When Adams plays like an All Black he’s ‘a game-changer’
Steven Adams wanted to be an All Black as a youngster growing up in Rotorua, and now he has been compared to his country’s iconic rugby players by his Oklahoma City Thunder boss.
In his annual pre-season press conference in Oklahoma City, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has heaped some high-level praise on their 25-year-old Kiwi centre, comparing his selfless, disciplined play in the NBA to that typical of back-to-back rugby world champions the All Blacks.
Near the end of an hour-long rundown on the state of the Thunder ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season, Presti was asked about Adams, who is entering his sixth season with OKC and the second on his US$100 million (NZ$149.5m) four-year extension.
And the Thunder boss did not hold back on a player who has become a major part of the identity of the Thunder, never mind the fact that Russell Westbrook and Paul George are the acknowledged superstars of the team.
Presti, a meticulous reader and researcher, showed his knowledge of Adams’ home country when he quickly morphed his response into a rugby-themed analogy.
‘‘I don’t know how many rugby fans we have in the audience,’’ said Presti, after pondering that Adams still had five more years before he hit his prime. ‘‘The All Blacks in New Zealand, where he was raised, they’re known for their selfless team intangibles, up and down the entire roster.
‘‘When Steven plays like an All Black for us he’s a game-changer, and the good thing is he’s willing to do those things that don’t get recognised . . . he’s a gamechanger for us in controllable areas. It doesn’t have to be a hot shooting night; he doesn’t necessarily need someone else to get him going. He can do these things and help a team win.
‘‘In great teams it’s all about the grey area and things in between and I think Steven Adams represents that. We expect him to take another jump this year but just being consistent in those areas as an All Black-type player, he affects the team and his mentality affects the team because he’s trying to do the right things all the time.’’
Presti also detailed what he sees as a consistent and constant improvement arc in his 2.13m centre since he has entered the league.
Adams is coming off a career season in which he averaged 13.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting a career-high 62.9 percent from the floor. He also logged a career-high 32.9 minutes a game.
‘‘People forget the guy is 25, and he’s got five years before he’s in his prime,’’ added Presti. ‘‘If you think about the centres in the league who are still going to be in their prime five years from now it’s a small group.
‘‘Steven is like a good to great company that has made such small improvements each year there hasn’t been these big ‘ah-ha’ moments . . . his improvement has been so steady over such a long period of time now, the distance travelled has been remarkable, buts it’s come by a season after season process.’’
Presti said Adams could have a ‘‘huge impact on our team’’ just by doing the little things he does well even better.
‘‘There’s not a lot players who can impact a team or the game in controllable areas, meaning Steven in how hard he runs the floor, how quickly he gets out of pick-n-rolls and barrels to the rim to suck the defence in, and the fact he knows the scheme the way he does, he knows coverages, he knows defence, and then his physicality . . . you know he’s on the floor.
‘‘Those are things that are within his control and just by doing those things he makes a massive impact on our team.’’