You guys remember Steven Adams? Of course you do. He’s the guy who left early to chase his NBA dream. He was the one and done, and he got a fair share of criticism for that. He gets drafted 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yeah that team with Kevin Durant that will contend for championships for years to come. But how dare he leave Pitt, right? I mean, there is no danger in playing another year, just ask Kevin Ware. Steven Adams is not ready for the NBA, right? As the saying goes, you can’t teach 7-feet, and add some athleticism. Then add the fact that he feels it was necessary to help his family, which include his parents and 18 siblings. Yeah, what a mistake he made leaving early.
His play is shutting up the critics. As the NBA Summer League begins people are noticing maybe it wasn’t such a mistake. Okay, his first game was underwhelming. He played in 20 minutes, only scoring 2 points, on 1 of 4 shooting. He added 6 rebounds, but what did stand out was how athletic this 7’ New Zealander was. His coaches had nothing but good things to say. Rex Kalamian, Thunder assistant coach, is coaching the Summer League team, and he said after Adams’ NBA Debut, “I think that he has a lot to learn and he knows it. He asks a lot of questions. He’s like a sponge. I think he really soaks things up very well. And he’s given us good feedback on how he feels.”
And the kid gets it. It’s really refreshing to hear Steven Adams speak about himself. He admits he’s a work in progress. Words like “raw” and “project” have been used to describe Adams’s game but the kid has it figured out mentally and the coaches will help him get the physical part down. Adams adds, “I’m just taking it day by day, working hard and getting better.”
In Adams second game things already started looking up. Playing in 32 minutes, adding 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting, grabbing 6 rebounds, and going an astonishing 3 for 5 from the Free Throw Line?!
The third game of Summer League play Adams line looked similar to game 2. He played 30 minutes, scoring 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting, 5 rebounds and adding 2 blocks and 2 steals, and another respectable night from the Free Throw Line going 5 of 8.
Oklahoma City does not need help right away, so this may be the best scenario for Steven Adams. He can refine his game in the D-League, and maybe, just maybe, it will all come together sooner than we thought and he will find a spot on the NBA roster.
All we can do is sit back and enjoy this young man’s rise because, at the end of the day, Steven Adams will always be a Pitt Panther.
