Overshadowed by Russell Westbrook's Brilliance, Steven Adams Has Emerged for OKC

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell short against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night, 123-112. Once again, Russell Westbrook packed the stat sheet with 33 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.

It's a season-long phenomenon that tends to overshadow the efforts of his teammates on a nightly basis, especially center Steven Adams.

Westbrook has understandably attracted most of the attention for his gaudy numbers this season. But while he's continued his statistical onslaught on the league, Steven Adams has quietly established himself as the team's next-most important player.

Adams scored 18 points and collected 12 rebounds against the Hornets. This came on the heels of a 20-point, eight-rebound, three-block performance in Milwaukee. He's posted four 20-plus-point games this season, and he didn't have a single one before that.

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The evolution of Adams as a player is as drastic as the changes to his physical appearance.

He entered the NBA as a baby-faced backup whose primary task was to play defense and play it hard. Now in his fourth season, Adams resembles a lost Geico caveman who has developed into a fully functional offensive player as well as the Thunder's defensive captain.

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An early-season hand injury limited Adams' effectiveness, hampering his ability to catch and handle the ball. It led to turnovers and missed easy shots. As is his nature, Adams downplayed the severity of the injury at the time.

"I don't know if Steven's hand is a problem or not," head coach Billy Donovan said in mid-November. "If it is, he would never say that to me."

The Thunder big man has looked much better lately, averaging 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in his last 15 contests. Adams has made 65.2 percent of his shots over that span, up from 55 percent in his first 22 games.

The New Zealand native entered the league as a proverbial bull in a china shop. He gained quick fame as the source of repeated retaliation due to his physical play. Over time, Adams has developed some finesse offensively. His repertoire now includes fluid moves in the post and a "push shot" that is something of a "Kiwi Skyhook."

Most importantly, there's the budding chemistry with Westbrook. Entering Wednesday night, Oklahoma City leads the NBA in total points in the paint; the Thunder duo accounts for 41.6 percent of those points. Their two-man pick-and-roll game remains as effective as ever.

Of Westbrook's 10.5 assists per game, 2.5 of those result in scores for Adams.

At the other end, Oklahoma City's defense is 7.5 points per 100 possessions worse when Adams is off the floor, per Basketball Reference. At 7'0" and 255 pounds, he has become versatile in a league that places value in the ability to switch defensively.

Beyond basic box-score statistics, Adams stacks up favorably versus centers who were named to All-NBA teams last season.

Adams continues to thrive in doing the dirty jobs that make teams successful, leading the team with 3.6 contested rebounds per game—a stat that measures when players fight for rebounds. He also leads the Thunder in other blue-collar stats such as contested shots, recovered loose balls and screen assists, which are collected when a teammate scores as a result of a set screen.

The Kiwi signed a four-year extension with the Thunder worth $100 million on October 31. The deal might seem outlandish to those who haven't fully adjusted to the NBA's new economy.

Yet if Adams' growth curve continues to trend upward, he will swiftly become one the NBA's bargain deals.

It's possible that Adams, who won't turn 24 until July, could have commanded more on the open market. Had he entered restricted free agency, another team could have offered nearly $111 million over four years. A max contract to remain in Oklahoma City could have been worth over $115 million.

Instead, the Thunder locked in its rising big man at a discount of over $3 million per season.

The Thunder need every little break they can get as they retool around Westbrook. Dodging the luxury tax for a season or two will delay the dreaded "Repeater Tax" that drastically increases tax rates for high-spending teams.

Adams' continued improvement will make his contract look even better on and in the books.

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats are accurate as of Jan. 4. Email Jon Hamm at [e-mail] and follow him on Twitter: @JonMHamm.