Nuggets' Kenneth Faried: Comes off bench again Tuesday

Faried provided nine points (4-7 FG, 1-1 FT), two rebounds and one block across 16 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's 97-87 preseason loss to the Thunder.

Analysis:

With starts in just two of his six preseason appearances, it appears Faried is primed to open the regular season with the second unit while coach Michael Malone favors the ultra-big frontcourt of Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic. While Nurkic had a rough outing Tuesday, scoring four points on 1-for-8 shooting from the floor and 2-for-8 shooting from free-throw line, the Bosnian center has otherwise been outstanding for most of the preseason. The Nuggets will likely turn to Faried on the occasions Jokic or Nurkic succumb to foul trouble or when Malone needs more energy and rebounding off the bench.