4 No.22 draft picks who had successful NBA careers
By Luke Duffy
3. Grant Williams/Kenneth Faried
These two could not be separated, and so combined it feels like they have had a nice NBA career. Beginning with Kenneth Faried, and there was a moment there when the former Denver Nuggets forward looked like the second coming of Dennis Rodman with his incredible nose for rebounding the basketball.
His energy each night while giving his team roughly 11 points and eight assists translated to 453 games played for the Nuggets, before brief stops with the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets. Then overnight it seemed like the league moved on without him, and "Then Manimal" was gone. Now 34-years-old, he suits up in Puerto Rico.
The years have gone by, but The Manimal’s motor is as unstoppable as ever. 💪🏾
— Conrado Pascual (@CP3_777) June 13, 2024
Kenneth Faried has become a savvy veteran himself, teaming up with Juan Toscano-Anderson on the @CapitanesCDMX of the G-League. Beast on the boards; Captain on the court. ✊🏾pic.twitter.com/T23NXmqShA https://t.co/aaDswPdVLa
Grant Williams is still in the league - and should be for a few years yet - but it feels like success has happened after he has left a franchise. Currently with the Charlotte Hornets, the somehow still only 25-year-old Williams was traded there by the Dallas Mavericks in a deal that got them P.J. Washington back in return. A massive win for the Mavericks.
Prior to that he was drafted by the Boston Celtics - and although he had some nice moments there - they found their top gear when he left for Dallas in free agency. Those two teams are now competing for a championship, but Williams can and has played his part everywhere he has gone in the league.