Kenneth Faried Has Been MVP of FIBA World Cup Through First Four Games

When you shoot 8-for-11 from the field, as Kenneth Faried did Wednesday in Team USA's 106-71 victory over the Dominican Republic, and your shooting percentage for the tournament actually goes down ... well, that says something about the kind of tournament you are having.

Faried is unquestionably the leading candidate to be MVP of the 2014 FIBA World Cup after four games of pool play. The question is whether he will be able to keep it up over Team USA's next five games -- the last four of which will be knockout round games in Barcelona and Madrid beginning Saturday.

Team USA has already clinched Group C, and Spain wrapped up Group A today with an 88-64 victory over France in a rematch of last year's Eurobasket gold medal game, which was won by a Les Bleus team that was led by Tony Parker (he is sitting out this summer).

The tournament won't truly be a compelling watch if and until the USA and Spain meet in the gold medal game on Sept. 14, but in the meantime it is astounding to see Faried dominate the competition and provide the motor that is making Team USA hum. He is shooting a shade above 78 percent for the tournament, which leads all players.

More discussion of Faried, Anthony Davis, Team USA and Team Spain in this podcast with Chris Cross, Mike Cameron and Matthew Laurance Of ESPN Radio in Lexington, Kentucky -- the state were both Faried and Davis attended college.