Why Steven Adams Will Be the X-Factor That Swings Oklahoma City Thunder's Season
Center Steven Adams is the Oklahoma City Thunder's biggest variable. If he breaks out, the team will have a new wrinkle to an already impressive lineup. If he falters, the club will be left with a void in the middle.
With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook healthy, the Thunder's season now begins in earnest. The expectation is that those two men, along with power forward Serge Ibaka, will turn the Thunder around after a rough start and lead the team back into the playoffs.
However, let's say the Thunder emerge from their 7-13 hole to become one of the most dangerous lower seeds in postseason history. Then what? What makes this year's team different from the Thunder squads of the past?
The answer is Adams. Since the franchise came over from Seattle, it has never had a center quite like the 21-year-old Pittsburgh product. At 7'0" and 255 pounds, the big Kiwi has all of the physical tools to be a solid NBA pivot and has already shown the ability to contribute at both ends of the court.
By now, you know what Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka bring to the table. Durant is the league's best pure scorer. Westbrook brings a brand of athleticism and explosiveness rarely seen at the point guard position. Ibaka is a shot-blocking menace who continues to develop offensively, particularly from behind the arc, where he's shooting above 35 percent over the last three seasons.
Adams is the X-factor, and his growth could bring the Thunder to new heights this season.
Offensive Development
Even though he's still developing, Adams is the best offensive center Oklahoma City has had in years. His 7.5 points per game this season is the best scoring output from a starter at that position since Nenad Krstic averaged 8.4 points in 2009-10. Seriously. Nenad Krstic.
The biggest difference is Krstic was 26 years old and in his sixth NBA season at the time. Adams just turned 21 over the summer and is in his second year in the league—his first as a starter. There's still plenty of room for growth.
For a long time, the Thunder have gotten by without a scoring option in the post. Kendrick Perkins was never asked to be a threat down low. His role was simply to provide a defensive presence in the paint.
The problem was that Perkins' lack of speed and athleticism slowed down the Thunder's offense. It was the basketball equivalent of putting Big Wheel tires on a Ferrari. To Oklahoma City's credit, the team still managed to finish in the top 10 in pace the past three seasons despite Perk weighing them down, per ESPN's Hollinger stats.
With Adams entrenched in the starting lineup, the offense gets another dimension. It can run a pick-and-roll like this one with Adams and Reggie Jackson:
He's even added some moves in the post, like this little baby hook over the Detroit Pistons' Andre Drummond:
Adams still has work to do to become a more refined scorer, but 7.5 points per game isn't bad for a kid who is still learning. In just a few weeks as a starter, he's already more than doubled his scoring output from his rookie season (3.3 PPG). The key to Adams' improvement will be an increase of touches, which head coach Scott Brooks has already put on his to-do list, per Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman:
"I want to see more touches from him. He has the ability to continue to grow in that area. We like him to give us offense in that lower post. Not saying that we’re going to change what we do. But eight to 10 opportunities down there I think will be a good balance for us.
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Brooks' willingness to get Adams more involved is proof he thinks the big man can be a weapon. When's the last time you could say that about a Thunder center? As he grows offensively, defenses will have to worry about someone other than OKC's Big Three.
With Ibaka venturing outside more often (a career-high 3.8 trey attempts per game), there should be plenty of room for Adams to operate down low. If Brooks can get him more than the 6.2 attempts he's averaging, Adams could find himself in the 10-12 points per game range.
That would work wonders for Adams' development and give the Thunder another player capable of scoring in double figures.
Defensive Presence
Adams and Perkins are both fine defensive centers. They just defend their position differently. At 6'10" and 270 pounds, Perk guards the paint by using sheer girth and strength. As a result, opponents are shooting 47.6 percent against the big Texan this season, per 82games.com.
Meanwhile, Adams is half-shot-blocker, half-antagonist. He isn't satisfied with just using his long arms and big hands to protect the rim; he has to get under his opponent's skin as well. A good example is his showdown with the Houston Rockets on Nov. 16:
Adams finished the game with a career-high six blocks, a couple of which came against one of the league's best centers, Dwight Howard. Adams' post defense played a huge role in D12 going 4-of-14 from the field and finishing with 12 points.
That kind of performance should have been enough of a feather in the young fella's cap, right? Not exactly. There's also this tidbit from Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman: "Adams’ antagonistic style of play seemed to get to Howard. Twice, the Rockets big man shoved Adams after a rebound, earning a pair of loose-ball fouls that placed him into foul trouble and a technical when his frustration boiled over."
This wasn't the first time Adams showed off his Dennis Rodman-esque flair for irritating others. Last year, Adams angered his peers so often as a rookie that someone put together a YouTube video called "NBA Veterans Hate Steven Adams," a medley of his various altercations brilliantly set to the tune of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day."
Now, don't let Adams' knack for rubbing opponents the wrong way impact your judgment of him as a defender. He's averaging 1.3 blocks per game, and his 11 steals lead all Thunder big men.
For years, Ibaka was the team's sole shot-blocking presence. With Adams, the team now has two. His ability to protect the paint takes pressure off Ibaka and makes the Thunder even more formidable on the interior.
The continued development of Steven Adams can make this season different from the others for the Thunder. The potential to emerge as a two-way center adds another dimension to a team already filled with young talent.
In a little over a year, Adams has shown glimpses of what he's capable of doing. His speed and athleticism is a refreshing contrast from the slow, plodding style of the Kendrick Perkins era.
Granted, the big man isn't without his flaws. His aggressiveness on the defensive end has frequently seen him whistled: He has 63 fouls in just 20 games. On the other end, his 50.9 percent success rate from the charity stripe leaves much to be desired.
Those minor issues aside, the future is bright for the 21-year-old. On a team with so many proven commodities, the player who can make the biggest difference is the one we know the least.
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