The San Antonio Spurs will be facing the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time this season, and Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich seems to be intimidated already by one particular player from OKC.
Gregg Popovich on Steven Adams: “When I do see him, he scares me. He’s one tough dude.”
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) January 11, 2019
Not really sure whether coach Pop is referring to Adams' physique or how he plays on the court, but one thing is for sure. The Spurs will have their hands full against the Thunder big man.
In 39 games for the Thunder, Adams has been averaging 15.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting an impressive 60% from the field. He's also one of the strongest guys in the league and would not back down from a confrontation against any player.
However, Adams is a really good guy. Despite his physical build, he is not a dirty player. One prime example is this.
Good guy Steven Adams gives up the and-1 attempt to save Mason Plumlee’s life. pic.twitter.com/wVaLy1z0B5
— Boomtown Hoops (@BoomtownHoops) December 15, 2018
While most of the NBA bigs like Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Marc Gasol have transitioned their games to be able to shoot from behind the arc, Adams remains old school.
He hasn't taken a single 3-point shot throughout his entire six-year career in the NBA on purpose. Instead, he continues to be a traditional center who likes to his work down the shaded lane. On paper, he's not going to attract much attention from the league, as most teams would prefer bigs that can space the floor.
But for the Thunder, they consider his value as equal, if not more than the modern bigs in today's league.
Each year, Adams has gotten better.
No wonder why Pop is scared of him.
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