barton or Wilson Chandler, because most teams view Faried as a rotational player. Here’s a possible trade that the two sides could work out.
With J.R. Smith remaining unsigned by the Cavs, and not knowing whether or not he will be a Cavalier next season, the Cavs likely ask for Barton in a potential deal.
Barton has the potential to play either wing position, but ultimately fits as a shooting guard in the Cavaliers lineup, but is the Faried-Love trade-off worth making a deal?
Faried, 26, is a high-energy player that can impact the game in several ways. He is an excellent rebounder on both ends of the court, with a career rebounding rate of 18.1 percent and averaging 3.2 offensive rebounds per game over his five-year career. His rebounding can impact games by saving possessions or getting second chance points.
Defensively, Faried has the potential for some highlight reel plays. He is a good shot blocker due to his great athleticism. His athleticism is needed since he is only 6-foot-8. Faried also has good hands and can steal loose balls for extra possessions. He is averaging 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game for his career.
Offensively is the biggest question mark surrounding Faried’s game and may be why he’s viewed as a rotational player. He averaged 12.5 points per game last season off of a 55.8 shooting percentage, but his game isn’t versatile.
Faried has only taken 13 three-pointers over the course of his five years in the NBA. In a league that is leaning heavily on more versatile players, Faried doesn’t fit that mold. A lot of points come off transition plays, second chance points or off the pick-and-roll. The Cavs use on-ball screens, but not as a focal point of their game.
Perhaps with different personnel, head coach Tyronn Lue would change up his offensive sets to utilize Faried. But the Cavs identity is surrounding James and Irving with forwards that have good range to shoot from three-point range, a pick-and-pop and roll to the basket. Faried doesn’t fit that mold.
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Cleveland shouldn’t trade Love for Faried. Coming off of a NBA Championship, they probably shouldn’t trade Love at all, especially with the way Lue has utilized Love in his short tenure with the Cavs. Don’t expect Cleveland and Denver to be swapping players any time soon because Faried is not a good fit for the Cavaliers.