New Zealand native Steven Adams is proving to be a vital clog in Oklahoma City’s push for an NBA Championship. And he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Steven Adams is only 20, but he plays like a 10-year veteran of the league. He annoys his opponents to the point of total frustration. Five players have been either ejected or suspended for retaliating to Adams this season.
Memphis star Zach Randolph was suspended for the crucial Game 7 in the first round for punching Adams in the jaw. This made the Thunder’s job in Game 7 a lot easier, and they had Adams to thank for it.
Adams showed flashes of brilliance in the regular season, which had OKC fans thinking they got a steal when they drafted him at number 12 in the 2013 Draft.
These thoughts have been solidified in this year’s playoffs.
Not only has Adams had a huge presence on the defensive end – he had a career high five blocks in Game 6 against the Grizzlies – he also knows when it’s his turn to sacrifice his game for the good of the team.
Often his stats don’t jump out at you, but the influence he can have on a game can’t be underestimated, especially with Kendrick Perkins often playing horribly.
Now, in the second round of the playoffs, Adams has lifted again. This was highlighted again in what proved to the series clinching Game 6 against the Clippers in L.A.
Adams didn’t look overawed by the situation. He played one of the best games of his short NBA career.
With Perkins only playing eight minutes, and Serge Ibaka going down with a calf strain in the third quarter, Adams needed to produce.
And produce he did.
Adams played the second-most minutes of any Thunder player, totalling a career-high 40 out of a possible 48 minutes. He was huge for OKC, recording a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
When Kevin Durant couldn’t buy a shot in the first quarter, it was Adams who kept the Thunder within range, scoring six points.
When Durant found his range, Adams didn’t shoot the ball as much, but he kept fighting for rebounds and making life difficult for the Clippers big men.
Looking forward, the Thunder take on the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. If Ibaka’s injury is serious enough to see him sit out games, Adams becomes even more important for the Thunder.
From what we’ve seen so far, I have no doubt that the Kiwi would take the challenge of consistent minutes head on and play his heart out every second of every game.
If he does, and Durant and Westbrook play at the top of their games, the Thunder might just find themselves in a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals against the Heat.
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