Second-year power forward Kenneth Faried has brought a ton of hustle to the Denver Nuggets. (GETTY IMAGES)

When the Denver Nuggets had no choice but to trade Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks in the 2010-11 season, Nuggets coach George Karl and general manager Masai Ujiri immediately went to Plan B.

The idea was simple: without a true superstar to build around, the Nuggets remade their roster with top-10 talent at every position. Basically, Karl and Ujiri went against the conventional thought that you need stars to set your team. Instead, they stockpiled the roster with superbly gifted athletes who were willing to share the ball and play a frenetic pace.

That high-speed, full-throttle basketball style was on display Monday night when the Nuggets ran the L.A. Lakers off the court. Wilson Chandler scored 23 points and Ty Lawson added 22 in the Nuggets’ 119-108 win, a game in which Denver outscored the Lakers 33-3 on the fast break and 78-50 in the paint.

”The fast-break points, that’s a killer,” Kobe Bryant said. ”That team is like a track team over there.”

The Nuggets are two-deep at every position and play at a remarkable pace that wears teams down, especially at home where they are 24-3.

”It’s tough to neutralize speed, especially when they’re very good at what they do,” Bryant said. ”Yeah, their speed. Their speed got us. They got out on transition, got easy buckets. Kept the pressure on us. We had to labor for opportunities, think we might have had two fast-break points. Contrast that with 33. It’s crazy.”

Anything and everything the Lakers tried to do to flip the size-speed disadvantage only backfired on them.

”You have to almost over-exaggerate getting back on defense,” Bryant said. ”Literally, nobody can go to the offensive boards.”

It starts with point guards Ty Lawson and Andre Miller. Lawson is the engine that drives the Nuggets fastbreak. He’s the player with the 100-mph fastball, the type of player who can single-handedly affect a game with his blinding speed. Backing him up is the 35-year-old Miller, a savvy veteran who plays at a much slower place. Miller is the off-speed pitcher who relies on guile rather athletic ability.

Andre Iguodala, who was acquired from Philadelphia last season, is an upgrade from Aaron Afflalo. Iguodala is a versatile swingman who plays both ends of the floor and fills the stat sheet. He’s backed up by Corey Brewer, a good defender who has greatly improved his 3-point shot.

Danilo Gallinari came over from New York in the Anthony trade. Gallo is not afraid to take big shots down the stretch, and he’s the closest thing the Nuggets have to a fourth-quarter closer. He’s backed up by Wilson Chandler, who spent the lockout-shortened season in China.

The Nuggets found a gem in the 2011 NBA draft in Kenneth Faried. The player known as The Manimal is a relentless athlete who doesn’t need set plays to make an imprint in a game. His effort and energy is infectious, and Denver fans absolutely love his hustle. Faried is an undersized power forward (listed at 6-8 but probably closer to 6-6), but more than makes up for his lack of length with a Dennis Rodman-like motor. He’s averaging nearly double-double this season (12 points, nine rebounds).

Karl starts Kostas Koufus at center, and rotates him with JaVale McGee and Tim Mozgov. Koufus and Mozgov are space-eaters, while McGee is a shot-blocker who may be the most athletic big man in the NBA. And his wingspan is ridiculous. Oftentimes, McGee ignites fastbreaks with his shot blocks, and he can run the floor like a wide receiver. If he ever develops a go-to shot in the low block he could become an All-Star.

‘They continually pushed the ball down our throats,” Bryant said. “Shots go up and those guys are already leaking out, to go along with the speed. They got a lot of easy buckets because of it.”

Denver is currently in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference, battling the Clippers and Grizzlies for the third spot. The Nuggets will be a tough out in the playoffs, especially if they somehow gain home-court advantage in the first round.

Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (right) won his one-on-one matchup with L.A. Lakers All-Star center Andrew Bynum in Game 5 of the Lakers-Nuggets playoff series. (GETTY IMAGES)

Andrew Bynum’s mouth may have cost the Lakers a victory in Game 5. Prior to Los Angeles’ potential close-out game against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers All-Star center said close-out games are “actually kinda easy” because teams “tend to fold in you come out and play hard in the beginning.”

Well, well, well. Guess who used that as bulletin-board material? The Nuggets. As it turned out, it was the Nuggets who came out and played hard in the beginning, taking it to the Lakers in the first quarter to jump out to an early lead and never looked back. Denver’s 102-99 victory Tuesday night in L.A. denied the Lakers – who appeared to have already moved on and had their minds set on Oklahoma City in the next round – an opportunity to close out the series. Now, the Lakers will have to travel back to Denver for a Game 6, and if the Nuggets win at home they’ll force a Game 7.

Rookie forward Kenneth Faried (10 points, nine rebounds) set the tone when he outran the Lakers big men from the outset and then center JaVale McGee finished off the job when he played like a monster in the fourth quarter.

In 32 minutes off the bench, McGee grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds and scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including four powerful dunks – two off lobs from guard Andre Miller. After the game McGee said the Nuggets used Bynum’s pregame boast gave the Nuggets extra motivation.

“It just made us play harder than the game before. Everybody on our team was rebounding. It wasn’t just me and Faried,” said the 7-foot McGee, who thoroughly outplayed Bynum.

“Coach put it on the film,” McGee said of Bynum’s quote. “That was the last thing we saw on the film. Andre [Miller] gave an emotional speech and we just went out there and played hard.”

Miller was the other bench player that gave Denver a huge lift, as the veteran point guard led the way with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting and dished out eight assists. He also put on some incredible moves that would have made every old YMCA player proud, showing the younger players that there is still plenty of gas left in his 36-year-old tank.

When a reporter asked Bryant if Bynum’s quote bit the Lakers in Game 5, he said: “That’s true. Close-out games can be easy sometimes. But tonight wasn’t one of those nights. I don’t think it made a difference. Did it pump them up? Yeah, probably. Would they have come out and play with that kind of energy? Yeah, probably. We didn’t execute, and they obviously played harder than we did. That’s a lesson to learn. You never want to give anybody bulletin material.”

“We didn’t play with the kind of effort that we should. Our supporting cast has to help out, Pau [Gasol] and Andrew [Bynum] in particular,” said, Bryant, who scored a game-high 43 points and nearly brought the Lakers all the way back with some remarkable 3-point shooting in the fourth quarter. But he missed his last two 3-point shots and the Nuggets hung on for the win.

“It sucks, but it’s not the end of the world,” Bryant said. “Nothing surprises me about this game anymore. I’m disappointed, but there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

But in general, teams that take chances can reap major benefits. For example, In 1999, the San Antonio Spurs used their second-round pick to select Manu Ginobili and the Spurs added three more championship rings because of it. In 2002 the Phoenix Suns ignored some of the negative reports about Amare Stoudemire and selected him ninth overall. In 2005, the Golden State Warriors took a chance in the second round on a diamond in the rough from Jackson, Miss., a high-school star named Monta Ellis, and he turned into a real gem.

The 2011 NBA draft may not have a LeBron or Shaq, but it certainly has its share of difference-makers who flew under the radar and somehow went unnoticed. And, in the right system, they have an opportunity to flourish and become a breakout star.

OneManFastBreak.net lists five little-known prospects teams can’t sleep on and worth taking in the 2011 draft:

Kenneth Faried (forward, 6-7, 225, Morehead State): A high-energy, high-motor player who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work. Faried averaged 14 rebounds per game his senior year at Morehead State, and he showed his incredible motor and relentless pursuit of every rebound in a first-round upset win over Louisville in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. His performance against Louisville drew high praise from Charles Barkley, who said anyone who rebounds like that can play in the NBA. The one major knock on Faried is his height (only 6-7), and some teams are not willing to take a 6-7 power forward in the first round. However, like Barkley said, anyone who attacks the boards like Faried has a place in the NBA. Dennis Rodman was a 6-8 power forward, and he was never overmatched in the blocks. Any team that takes Faried will get a player who can contribute right away.

Morehead State forward Kenneth Faried

Marshon Brooks (guard, 6-5, 195, Providence): During his senior year at Providence, Brooks averaged 24 points per game and showed an array of moves similar to his idol Kobe Bryant. Though Brooks has a ways to go before he reaches Kobe’s level as a scorer, he has shown flashes of Kobe-ness. He can shoot the 3-ball from NBA range, has a very good mid-range game and is capable of getting to the rim, using his quickness and length. He had a 52-point game against Notre Dame and a 43-point outing against Georgetown. Scouts say his numbers are a bit inflated because he shot the ball average of 18 times per game (very Kobe-ish), but that shouldn’t stop teams from selecting Brooks, who has the potential to be a very, very good NBA player. Brooks is not classified as a great defender, but his length and athleticism makes him a strong candidate to be a lock-down one-on-one defender.

Norris Cole (Guard, 6-1, 174, Cleveland State): Cole’s name is rising on many draft boards after his impressive pre-draft workouts. He is a superb playmaker who possesses very good quickness and a strong ability to run an offense from the point position. Cole understands how to control the temp of a game, plays with poise (which explains his solid assists-to-turnover ratio) and is an aggressive defender (averaged two steals per game) – three qualities love in a point guard. Former NBA point guard Greg Anthony says one way to evaluate prospects is how they can defend their position, and Cole definitely can hold his own against the majority of point guards playing in the pros. The one knock on Cole is his thin frame, but that can be remedied by hitting the weight room and natural maturation.

Cleveland State point guard Norris Cole

Tyler Honeycutt (Forward, 6-8, 187, UCLA): A lot of basketball experts felt Honeycutt would have benefited from another season in college, and that may be true. However, just because Honeycutt jumped too soon to the NBA shouldn’t stop teams from taking a hard look at him. The same scouts said the same thing about Trevor Ariza and he has turned into a decent NBA starter at small forward, Honeycutt comes from the Ben Howland system that has produced Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo, Ryan Hollins, Luc Richard M’bah a Moute, Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Jrue Holiday. This alone should be enough to consider Honeycutt, who is a versatile forward who can handle the ball, shoot the three and knows how to move without the ball. Honeycutt has a high basketball IQ, and plays his best against good competition. Has a very similar game to another rail-thin Southern California native, Tayshaun Prince, who has had a very good NBA career.

Jeremy Tyler (Center/Power Forward, 6-10, 262, Tokyo Apache, Japan League): A year ago, it seemed like Tyler’s career was in limbo. His pro debut in Israel was considered a disaster, forcing him to rehabilitate his image and career in Japan while playing for the Tokyo Apache. Tyler’s strange basketball odyssey may not be completely his fault because he skipped his senior year in high school to play professionally in Israel. He obviously wasn’t ready to compete against grown men, and needed to mature a bit. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said Tyler seems to have “figured it out” and has started to show some maturity. Tyler is very intriguing prospect. He has tremendous size and could turn out to be a good NBA center. He has a 7-5 wingspan and has big hands, which enables him to catch the ball in heavy traffic. At the draft combine in Chicago, Tyler gave the other center prospects fits because he could his ground in the low post and his length made it tough to shoot over him. Although he is still very raw, Tyler has shown he can play with his back to the basket and has a soft touch around the rim.

Guard Kemba Walker plays a similar style to former UConn star Ben Gordon. (US PRESSWIRE)

The NCAA Tournament is the best showcase event in terms of evaluating talent entering the NBA. In the past 10 years, current NBA stars Dwyane Wade (Marquette), Derrick Rose (Memphis), Russell Westbrook (UCLA), Deron Williams (Illinois) and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse) all made their big first impressions in The Big Dance.

Of course, there are always those hidden gems (ahem! Enes Kanter) who didn’t get a chance to shine in the NCAA Tournament. But, for the most part, the best prospects in the 2011 NBA draft took part in March Madness.

Most experts feel this year’s crop of NCAA talent is not as good as previous years. I disagree. There are plenty of talent waiting to be discovered, and it takes a shrewd GM and a smart scout to pick them out of a crowd. Here are the eight best prospects this season – OneManFastBreak’s version of the Elite 8 – with their strengths and weaknesses, and who they compare with:

DERRICK WILLIAMS
Arizona, Forward, Sophomore
* Strengths: The 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward has the prototype body to play in the NBA. He can play with his back to the basket, and face up and shoot from 20 feet. Pop in the tape against Duke and that’s all you need to know about his versatility. A tough cover when he’s making his outside shot because he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Williams was also the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year, and from a talent standpoint the Pac-10 has produced some of the best NBA talent the last 10 years.
* Weaknesses: A little passive and a late-bloomer. Could also mean he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet.
NBA comparison: Amare Stoudemire

KEMBA WALKER
Connecticut, Guard, Junior
* Strengths: A typical New York City baller who plays with a chip on his shoulder and has a ton of swagger. Made a huge leap from last season to this season. An explosive scorer who can create his own shot, and has the ability to play either guard position. Plays his best against the best competition. A very dangerous scorer late in the game, and is not afraid to take – and make – the big shot.
* Weaknesses: Even though he’s capable of running point, his game is more suited for shooting guard. Listed at just 6 feet tall.
NBA comparison: Ben Gordon

KYRIE IRVING
Duke, Guard, Freshman
* Strengths: Had Irving played the entire season, nobody would have known about Nolan Smith. That’s how good Irving is. Irving has all the tools to be a top-flight point guard in the NBA: quickness, ball-handling, outside shooting, passing and creativity. He was easily the best player on the court for Duke in its loss to Arizona in the Sweet 16, and that was only his third game in three months.
* Weaknesses: The foot injury Irving suffered early in the season is the only reason to have any doubts about this young man.
NBA comparison: Chris Paul

ENES KANTER
Kentucky (from Turkey), Center, Freshman
* Strengths: Kanter is a legit post-up big man who measures at 6-11 with a 7-1 wingspan. He recently turned 19 so he’s still maturing from a physical standpoint. He spent the entire 2010-11 season at Kentucky on the sidelines because he was ruled ineligible. Nonetheless, he made good use of that year by staying active, participating in practice and working out with the team. Kanter is cut from the same cloth as other recent big men from Turkey (Semih Erden and Omer Asik), and can play with his back to the basket.
* Weaknesses: Still a relative unknown because he hasn’t played enough games to get a strong evaluation. A high-risk, high-reward type of player.
NBA comparison: Omer Asik

BRANDON KNIGHT
Kentucky, Guard, Freshman
* Strengths: Plays with a lot of confidence. Teammate Terrence Jones may be the better talent, but there’s something special about the way Knight makes plays at the end of games. Knight showed his clutch gene during the Sweet 16 game against Ohio State when he buried the game-winning shot with five seconds left. Knight is a big point guard (6-3, 170) who can survive the physical pounding of an 82-game season. And John Calipari has done pretty well with his last two one-and-done point guards (Derrick Rose and John Wall).
* Weaknesses: At times makes questionable decisions and takes bad shots. More of a lead guard than a true point.
NBA comparison: Jason Terry

JIMMER FREDETTE
BYU, Guard, Senior
* Strengths: See Kemba Walker. A very explosive scorer who can create his own shot and has unlimited range as a shooter. Has the ability to play either guard position, but probably more suited at shooting guard. Worked out for scouts a year ago and was told to get stronger, which he did. Worked on his ball-handling this season, which has enabled him to drive through traffic.
* Weaknesses: Not a good defender. Has trouble staying in front of his man, especially against quicker point guards.
NBA comparison: Danny Ainge

JORDAN HAMILTON
Texas, Guard-Forward, Sophomore
* Strengths: A long and athletic wing player who can score from anywhere on the court. Has NBA 3-point range and a technically sound shooter. Can create scoring opportunities off the dribble, and able to rise up and get his shoulders square to the basket. Because of his length (6-9 wingspan), defenders have a hard time blocking his shot. Adapted well to Rick Barnes’ new motion/screen offense at Texas. Hamilton can play the 2 or 3 spots and is an extremely confident player with a ton of Southern California swagger.
* Weaknesses: Tends to be a volume shooter at times, and a bit of a streak shooter. Not a good defender at this point of his career.
NBA comparison: Rudy Gay

SHELVIN MACK
Butler, Guard, Junior
* Strengths: A combo guard who can create his own shot. Has decent 3-point range, but owns an above-average mid-range game. He was instant offense for Butler, and was a key reason why the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Tournament championship game the past two seasons. Having gone through the pressure cooker of the NCAA Tournament, Mack is battle-tested and is not afraid of the big moment. At 205 pounds, Mack is extremely strong for a guard and can shed physical contact.
* Weaknesses: Is more of a natural shooting guard, but may have to play some point in the NBA because he’s only 6-2. Not overly explosive off the floor, and has average quickness for a guard.
NBA comparison: Eric Gordon

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/onemanfastbreak.