Stats

Best 5 Games

Adams' Role in Oklahoma City

The big news coming out of OKC is that Kendrick Perkins will miss up to 6 weeks after sustaining a groin injury against Miami (the very game that Russell Westbrook returned from his extended layoff). This likely means an expanded role for Adams, probably as a starter though that won’t necessarily mean starters minutes. They also have the options of moving Kevin Durant to Power Forward and playing with a smaller lineup, or using Nick Collison as a more known quantity at Centre (he’ll be seeing a lot of mins there regardless), and this will all depend on matchups and all that. Still, Steven Adams will definitely be under greater expectations for the next month and a half, that’s for sure.

As it’s been this season, Adams has settled into a bench role (which is more than most pundits were expecting in his first year out of the draft). The minutes he plays depends on the team he’s playing but his role on the court is usually the same. He sets up in the paint, he hustles for rebounds, often tormenting opposition bench guys (Adams’ success rate for contested rebounds is superb), and when his team are in position, he’s in and out of the paint, dropping back and setting picks for the nimble guards that the Thunder have, guys like Westbrook when fit, and Reggie Jackson. This doesn’t often give him the opportunity to go padding to box score, and his shooting opportunities consist almost entirely of offensive put-backs. This is exactly the kind of player that coaches love to be able to turn to though, especially with the second option players on the court: someone who can pick up the tempo and lift his teammates. And the little contributions may not get picked up by many bandwagoners, but you can bet scouts around the league are taking notice.

Rising Stars Challenge

It’s always nice for athletes to see their performances rewarded with accolades, even if they tell you it’s all about the team and winning. Adams is a long way off an All Star nod, but a trip to the Rising Stars challenge must have been a boost. The Risings Stars game is played between rookies and second year guys, so all people around Adams’ age and experience, and likely guys that he’ll be compared to a lot over the next decade. Just playing with guys like Andre Drummond and Anthony Davis will have been a great learning experience in itself for Adams as a young centre. Hopefully we’ll be seeing that trio at All Star Games in the future.

Kevin Durant on Steven Adams

(Speaking with Bill Simmons in his podcast ‘The BS Report’)

“First day of practice, somebody got frustrated and [Steven] said ‘Just hit me. If you wanna get your frustrations out just hit me. I like taking the physical beatings.’ And that’s what he does… he just runs down, settles in the paint, throws the elbows. He’s a kiwi.”

“He’s just trying to do whatever he can for the team to win it. I love a guy like that.”

A Call To Arms!

Which brings me to our last and most important topic. There is one thing that any great NBA player needs, and without it they won’t ever succeed. It is the first point of association for any legend. Think Doctor J, or Air Jordan. I speak, of course, of the fabled nickname. Steven Adams needs one. It has to be catchy enough for people to pick it up, unique enough to be memorable and should in some way reflect Adams as both a man and a player, be that by his heritage, his interests or maybe his rebounding. Here’s what we’re working with so far:

The Kiwi Phenom – His college nickname from his Pitt days. Fast outgrown.

The White Kendrick Perkins – Dirk Nowitski came up with this one as a joke. I can think of at least two things wrong with it.

So, obviously we can do better. Send your suggestions in to us on Facebook or Twitter.