OT - Steve Adams last night

[PollCat99]

Against the lowly Lakers, but Steve Adams was 6-6 at free throw line last night. Plus, 16 pts (5-6), 10 rbs, 2 stls in 30 min. Check full stats.

Steve

 

[LeftCoastPanther]

It appears the Kanter/Adams post play is meshing well for the Thunder. It also helps that Westbrook has been playing out of his mind.

 

[thebadby2]

Imagine what a monster he'd have been for Pitt if he had stuck around. Our D would be 80% better automatically, and our reboundng and points in the paint would be way higher.

 

[Ski11585]

Originally posted by thebadby2:
Imagine what a monster he'd have been for Pitt if he had stuck around. Our D would be 80% better automatically, and our reboundng and points in the paint would be way higher.

I know, right? But this is just proof that Adams 100% made the right decision.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Originally posted by Ski11585:

Originally posted by thebadby2:
Imagine what a monster he'd have been for Pitt if he had stuck around. Our D would be 80% better automatically, and our reboundng and points in the paint would be way higher.

I know, right? But this is just proof that Adams 100% made the right decision.

Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how much more advanced he may have been with one more year, a year as "the man", where the offense would run through him. I think that is often undersold to these kids when draft potential comes up.

 

[PittBaller]

Originally posted by recruitsreadtheseboards:

Originally posted by Ski11585:

Originally posted by thebadby2:
Imagine what a monster he'd have been for Pitt if he had stuck around. Our D would be 80% better automatically, and our reboundng and points in the paint would be way higher.

I know, right? But this is just proof that Adams 100% made the right decision.

Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how much more advanced he may have been with one more year, a year as "the man", where the offense would run through him. I think that is often undersold to these kids when draft potential comes up.

Eh I mean he had a great rookie season and developed a lot. It's not like Jamie would have changed his philosophies to develop Adams. Adams still would have been used similarly to how we used Gary McGhee as a senior. (EDIT: Not JaVale McGhee, but rather Gary)

This post was edited on 3/25 2:30 PM by PittBaller

 

[whirlybird optio]

I think most of these players learn way more about basketball, and develop their games to a higher degree just by being in the NBA. No restrictions on practices, getting to practice and play against NBA players 24/7. Selfishly, I would have loved to have him back last season. But he went in the lottery, he's on a very good team with some excellent teammates, and he's played a lot in his forst 2 seasons, so I think its pretty safe to say he made the right decision.

 

[Ski11585]

I'm not sure Adams ever would have been "the man" in the way we would have wanted him to play. He's turned into a good NBA player with a pretty clear role. But I don't think he's wired to be "the man" the way Cousins is.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

Originally posted by recruitsreadtheseboards:

Originally posted by Ski11585:

Originally posted by thebadby2:
Imagine what a monster he'd have been for Pitt if he had stuck around. Our D would be 80% better automatically, and our reboundng and points in the paint would be way higher.

I know, right? But this is just proof that Adams 100% made the right decision.

Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how much more advanced he may have been with one more year, a year as "the man", where the offense would run through him. I think that is often undersold to these kids when draft potential comes up.

I think if he hadn't wound up at a place like OKC, that would have been a potentially huge issue for him.

He was lucky to be a lottery pick who went to a non-lottery team. Really low expectations/needs from him offensively, he's been able to develop at his own pace and get steady minutes his whole time there. He still almost never gets the ball with his back to the basket for them but he hasn't really needed to develop that aspect. They're perfectly happy to have him defend, rebound, and get some buckets off of ORebs and dump-off passes.

 

[DT_PITT]

Originally posted by Pittbaseball11:

He still almost never gets the ball with his back to the basket for them but he hasn't really needed to develop that aspect. They're perfectly happy to have him defend, rebound, and get some buckets off of ORebs and dump-off passes.

Which is exactly all Pitt needed him to do as a freshman, and all he was capable of doing as a freshman. He's still not doing any more than that at OKC. He's just starting to do this REALLY well.

 

[PittBaller]

Originally posted by DT_PITT:

Originally posted by Pittbaseball11:

He still almost never gets the ball with his back to the basket for them but he hasn't really needed to develop that aspect. They're perfectly happy to have him defend, rebound, and get some buckets off of ORebs and dump-off passes.

Which is exactly all Pitt needed him to do as a freshman, and all he was capable of doing as a freshman. He's still not doing any more than that at OKC. He's just starting to do this REALLY well.

Not to mention, draw far more flagrant fouls than anyone in the league!

 

[Ski11585]

Originally posted by DT_PITT:

Originally posted by Pittbaseball11:

He still almost never gets the ball with his back to the basket for them but he hasn't really needed to develop that aspect. They're perfectly happy to have him defend, rebound, and get some buckets off of ORebs and dump-off passes.

Which is exactly all Pitt needed him to do as a freshman, and all he was capable of doing as a freshman. He's still not doing any more than that at OKC. He's just starting to do this REALLY well.

If he continues to ONLY do that really well and average a double double, he'll be able to play until he wants to quit.

 

[DT_PITT]

No doubt ...


... but he'd going to add a jump shooting game to what he can do and will do at some point. He is STILL so young. But why would you want him even taking jump shots on a team with Westbrook and Durant.

 

[thebadby2]

agree with all of that.

 

[thebadby2]

I do think he could/would have been a 15-18 ppg scorer and 10-12 RPG rebounder by the time he finished here, just by sheer size, athleticism, and by the time he was a junior, skill. Throw in a few blocks per game and imagine the difference he would have made for us all around. While we're watching Nix drag himself up and down the floor for 15 minutes/game and play well below the rim at 7 feet tall, that will emphasize what we had in Adams I think. Adams was a physical freak.

he did make the right decision, no doubt about that--but it sure would have been nice if he hadn't.

 

[Ski11585]

Re: No doubt ...

Originally posted by DT_PITT:

... but he'd going to add a jump shooting game to what he can do and will do at some point. He is STILL so young. But why would you want him even taking jump shots on a team with Westbrook and Durant.

OKC's staff really does a great job developing their bigs. Ibaka wasn't ALL that different of a player when he first came to the league. He defended like hell, rebounded, and got garbage points. After a few years he's developed a pretty reliable jumper to the point that now he's not in the paint nearly enough because he'd rather shoot. (To be fair, it's not just Ibaka. I think Blake Griffin wants to become a SF). I wouldn't be shocked if Adams followed a similar progression.

 

[thebadby2]

Adams would change the game for us just by being on the floor for 30 minutes/game. Nobody else like that on our roster.

 

[DT_PITT]

Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how much more advanced he may have been with one more year, a year as "the man", where the offense would run through him. I think that is often undersold to these kids when draft potential comes up.

Owt -- that's a good question, but I think the more relevant questions is how much higher would he have been selected in the draft had he stayed another year.

It's hard to think he could have done much better than #12.