NBA Draft 2011: Will Kenneth Faried Be the Steal of the Draft?
In the 1986 NBA Draft, a young, bulky, undersized power forward was selected with the 27th pick in the second round by the Detroit Pistons.
His name was Dennis Rodman, and he virtually changed the game.
No longer could we say an undersized power forward couldn't dominate on the glass, or become a great player, or make eight All-NBA defensive teams, or become a five-time champion.
Rodman changed everything.
Coming into the 2011 NBA Draft, one player, with essentially the same measurements at 6'8" 225 pounds, has been compared to who we came to know as "The Worm."
That player is Morehead State forward Kenneth Faried, who put the Eagles on his back on the way to an impressive run to the NCAA tournament last season.
Last season, Faried averaged 17.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.3 blocks.
He won't be the offensive player those numbers suggest in the NBA, but he could very well grow to become one of the best rebounders in the league.
He did, after all, break Tim Duncan's modern-era Division I rebounding record of 1,570 boards, set from 1994-97.
Critics will point to the fact that Faried didn't face the greatest competition in the Ohio Valley Conference, but in the Eagles' opening round game of the NCAA tournament against a rolling Louisville Cardinals team, Faried posted 17 rebounds in the 62-61 upset of coach Rick Pitino's team.
That should have hammered home the point that Faried was a legitimate mid-first round pick, but as of draft day, many experts, including ESPN's Chad Ford, have Faried slipping all the way to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 21 overall.
Not only could that be a steal given where Faried is expected to be selected, the Trail Blazers are dying for a physical presence that could help them in the rebounding department.
I certainly don't expect Faried to be the next Dennis Rodman, but if he even mildly lives up to the comparisons he'll be a sure-fire steal in the 2011 NBA Draft.
For more 2011 NBA draft coverage, stay tuned to Bleacher Report for updated NBA mock drafts, B/R's Big Board of Recruits, NBA draft rumors, NBA draft results and draft grades.
