Steven Adams Scouting Report

Despite saying after Pittsburgh's loss to Wichita State that he was returning to school for next season, New Zealand native Steven Adams did a turn around and has declared for the NBA Draft. Here are some of his strengths and weaknesses as an NBA prospect...

Strengths: Physically, Adams looks like an NBA player, he has great size (7-0), an NBA body that is very impressive when you take into account that he only 19. Like almost all prospects, Adams needs to add strength and bulk, but his size at 240+ pounds is better than most and he has the frame to get big enough for an NBA center. He also has long arms and very large hands, which he uses for catching passes and rebounds well. Athletically, he is above-average for his size and has good second bounce. Where Adams provides his biggest value is as a rebounder and defender. On the boards, he averaged 6.3 boards in only 23.4 minutes, he has basically the same rebound rate as Mason Plumlee overall, but is much better on the offensive glass. That is Adams best attribute, comparing him to Plumlee, despite playing 499 less minutes, Adams only grabbed 9 less boards (99 to 90). Part of that is Plumlee not being a great offensive rebounder, but Adams is still an impressive offensive rebounder. On defense, Adams is a very tough as a post defender and is willing to bang inside. He is already strong for his age and should get stronger, developing into a very good one-on-one interior defender. Adams is also very good blocking shots despite again, limited minutes, averaging 2 game, this is something else that should translate to the next level for Adams. As should his motor, which runs hot constantly. Not overly foul prone either. Also, has been known to sport a mustache.

Weaknesses: There is no other way to put this, Adams is extremely raw on the offensive end. Aside from
uncontested shots close to the basket, at this point he doesn't offer much else on offense. Even close shots, when facing contact or length, can give Adams some troubles. Obviously, as an 19 year old playing basketball in American for the first time on a consistent basis, Adams is expected to be raw and given his tools, he does have the chance to improve. Though improvement is likely, he is a ways away however and youth doesn't always mean upside, for example Kendrick Perkins and Kwame Brown both came straight out of High School as big, strong, athletes, but neither developed into an offensive threat at all (in 20 combined seasons, Brown and Perkins have two years averaging double digits). All that to say, despite having very good tools, it's not a given that Adams will become and offensive player. Adams is a stiffish mover as well, which is a worry if he is going to continue to pack on weight, it could impede his movement at the next level. Though he plays very hard and is always hustling on defense, he still has a ways to go as far as learning how to play smart on that end of the floor. Awareness is also a concern.

Overall: With Adams, you have a potential ace post defender, rebounder, and post defender who will be a major work-in-progress on offense. To me, that at least gives him a career as backup center in the NBA, with the possibility of being a solid starter combining above-average defense with average offense. But again, it all comes down to if that offense develops. Of the three backup center types available in the late first, I'd have Adams ranked above Jeff Withey but behind Gorgui Dieng.