Why Steven Adams Will Become a Top-10 NBA Center This Season
Oklahoma City Thunder big man Steven Adams will emerge as one of the 10 best centers in basketball this season.
Adams has been the star of the Thunder's preseason so far. Through six games, the 21-year-old is averaging 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals a night. He's also shooting 75 percent from the field (36-of-48). Those stats, along with his media day mustache and this hilarious video with Reggie Jackson, have been the highlights of what has been an impressive last few months.
The second-year man out of Pittsburgh came into this season expecting to battle veteran Kendrick Perkins for the starting center job. Thus far, the competition has been one-sided in Adams' favor. Perkins has been nursing a quad injury, while his younger counterpart has been catching the eye of his teammates.
"I think he's just settling down," said Kevin Durant, per Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. "Getting more comfortable."
"I thought he made a leap last year in the playoffs," added Russell Westbrook. "I think that’s when the leap started. If you kind of watch the games and see the different things he was doing in the playoffs, you could tell it was going to lead into the summertime and now into the preseason and now to the regular season."
With the Thunder's starting center spot essentially his, Adams' next obstacle will be climbing the ranks of the NBA's top big men. The league is filled with quality centers, but very few offer the kind of all-around production that Adams is capable of contributing.
Before delving into what will make Adams a top-10 center this year, let's first take a look at where he stands right now.
Where Adams Stands Now
In order to get a better idea how far Adams has to go to crack the top 10, I comprised my own list of the 20 best centers in the NBA. The list was made up of a few key factors.
The biggest thing taken into consideration was all-around excellence. Can he score? Can he rebound? Can he defend?
The more ink a big man can put on a stat sheet, the higher he went up the list. Consistency and longevity also played a role. If you have been productive for an extended period of time, you got a boost up the ranks. That's why the top half of the list is mostly made up of familiar faces.
Lastly, durability came into play. It's hard to stake your claim as one of the best at your position when you spend most of your time sitting at the end of the bench in a fancy suit. That factor is what caused guys like the Brooklyn Nets' Brook Lopez, the Golden State Warriors' Andrew Bogut and the Dallas Mavericks' Tyson Chandler to drop down the list.
| 1. Dwight Howard | Houston Rockets |
| 2. Joakim Noah | Chicago Bulls |
| 3. Marc Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 4. Al Jefferson | Charlotte Hornets |
| 5. DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings |
| 6. Al Horford | Atlanta Hawks |
| 7. Chris Bosh | Miami Heat |
| 8. Brook Lopez | Brooklyn Nets |
| 9. DeAndre Jordan | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 10. Andre Drummond | Detroit Pistons |
| 11. Nikola Pekovic | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 12. Nikola Vucevic | Orlando Magic |
| 13. Andrew Bogut | Golden State Warriors |
| 14. Marcin Gortat | Washington Wizards |
| 15. Tyson Chandler | Dallas Mavericks |
| 16. Roy Hibbert | Indiana Pacers |
| 17. Steven Adams | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 18. JaVale McGee | Denver Nuggets |
| 19. Jonas Valanciunas | Toronto Raptors |
| 20. Omer Asik | New Orleans Pelicans |
Currently, Adams comes in at No. 17. That's mostly based on the growth he's shown so far in the preseason and how I believe that will translate into the regular season once he's officially named the Thunder's starting center.
The future is a bit more uncertain for the guys ranked behind Adams. Denver Nuggets' shot-blocker JaVale McGee missed all but five games last season with a stress fracture in his tibia. His recovery remains to be seen.
Omer Asik is adjusting to a new team after being traded from the Houston Rockets to the New Orleans Pelicans. The last time he was a starter was in 2012-13, when he contributed 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game for the Rockets. However, touches will be scarce in New Orleans with emerging superstar Anthony Davis a top priority.
When you look at the players ranked 11-16, you'll notice they all have a glaring weakness, be it health (Bogut), rebounding (Hibbert), defense (Pekovic) or scoring (Chandler). While unproven so far, Adams has the potential to rise up this list. Here are a couple reasons why.
He's Already A Tough Defender
The emphasis here should be on the word "tough." Throughout his rookie season, Adams endured some punishment from his veteran colleagues. He took a hard elbow to the face from Vince Carter that would make wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes proud. He got punched in the jaw by Zach Randolph. There was also a mild body shot from Jordan Hamilton.
Adams took all of those blows like a champ. The Carter elbow in particular didn't even faze him. No emotion. No marks on his clean-cut face. He took the hits in stride and went right back to business. That's remarkable poise for a rookie.
On defense, Adams didn't truly show what he can do until the postseason. With his minutes upped from 14.8 per game in the regular season to 18.4 in the playoffs, Adams averaged 1.3 blocks per contest.
Still, the big man had his moments on defense in the regular season, too. For instance, there was this impressive stretch against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 6. The clip starts out with Adams getting bowled over by Carter. He picks himself up in time to swat Shawn Marion's shot off the glass.
Then Adams rushes down court and finishes the play with a two-handed dunk. On the next play, he comes up with the steal off a bad pass. He gives the ball to Reggie Jackson, who finds Russell Westbrook streaking down the court for the easy dunk.
That's two quality defensive plays in 30 seconds from a guy playing just his fourth regular-season game.
Now, let's look at some video from Adams' work in this year's preseason. This one is from the Thunder's Oct. 10 showdown with the Mavs. Throughout the video, you'll see Adams score in a variety of ways, be it an easy dunk or utilizing an improved baby hook (more on that later).
He makes some nice plays defensively as well. At the 26-second mark, Adams sends Chandler Parsons' shot into the seats. At the 39-second mark, he gets his hand on a pass intended for Tyson Chandler. Ten seconds later, Adams does his best Richard Sherman impression and breaks up an alley-oop attempt.
At 1:43, Adams forces Ricky Ledo to take a tough shot, which he misses. The next play, Adams blocks Parsons once again. Lastly, at 1:55 Adams redirects a shot by Ledo.
The big man would have a good game on both sides of the ball. He finished with 19 points, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 29 minutes.
Adams is quickly becoming someone about whom opponents should think twice before challenging inside. With his penchant for blocking shots, he could easily climb the ladder as one of the league's best defensive big men.
Offensive Evolution
For years, the Oklahoma City Thunder have managed to be successful despite lacking an offensive weapon at center. Kendrick Perkins gave the team a solid defensive presence in the post while offering next to nothing as a scorer.
While Adams is far from polished, he's already better offensively than Perkins. His quickness and athleticism make him a more ideal fit to run pick-and-rolls than the slow and plodding Perkins. He also has soft hands, making it easier for teammates to dump the ball to him down low.
With Kevin Durant out for at least two months, the Thunder will need to employ a committee behind Russell Westbrook to replace KD's offensive firepower. Serge Ibaka will be the team's No. 2 option. Anthony Morrow gives the team a three-point marksman, and Reggie Jackson is a scoring threat off the bench.
As for Adams, his presence gives the Thunder a dimension their offense has never had. They no longer have to worry about playing four-on-five on the offensive end, which will be huge with Durant gone. Adams' growth as an interior scoring threat will allow the Thunder to use him in a number of different ways.
The team can run more pick-and-rolls with Westbrook and Adams. The big Kiwi has already made his mark this preseason when it comes to setting screens. In this clip, watch how he puts Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jordan Adams on his back with a hard screen. That hit helped free Jeremy Lamb for an easy bucket.
He's also added a new wrinkle to his arsenal in the form of a left-handed baby hook. That move got the attention of head coach Scott Brooks.
"You don’t just become a low-post scorer in this league, it takes some years," Brooks said, per Slater. "But he has the tools and he has the drive and commitment to get better. I did like that baseline left-handed hook.”
Adams will also benefit from Ibaka's mid-range game. Here's a look at Ibaka's shot chart from last season, courtesy of Vorped.com. He was particularly effective on the right side, where he converted 63.5 percent of his attempts from between the paint and the three-point line.
With opponents having to respect Ibaka's shooting touch, Adams will have more room to work down low. From there, Adams should put his physical tools to good use. He has the power to bully smaller bigs while also possessing the speed to get around slower defenders.
With his long arms (7'5" wingspan, according to DraftExpress.com), that lefty baby hook will be hard to defend. His soft hands will also help him catch and finish around the rim as well as make him an exciting target on the receiving end of alley-oops.
The biggest thing to watch will be how the Thunder use him. Oklahoma City was ninth in the NBA in pace (the number of possessions a team uses per game) with a rating of 97.9, according to ESPN's Hollinger statistics. That means there will be plenty of touches to go around.
If the team commits to feeding Adams the ball regularly, he could easily score 12-14 points on a nightly basis. As the season progresses and he builds a rapport with his peers, those numbers could grow.
Don't be surprised if he emerges as Oklahoma City's third option in Durant's absence. That, along with some strong work on the boards, would certainly up his profile.
At first glance, Adams' possible rise from enticing prospect to top-10 center seems unrealistic. However, we've seen young players make huge leaps up the ranks on the strength of a breakout season. Think about where Anthony Davis ranked among power forwards at this point last year or what you thought of Paul George prior to his 2012-13 season.
While the center position has incredible depth, there's also plenty of opportunity; just look at how far Andre Drummond has climbed up the ladder after his huge sophomore season. The ranks are filled with players who have struggled with injuries and/or have glaring weaknesses in certain areas.
Adams has the potential to be a solid all-around center. Defensively, he's proven he isn't afraid to mix it up inside. He's not only a good shot-blocker but also forces plenty of tough shots. As a scorer, he's steadily improving. Playing in the Thunder's fast-paced offense, he'll have plenty of chances to put up points.
When you combine those two factors, a stat line of 12 points, eight boards and two blocks per game seems attainable. Those may not be eye-popping numbers, but it's a solid floor for a 21-year-old entering his first full season as a starter.
How many centers in the NBA can score, rebound and defend? Not many. Adams has the chance to be one of those guys this season. If he puts it all together, he will find himself on plenty of top-10 lists this time next year.
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