Pacers' Draft Possibilities: Kenneth Faried

With the Draft Lottery complete, the Early Entry List set, and the NBA Draft fast approaching, it's time to examine more in depth some of the players who could be available for the Pacers. Over the next few weeks I'll be trying to put together as many profiles as possible. Instead of identifying players as specific targets for either Pacers' pick, I'm just going to cover a pool of players I think are possibilities. You'll find some players who the Pacers would likely have to trade up or down for. I've also expressed my opinion that the Pacers need to be focused on talent as much as fit so players at all five positions will be included.

These profiles are not intended to advocate for one player over another, just examine their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss in some detail what they have to offer. For each profile I provided Ten Important Statistics to guide the discussion. Today we'll be looking at:

Kenneth Faried - PF - 6'7.75"  225 lbs. - Morehead State University

Current DraftExpress Projection: Round 1, Pick #20

Strengths:

• Plays with maximum effort and energy at all times, provides extra possessions with hustle and pursuit of loose balls
• The NCAA's All-Time leading rebounder, uses strength, athleticism, physicality and constant hustle to make a difference on the glass
• Has all the tools to be an excellent individual defender
• Does a great job getting to the free throw line, is very effective finishing at the rim

Weaknesses:

• Lacks some height and lower body strength for an NBA power foward
• At this point he's an extremely limited offensive player. Struggles with his jumpshot, poor free throw shooter, doesn't always make good decisions passing out of double teams, won't score much in the post without some sort of mismatch
• Played in the center of a 2-3 zone in college, doesn't have much experience with man to man defense

Impressions:

Slightly undersized, limited offensively, and inexperienced defensively, Faried has a fair share of question marks. However, he has a clear NBA-level skill, and the type of motor coaches dream of, which can't be said for every prospect. Expecting him to come in and emerge as a major impact player early in his career is a stretch, but Faried certainly seems to have the tools to fill a Louis Amundson-type role for a team looking for a workhorse to infuse their team with energy off the bench. If he works on his weaknesses and adapts to the professional game, Faried could live up to the lofty expectations he's set for himself with his outstanding college career.

- Matt Kamalsky, DraftExpress.com

• Emeka Okafor - 868
• Taj Gibson - 866
• Greg Oden - 863
• See the rest of Kenneth Faried's comparables at Hickory-High

How he can help the Pacers:

If the Pacers are looking to upgrade their defense and rebounding it's tough to imagine a better fit than Faried. In  terms of size and energy level, he's very similar to Tyler Hansbrough. In terms of skill set, he's a polar opposite. All of Faried's frenetic activity is directed towards crashing the glass and getting his hands on the ball defensively. His offensive limitations may make it a challenge for the Pacers to get him on the floor with their second-unit. A lineup with Faried, Jeff Foster and Dahntay Jones would be a bear defensively, but could go entire quarters without scoring. In the playoffs, the Pacers built an identity as a team that challenges their opponents with activity and defensive intensity. Faried would go along way towards supporting and furthering that identity, but will do little to mitigate the offensive problems which ultimately doomed the Pacers against the Bulls. If he's the Pacers' draft selection, other supporting moves would need to be made to upgrade the offense.

Video:

More Information:

• DraftExpress Profile
• ESPN Draft Profile
• NBADraft.net Profile