2011 NBA Draft: Will Effort Outweigh Talent in This Year's Draft?

2011 NBA Draft Focuses on A Player Who Has Effort For Days ? Kenneth Faried

One player that has drawn a lot of buzz in the buildup to the NBA Draft is Kenneth Faried.

Faried may not be the most explosive athlete, or have the finesse that more-polished prospects possess, but he has something that cannot be measured in any workout ? heart.

It took heart for Faried and Morehead State to upset Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and it will be heart that powers the big man to a career in the NBA. Faried has caught the eyes of scouts with his heart and with his passion, and it will make him a first round pick.

Per Pro Basketball Talk:

He is long and explosive ? 6?8? with a 7-foot wingspan, he has the athleticism to get to balls around the rim. He should be able to rebound well at the NBA level. He should be a solid defender in the paint.

His offense can best be described as raw. A lion?s lunch on the Serengeti raw. He has his base moves out of the post, and in college he was athletic and long enough he didn?t need more. In the NBA he?ll need counter moves he doesn?t have yet. He is not scoring you points save on put backs and dunks.

But in a draft where every player has question marks if you know you are going to get energy and rebounding is that worth drafting him over guys who may have higher potential ceilings but are less likely to reach it? Some think so.

If I'm a team drafting in the lower reaches of the first round, I want the guy who has a tangible quality that I can see.

Faried is a ball of emotion on the court. He isn't afraid to mix it up and he doesn't shrink from the spotlight, as he stuck his nose in there on the final defensive sequence of the game against the Cardinals, making the big defensive stop to win the game.

You won't get a guy who will take over game, and you won't get someone who will make multiple All-Star teams, but you will get a guy who will give you everything he has, for better or for worse.

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Faried will improve your team in the practice gym, he will be the spark plug for runs and he is the type of player coaches die to have on their roster.

If you're a team that needs some energy, you can do much, much worse than Kenneth Faried.

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