Steven Adams reflects on what he’s learned from Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, two of the greatest power forwards to ever play in the NBA, have retired in a span of two months. Thunder center Steven

Adams said he learned from both of them. Garnett announced his retirement on Friday after 21 seasons, and while Adams, 23, caught the fiery “KG” on the back end of his Hall of Fame career, he did receive a lesson in trash talk. Or how to avoid it. “He’s got this presence about him that’s intimidating,” Adams said. “He doesn’t talk to me at all.

“I played the English card one time. He said something and I was just like, ‘oh ... no English. No English, man. Sorry.’ He kinda left me alone, which is brilliant.”

Adams then took a serious turn to describe what Garnett brought to his teams.

“The way he just talks to everyone” Adams said. “It’s not so much his trash talk — obviously he’s phenomenal at it — but it’s more so how he runs a team, how everyone picks up off his energy and does what he says. He’s a real smart guy and understands everyone. He’s real equal among his teammates, that’s what brilliant. People come to him and talk to him, but could also say something back. It’s a two-way road, that’s what I’d seen.”

Adams was on the floor with Duncan during the five-time champion’s final minutes in the NBA. Duncan’s last game was against the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.

“I was sad,” Adams said of Duncan’s retirement. “Cause that’s where I like learned kinda like most of his tricks, angles, just what he does. Playing against him, you just pick up on different things.

“What he does, how he sets up sealing you different ways, pick and roll ... that’s what I picked up on. That was brilliant. That’s what I’m gonna miss. That’s why I’m sad. He’s a lovable guy as well. A lovable chap.”

PAYNE ‘FULL CONTACT,’ WILL PLAY IN SCRIMMAGE

Cameron Payne has made an on-schedule recovery from his Jones fracture surgery in late July. On Sunday, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said the second-year guard’s biggest challenge since his return has been his timing and rhythm.

Payne has been full contact in the first two days of practice.

“He’s been good, he’s been going through some stuff,” Donovan said. “I think the biggest challenge for him has been his timing, his rhythm, those kinds of things, because he hasn’t played a lot of 5-on-5.”

Donovan said Payne will participate in Tuesday’s Blue and White Scrimmage at John Marshall High School, but didn’t specify if he’d be restricted. Donovan said he’s received no indication from the Thunder medical staff that Payne’s playing time needs to be limited.

“I think probably for him, he probably feels like the more he can play, the more comfortable he’ll get back into a routine,” Donovan said. “He’s obviously been in practice. He’s been active.

“Cam’s got a really, really instinctive game. He’s got a good feel for the game. I think getting his timing back playing, because he hasn’t done a lot of 5-on-5 will take him a little bit of time. But he looks good; he’s moving well.”

MORE THREES COMING FROM BIGS?

With Serge Ibaka off to Orlando, a common thought has been that Ersan Ilyasova, a career 37-percent 3-point shooter, would be the heir to Ibaka’s role as the “stretch four” who can shoot 3-pointers from the power forward position.

Donovan sees the Thunder having more options than just Ilyasova, among them newcomers Joffrey

Lauvergne and Domantas Sabonis, and even Enes Kanter. While it was a small sample size, Kanter hit 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) 3-point attempts last season.

“Some of it is giving a player confidence that you believe as a coach in them that this is something that they can do,” Donovan said, emphasizing the work Thunder assistant Mark

Bryant has put in with Kanter the past two seasons.

Donovan said for the sake of spacing, the Thunder may have to “live with” certain situations where its big men take more 3-point shots.

“I think any time you get a frontcourt player that can stretch the floor and shoot threes, that’s always a good thing,” Donovan said. “I think taking time with those guys every single day, getting them shots from behind the line, whether it’s the corner or the top I think is good.

“Ersan, that’s always been a strength of his when he played, but I think with Domas, with Joffrey, Enes, I think we need to continually evolve. And I think even with Steven — not to say shooting threes, but pushing his range out to 15 feet — I think any time those guys are a threat to make a shot from the perimeter, it’s good. That’ll be something of focus we have as a staff to try to improve that.”

QUOTABLE

Adams on if he’s seen the downtown mural of himself in person

yet: “No I haven’t, I’ve seen it on video though, but I don’t know if that counts. It’s like saying you’ve been to Antarctica just from a photo. But I think it’s cool.”