Adams’ offensive impact cannot be ignored
Steven Adams had to fix his hair before checking in at 8:24 in the fourth quarter, and a Memphis Grizzlies fan had to let him know about it in the nicest of ways.
“Aww, you’re so pretty. So handsome,” the female fan said as Adams tied a new ponytail.
Moments later in the fourth, with 15 seconds on the shot clock, Russell Westbrook calmly surveyed the floor, drove left with three defenders converging, and passed off to Adams for an easy layup. Adams wasn’t fixing his hair for aesthetics. He was tying up tight to help the Thunder win.
In the midst of his best season as a professional, Adams, 24, is as practical as it comes in the NBA. He won’t be at the All-Star Game, but the Thunder big man's value has never been higher, regardless of if he's in L.A. this weekend.
He’s also just as self depreciating despite being worth every penny of the $100 million extension the Thunder signed him to in 2016. Good luck trying to get him to take a sliver of credit for the Thunder setting a franchise record for 3-pointers in a game (17).
Adams didn’t shoot any of those 3-pointers, but 13 of them came with him
in the game. The 7-footer predictably brushed off his importance, attributing the corner 3-point looks the Thunder received Wednesday night to Memphis’s defensive scheme.
It was a combination of elements:
•Adams’ screening. It directly led to Carmelo Anthony hitting two open 3-pointers, and even Adams screening his own man provides driving space for Westbrook, and then forces the defense to help from other places. Adams is third in the NBA in “screen assists,” or the number of times a player sets a screen for a teammate that directly leads to a made field goal by that teammate.
"He was opening up the game for us early in the game," Anthony said. "Paul got it going first quarter. I got open. Just what he brings to the game, it opens it up for everybody else. So when he’s not out there, they’re able to make their adjustments."
•Westbrook’s accurate passing and quick recognition of the weakside defender collapsing from the corner in order to help Memphis’ interior defense.
•That help from the weak side was so prominent because of Adams’ presence. When Westbrook drives, Adams’ athleticism has to be accounted for or else a lob dunk is coming. The Westbrook-Adams chemistry is too good for Adams to be left free as the defense shifts toward stopping Westbrook.
“I think just for certain teams and how they rotate, and what their certain defensive schemes are, that’s kind of what it is also, than me just rolling down (to the) rim,” Adams said. “Because every big rolls. It just depends on as the guard is coming off downhill and attracting that attention; it ain’t just the big rolling.
“Obviously, they’ll pull in and stuff, but it’s just finding the 3-point line. Especially this team (Memphis). They really pull over, especially if you hit the big in the pocket pass, they do what we do — they pull over to the middle and take care of that in the paint and kind of just try to shoot out (to defend the 3-point line) from there. I think it’s more of that rather than me.”
Watching the Thunder’s 3-point barrage grind to a halt against Memphis is proof of Adams’ impact and place among the game’s best centers. Or you could just listen to Billy Donovan’s excitement level go up a notch at the mere suggestion of Adams’ foul trouble contributing to the Thunder’s offensive bog in the third quarter (6-of-20, 1-of-6 3-point field goals).
No Adams meant a downgrade in screening quality and a lesser threat running to the rim. Donovan said Adams’s foul trouble “changed the whole game.”
So, when he wasn’t getting high marks for his hair, Adams was getting the game-changer label. Even as he tries to down play his significance, Adams’ offensive contributions can no longer be overlooked.