There’s a hole in the middle: 4 center solutions for the Washington Wizards
By Ethan Smith
Kenneth Faried
Ok, so you don’t like Joakim Noah as a free agent signing. What about Kenneth Faried?
In 2011, the undersized center took the NBA by storm when he entered the league with his earth-shattering dunks and almost unbelievable levels of energy and intensity. Now, he’s struggling to find a home, playing for three teams over the last two seasons (Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets). He might not by the same ‘Manimal’ that everyone originally fell in love with, but Faried proved last season that he can still earn his keep in the NBA.
After starting his 2018-19 season in Brooklyn, Faried finished it with James Harden in Houston. The move was ultimately for the best as Faried exploded over the final 25 games of the season.
In Mike D’Antoni‘s fast-paced offense, Faried excelled. In 25 games, he averaged 12.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. Those are all marks he hadn’t hit since the 2015-16 season. But much like Noah, it’s Faried’s frenzied defending that would help the Wizards the most.
Faried is an active and willing defender and has been his whole career. With or without their center healthy, the Wizards don’t have a lot of players like that on the roster. Chiozza has the Wizards’ best defensive rating this season (111). Faried — in his eight-year career — has never had a single season with a defensive rating above 110.