Steven Adams

Strengths

Right-handed… The New Zealand native has committed to play for Pittsburgh in a few years, but given his age and international status, he is eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft. Adams broke out at the Adidas Nations camp in the summer of 2011. He has a terrific physical profile given his size, tree-trunk thick legs, wide shoulders, combined with some very good athleticism for a player of his size. He is fluid and quick. Explosive off his feet… Playing for Team Asia, he posted 12 points and 20 rebounds against Team USA, 19 points and 9 boards against Australia and then 37 points and 14 points against Team USA in a second game… Adams is nearly 7-feet tall and one of the best center prospects in the world given his development as a player. He has the length, huge hands and a non-stop motor; He has spent some time on his perimeter game with former NBA wing Detlef Schrempf before the Adidas camp. He runs the floor well, getting boards, sprinting to the rim in transition or throwing a dart of an outlet pass to a streaking guard… He has the length, quick leaping ability and strength to really be a threat on the defensive end. He affects numerous shots and has the ability to dominate the boards… Given his soft touch around the rim and ability to face-up and knock down mid-range shots, we would love to see Adams involved in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations moving forward.

Weaknesses

Adams needs to continue to work on his overall body strength. He has a solid frame, but can easily put on more muscle, which would prevent him from playing from out of position when he gets pushed around… He plays the game with a high-motor most of the time, but has a tendency to take plays off. It could be conditioning, it could be the fact that he was surrounded by limited talent in the adidas camp… Adams has only been playing basketball for a few years, which, in most cases is a positive. He is easily moldable given his already advanced skill set, but is still raw in most areas.