Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams missed a pair of games last week with a knee injury, and he will be held out of Sunday's contest against the Milwaukee Bucks due to the same ailment.
However, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan says he is not overly concerned about the severity of Adams' injury, suggesting that the center's continued absence is merely the result of soreness.
Billy Donovan said he doesn’t think Steven Adams’ knee contusion is serious. “It’s just a reoccurrence of what he’s been dealing with. He’s been dealing with it and tried to work his way best through it.”
— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) November 10, 2019
Adams is averaging 8.3 points and 10.1 rebounds through seven games, but he is also averaging under 27 minutes per night after surpassing 32 minutes per contest in each of the last two seasons.
If anything, this might suggest that Adams has been “playing hurt” throughout the year. That said, there is a reason that the big man from New Zealand is regarded as one of the toughest players in the league.
The 26-year-old dominates the glass, and his numbers have increased without Russell Westbrook on the floor. His scoring numbers are down, but that was to be expected with Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joining the roster.
While Adams is always one to keep his focus on basketball, he was subjected to a multitude of trade rumors this summer. He is signed through next season, but his large salary (close to $26 million this year and over $27 million next year) could make him an expendable piece at the deadline if the Thunder are not in contention.
Oklahoma City is 4-5 to start the year after winning three of their last four contests. They face a tough test against the Milwaukee Bucks later this evening.
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