Kenneth Faried, in all likelihood, lost his starting spot when the Nuggets acquired Paul Millsap this summer, and The Manimal says he may have to move on from Denver if he doesn’t get enough playing time.
“There are 29 other teams,” warns Faried.
The 27-year-old vows to fight tooth and nail for his minutes this season.
Per the Denver Post:
“I’ll just put it out there for everybody. I’m not a bench player. I’ve been saying that for the longest. I’m a starter,” Faried said Monday, when I asked him about his status with the Nuggets. “I love to hear the crowd (when introduced as), ‘Starting at power forward, No. 35, Kenneth Faried.’ Yes, that’s me. One hundred percent, that’s been my whole life. And I’m going to fight for a starting position. I’m just not going to lay down and let somebody take it. ”
Everyone in town, including Nuggets coach Michael Malone, anticipates Millsap, named to the All-Star Game in four consecutive seasons in Atlanta before signing a three-year, $90 million deal with Denver, will become the alpha dog on a team seeking its first playoff berth since 2013.
“There are 29 other teams,” said Faried, whose contract with the Nuggets runs through 2019. “If this team doesn’t want, or respect me enough, to play me the minutes that I think I deserve to play, then I understand that. Hey, there’s 29 others. Maybe I’ll go somewhere else and do what I need to do there. But at the same token, I’m here in Denver, and I want to play Manimal basketball, no matter what, every time I step on that court.”
