A slightly disappointing season didn’t stop OKC Thunder center from staying in the top 50 of The Crossover’s top 100 ranking.
Steven Adams is back in his comfort zero. A year without two superstars hurt his development slightly, but the Paul George acquisition has pundits predicting a big season from the Big Kiwi. Our partners over at Sports Illustrated are rolling out their top 100 players heading into the 2017-2018 NBA season. They placed Adams at 47th.
It’s a little shocking to see the Big Kiwi above names likes Andrew Wiggins and Harrison Barnes after his performance last season. Adams only averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds – solid but not great numbers – in his fourth season in the league. In comparison both Barnes and Wiggins averaged over 19 points a game last season.
Here’s the reasoning according to The Crossover’s Rob Mahoney:
"While Russell Westbrook drew attention from opponents and observers alike, it was Adams who was helping anchor the defense that actually got the Thunder into the playoffs. While the Thunder posted one of the lowest Effective Field Goal Percentages in the league, Adams was battling to secure extra, compensatory possessions."
Adams is an interesting case study in today’s NBA. He doesn’t space the floor on the offensive end nor have the ability to guard multiple positions. It’s Adams’ sheer size that causes so many problems.
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Teams still employ seven footers, but crunch-time rotations don’t normally include traditional centers. Because Adams is just quick enough to contain guards for a few seconds he has created his own little niche with the Thunder.
Here’s the thing: Oklahoma City needs more out of the new $100 million man. It’s not enough to just be a solid complimentary piece when you have a max contract. It’s up for Adams to turn his unique skill into something more, just like Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has.
Adams is joined on the list by fellow Thunder teammates Patrick Patterson (98) and Paul George (12). Assuming The Crossover releases the top ten tomorrow, Russell Westbrook will be joining his homies on the list.