Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 goals for Steven Adams in 2017-18

3. Anchor the defense

Adams will have to be a force in the middle. In a league where the power forward or even the 5-position is now a legitimate 3-point threat, the Thunder will need the inside penetration shored up. Giving up threes will happen, but they can help what happens on the inside with tough play.

Adams will have to be a reliable rim protector for the Thunder defense to continue to be effective. The team has Andre Roberson guarding the best perimeter threat, but it will be up to Adams to guard players like DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan, Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid to make the Thunder’s defense respectable.

Only 20 players have averaged two blocks or more in NBA history. If Adams wants to take his career to the next level, averaging two blocks or more would be a good goal to have for the upcoming season.