The growth of Steven Adams this season has been among the key contributing factors to the Oklahoma City Thunder remaining among the West’s best.
In an era of new age bigs, Steven Adams offers a throw back to the old school version of the center position. For someone who grew up watching prototypical bigs, Adams represents one of the few centers who plays the position as it was originally constructed.
On draft night 2013, Steven Adams selection at 12th was not only unexpected, it was questioned by virtually every pundit. In fairness, little was known about the University of Pittsburgh 7 footer. Scribes wondered what Sam Presti knew others didn’t given his tendency for selecting major talents. In hindsight, there are numerous qualities which have emerged both on and off the court.
Entering his fourth season Adams has experienced a meteoric rise. At the time of his draft, few foresaw he would surpass Ibaka’s value to OKC. Yet, that is precisely what happened. Much of Adams ascent had to do with his post season play. As a result, his toughness and ability to shine under the bright lights resonated with management and fans alike.
A quarter of the way into the 2016-17 season, let’s take a closer look at Adams’ progression.
Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) speaks to the media during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Lovable Kiwi:
One of the BBoyz (the name of a group of buddies I hang with to watch games and help with their fantasy picks), recently returned from visiting family in OKC. He told me the only player more popular than Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City is Steven Adams. That wasn’t a surprise to me because there are so many reasons to like Adams. The fact he is unfazed by popularity and a friendly guy when encountered in person shouldn’t surprise anyone.
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There are also so many reasons to be endeared to the 7 footer:
Family:
Steven Adams is the youngest of 18 children. Sister Valerie has won medals in the last 3 Olympics for shot put. It’s no wonder Adams is tough considering the antics children get up to and the likelihood he learned how to defend himself facing those siblings as a child.
That Hair:
Every female who has ever cut off her long locks in an attempt to gain a fuller, thicker coif in the regrowth is in awe of Adams long mane. On an NBA TV segment last season Adams stated he only started growing his hair because he realized it left him with more money to buy food. I mean, you have to love his lack of pretense and absolute genuineness when he interacts with the media.
The Sound Bite:
To that end, any time Steven Adams is interviewed by the National media it’s always a fun event. In a recent interview on NBA TV, it was hilarious as Sam Mitchell kept saying “hey mate“, seemingly trying to impress the nonplussed Adams.
Joakim Noah was previously the NBA’s best sound bite for saying whatever was on his mind. Things like: “I mean who wants to go to Cleveland, have you ever heard anyone say – let’s go to Cleveland on vacation?”
Where the Kiwi Phenom is more appealing is he doesn’t attempt to be controversial. Rather, he appears just to be a regular guy without pretense. His interviews are often peppered with humor and exude a charm the likes of which has been missing in the NBA since Sir Charles was at his apex.
The Tattoo:
While I’m not necessarily someone who is drawn to tattoos in general, I think Adams has the coolest tattoo in the NBA.
Clearly, Adams figured prominently into the future direction and core of the squad when the Thunder chose to extend his rookie contract to the tune of 4 years at a reported $100 million. The fact he garnered even more than Victor Oladipo ($84M) was also telling.
With OKC extending Russell Westbrook this summer it was a given the franchise would look to surround Mr. Triple-Double with complimentary pieces. Adams represents arguably the most crucial piece of that puzzle. Presti has always been an advocate of length and the New Zealander became the blue chip front court piece based on his post season dominance and natural fit with Westbrook.
Through the first quarter of this season, the Westbrook-Adams pick and roll and lob pass has become a key part of the Thunder offense. Hence, Adams is frequently Westbrook’s first target as he gets each of his teammates active in the offense.
That said, Adams defense, toughness and rim protection were likely the valuable assets which garnered his extension. Review of Adams tangible production this season versus last year shows little growth despite the fact his playing time has significantly increased.
Charity Stripe Gains:
The most notable improvement has come at the free throw line where Adams had posted a 57.4% career average. Counterparts, DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond also worked this summer on improving from the stripe. But, review of all their efforts punctuates the massive improvement the Kiwi made in comparison.
Let’s examine how these 3 big men who have historically suffered from the stripe have improved this season:
Although each of these men made significant improvements it’s Adams who now boasts a free throw percentage which would make opponents think twice about fouling him.
Even more interesting is how Adams came to improve his shot by almost 20%.
WATCH. Steven Adams on improvements to his free throw shooting. #ThunderBasketball pic.twitter.com/UgDONYtI55
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 30, 2016
The coach Adams is referring to in the video is Darko Rajaković.
“He’ll come in and like punch me in the stomach … I swear to God, he’ll punch me in the stomach or slap me on the arm really hard and he’ll just say make a free-throw … I’m like OK, with that stress of whatever it is you have to stay locked in and focused on what you need to do.”
Not many players in the league would be okay with this type of training, but Adams and Darko clearly are cut from the same cloth.
Dec 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) reacts to a foul called on him in the in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Thunder won 102-99. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Additional Responsibilities:
Captaining the Defense:
Notably, the 23 year old is just in his fourth season and won’t reach his prime for several more years. It’s certainly not the first time the Thunder have appointed a young player with so much responsibility. Yet, Presti and co. obviously decided to go in this direction when they traded the Thunder’s existing defensive specialist Serge Ibaka. Much of the reason could be attributed to how well Adams played in the post season.
Publicly, Adams hasn’t claimed this role, but viewing games his leadership is unmistakable. And, it’s easy to see why Adams was earmarked with this responsibility. Isolate on him during games and you’ll note Adams is frequently the helper on defense. He’s also the most active calling out switches, setting screens and blocking out opponents in the paint. Further, he’s doing this while helping rookie Domantas Sabonis learn how defend at a pro level.
Big Shoes to Fill:
Considering the two stars the Thunder lost this offseason there was major production to replace. Specifically the loss of Ibaka and Durant represents 40 points, 15 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.
Combine that loss with the youth of the starting line-up and it would be reasonable to expect the Thunder to regress on both ends of the floor. Yet, the truth is at the quarter mark in the season OKC have improved defensively. As of December 6th the Thunder rank 8th defensively (0.5 out of ranking 4th) which is significant given they finished last season ranked 12th.
Additionally the Thunder consistently rank among the top 3 rebounding teams. Adams contributions here cannot be overlooked. As per NBA.com Adams grabs 41.3% of the teams offensive boards and 26.2% of total rebounds.
Smarter than the average Kiwi:
Early in his career it became clear Steven Adams had a great sense of humor and was very intelligent. Perhaps the best anecdote which marries these two qualities is how Adams dealt with legendary trash talker Kevin Garnett. He simply told him he didn’t speak English, so Garnett stopped talking to him.
Steven Adams said Kevin Garnett stopped trash talking him because Adams convinced him he couldn't speak English. pic.twitter.com/ZIWmzAWkMx
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) September 25, 2016
Gritty and Tough:
Another key area Adams leads by is via his overall toughness. With a young team it’s important to have players who’ll fight through nagging injuries. Sure, Russell Westbrook does it, but since he’s a unicorn to begin with it’s great OKC have a secondary example for the youngsters to follow.
I’ll point you to the wrap on his hand. Obviously it’s causing him pain or he’d forego the wrap entirely. Yet, arguably the best example of Adams toughness was the kick heard round the world. Of course I’m referring to when Draymond Green unceremoniously kicked Adams in the kiwis.
Adams is also currently dealing with a sore ankle, but he played through the pain to help the Thunder continue their winning streak in Atlanta.
Suffice to say this type of grit can’t be understated, especially on a young team.
Quiet Leadership is Perfect Balance to Westbrook:
Although it’s not been overtly stated there were obvious issues between Durant and Westbrook. K.D’s decision to not contact Russ directly when he exited and comments such as being envious of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan’s friendship speak to this. Hey, it’s not every super star who can easily accept sharing the spotlight and control.
From my perspective, Steven Adams is the perfect yang to Westbrook’s yin. While Westbrook can’t play at anything less than 100% from the tip, Adams while also functioning at full speed does so in a more subdued way.
I point you to the first game at Oracle when Durant chose to get into an exchange with Enes Kanter who was seated on the bench. Adams placed his massive hand on Kanter’s knee. When Kanter continued Adams said what looked like 3 or 4 words and Kanter stopped. Subtle actions like that showcase the fact Adams teammates respect him while also showing his gentle manner of leading.
Oct 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) talks with center Steven Adams (12) during a break in the second half Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
There are obvious areas Steven Adams can improve and build upon as he progresses through the season and his career.
Defensively:
Despite the fact he’s taken the leadership role on defense, as his hand heals it’s reasonable to raise expectations for his rebounding and block production. Hence, Adams should aim for double digit rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
Offensively:
Steven has shown a propensity to score well in the first half of games, frequently suffering a drop off in the second half. To be fair, this game note should be slipped to the guards who orchestrate the offense. Surely, utilizing Adams more in the second half would offer an easy target and allow Westbrook more options to keep the opponent guessing on defense.
Three specific offensive areas Adams should work on are:
Statistical data from NBA.com highlights Adams shoots 64% of his shots within 5′ of the basket and 93.5 % from less than 9′.
In some ways these 3 elements go hand in hand. Consequently, if Adams could consistently hit a field goal from outside the paint it would force defenders to stick with him.. At present, opponents tend to ignore him unless he’s directly in the paint. Combining increased versatility in his offense with improved ball handling skills would allow Adams to capitalize on his strong passing skills and initiate the offense as an option for Westbrook.
Think back a few seasons to when Joakim Noah was posting triple-doubles working in concert with Derrick Rose and a young Jimmy Butler. Likewise, Adams initiating the offense occasionally would be an ideal scenario for OKC’s starting 5.
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Each of the other 4 starters are capable of extending to the 3-point line. Plus, all four are athletic enough to be in constant motion awaiting a pass driving to the basket or for a pull up shot. With the youngest starting 5 in the Association, why not utilize their athleticism to wear out their counterparts?
Westbrook isn’t having any issues initiating the offense, but come playoff time teams will logically try to take the ball out of his hands. Therefore, the sooner Adams can enhance these skill sets the more options Westbrook and the Thunder will have.
Steven Adams has been on a steep incline in terms of his growth and leadership. Let’s hope that hand heals quickly so he can focus on adding even more value through the remainder of the season.
Ultimately, this gentle giant offers reason to be optimistic regarding the Thunder’s future. In my opinion he’s the most charismatic and likeable player in the Association. Right, mate!
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