Without a doubt, Russell Westbrook is the franchise player that the Oklahoma City Thunder will build around for the future. Steven Adams is the second cornerstone for the franchise.
Over the past three seasons, Steven Adams has been scrutinized by the NBA due to being the major piece of the James Harden trade that’s still left playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Would Adams prove worth the cost of not signing Harden? Sam Presti has certainly hoped so. He pulled the trigger on the trade that sent The Beard to the Houston Rockets.
Well, the 12th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft has certainly proved his worth to this scribe over and over again. Adams has averaged 10.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes in his short three-year career. I can, however, see his points production improving as his bond with Russell Westbrook grows.
In his four years with the Rockets, Harden has averaged 25.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per 36 minutes.
There is a marked difference between the two stat lines. There are many good reasons for this. Harden is the leader of his team; especially on offense. Adams has sat behind Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka to be the fourth option on an offensively loaded Oklahoma City team.
Now, two of those three have gone, leaving an angry Westbrook who wants to show the NBA that the Oklahoma City Thunder are still a force.
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This season, Steven Adams is going to show us that he is worth every sleepless night that Sam Presti may have had.
Adams is still not going to be the second scoring option for the Thunder. That honor is going to go to Victor Oladipo. Adams will, however, double his career scoring average of 6.2 points per game.
With the trading of Ibaka to the Orlando Magic, Adams is now the undisputed leader of the Thunder defense. In game two of the Western Conference Second Round series against the San Antonio Spurs, Adams proved that he was ready for the leadership in the final play.
Now, ignore any of the contentious calls, simply focus on Adams. When Durant loses the ball, who is the player in the way of Danny Green as he makes his way down the court? Steven Adams.
Secondly, who is the player that stops the Patrick Mills layup attempt, causing him to pass? Adams again. Third, who is the player who challenges Mills again, this time for the three-point attempt? Adams for the third time.
Had the fan not grabbed Adams arm, he would have been going back to the rim just in case San Antonio was able to get the offensive rebound and have the final shot.
I go back further into last season when the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Brooklyn Nets on January 24. Adams was out with injury and Brook Lopez had a terrific night, with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Neither Nick Collison or Enes Kanter had a chance. Lopez had a plus/minus of 18. Oklahoma City lost, despite 32 points and 10 rebounds from Durant.
In the return match, Lopez was again solid, with 26 points and eight rebounds. However, with Adams in the mix, Lopez had plus-minus of -9. Oklahoma won that game.
The other role that Adams is taking from another Thunder player is being the team’s heart and soul. Nick Collison has held that honor for a long time, even bleeding for the Thunder on many occasions.
Adams has the ability to make other players think about their game by just giving them a glare or jumping about like a school boy like he did with Westbrook in the photo above.
Steven Adams is a good player. He is not a DeAndre Jordan or a Hassan Whiteside and he will never become those players. Steven Adams is Steven Adams and, with the exception of potentially scoring more, I do not believe that the Thunder want him to change too much.