FRONT AND CENTER
Steven Adams has a big role as the center of the Thunder's defense
There may not be a busier big man in the NBA than Steven Adams
The image is fresh but it's fading — Steven Adams' mad defensive dash against the Spurs to save Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals in 2016.
Why is it fading? Blame the game. Blame Adams.
That instance was desperation, Adams sprinting in three different directions to stop the Spurs after a Thunder turnover late in a one-point game. Three years later, those scenes aren't as foreign during a Thunder game. Adams' movement is a necessity with the proliferation of perimeter shooting big men at an all-time high and offenses as sophisticated as ever.
There may not be a busier big man in the NBA than Adams.
According to NBA.com's Second Spectrum tracking data, Adams covers 1.23 miles per game on defense, most among centers and fifth in the NBA overall.
“I think across the board you're seeing a l ot of bigs being put into really difficult, challenging situations,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Steven's got a heck of a job because he's up there in pick-and-roll coverage stopping the ball, then trying to
get back to his man.”
It's how the Thunder chooses to deploy Adams — using the 7- foot center to hedge up high defensive ly against guards, then retreat as quickly as he can to his original assignment — which can put him and the Thunder in a bind.
Often it's to OKC's benefit. Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook can struggle to keep opposing point guards in front of them. Terrance Ferguson and Paul George are great perimeter defenders, but persistent efforts to get over screens can lead to foul trouble and wear and tear. Enter Adams to stop probing guards from free looks at 3-point shots and passes.
Adams' positioning and skills, deemed necessary by the Thunder's staff, is part of why the its defense is so disruptive. The Thunder is No. 1 in the league in deflections and third in loose balls recovered. Among centers, Adams is fourth and first in those respective categories.
“There's certain plays where he knows `I've got to really get the ball stopped here,'” Donovan said. “Then there's another play where it's like `I've got to get the ball out (of the point guard's hands) a little quicker.'”
Donovan said a young center in Adams' place would be far behind the learning curve.
“He knows those things through experience and you can't really teach that,” Donovan said. “Those big guys, the really good ones, not only are they gifted and talented, but they're really smart and bright, and they really can read situations well.”
Sometimes not even reading a situation can stop good offensive execution. It's why the Thunder's defense has taken a hit since the start of 2019.
Prior to Jan. 1, the Thunder's defense appeared impenetrable, giving up just 101.7 points per 100 possessions — a leaguebest mark which dropped to a miniscule 95.9 with Adams in the game.
Since then, the Thunder has given up 111.2 points per 100 possessions in 21 games, 103.3 with Adams in the game.
Part of it is the Thunder playing against better teams since Jan. 1. The schedule doesn't soften in the final 25 games, as the Thunder is projected with the toughest remaining schedule of any team based on opponents' winning percentage (.572).
But another aspect is the opposition understanding Adams' role and using it to its advantage. With Adams pushing out to the perimeter on guards, the backside rotation, often Jerami Grant or a guard such as Westbrook, has to be perfectly timed to catch Adams' man in the event he can't drop quickly enough.
Adams thought dealing with post-up after bruising post-up as a rookie was tough in 2013, but it's a different kind of tough now.
“It's more focused on stopping guards, pick and rolls and what not, then (dropping) back to the shooting bigs,” Adams said.
Dissecting all of the different moving parts and the evolution of what he's responsible for eventually just breaks down to Adams saying one is easier to guard than two.
“Post- ups are tough, but like, again, they're just going one-on-one,” Adams said. “We want one-on-one actions. It keeps the other teammates out of it. You can break out (off a turnover) faster. The pick-androll is tough because you have to rotate, it's a lot more team disrupting sort of stuff.”
It's not that Adams is incapable. He's clearly one of the best defenders in the league. It's just hard, which makes what he's doing even more remarkable.
It doesn't stop Adams from trying to explain how much his role has shifted in six short years … at least until he eventually runs out of words.
“I think it's just,” Adams said before pausing. “… workload is probably … I just think it's different, man.”