Steven Adams: NBA Draft Profile

Feb 18, 2013: Pittsburgh, PA, USA: Pittsburgh Panthers center Steven Adams (13) finishes a dunk against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Pugliese-USA TODAY Sports

•  School: Pittsburgh
• Height: 7’0:
• Weight: 255 lbs
• Wingspan: 7’4.5″
• 7.2 Points Per Game, 6.3 Rebounds Per Game, 2.0 Blocks Per Game

• Strengths

Adams has an NBA ready frame, but could still add some more strength. At 7’0″, he is still very mobile and athletic for a center at any level. With the ability to get up and down the floor and play above the rim, it is no surprise that Pitt’s freshman center was a nightmare in transition. Adams shot an incredible 83% in transition in his first and only year of college basketball.

Another thing that all NBA scouts paid attention to is the tenacity that Adams hits the offensive glass with.  His unique combination of size, quickness, and athleticism obviously make it a little more simpler for him than most others of his age. Adams also has the beloved habit of attacking his own misses with tons of energy, getting second chances time after time. For every 40 minutes that Adams played this season, he racked up a gaudy 4.8 offensive boards.

Defensively, it is all about potential. With his size and athleticism, he is a natural rim protector. Aside from that, he has the ability to hedge hard on screens in the pick-and-roll and stay in front of guards when forced to switch.

• Weaknesses

Adams has one glaring hole in his game, offense. Despite his elite athleticism for his size, he has yet to establish himself as an offensive threat whatsoever. More often than not, opponents were able to block his shots at the rim due to the fact that he refuses to go up strong. Also, too often, Adams showed that his hands need work by failing to make catches or bobbling simple entry passes into the post. His shooting mechanics are poor, which is shown by his sub-50% clip from the free-throw line. If that wasn’t bad enough, Adams is not a reliable finisher around the rim either, and shot just 56% at the rim as a freshman.

Potential is the sole reason Steven Adams will be taken highly in the upcoming draft. With that being the case, he is far away from contributing to an NBA team. While his ceiling may be high, the team that ends up taking him runs the risk and never getting anything from the big man. A team will need to devote time and effort to develop Adams without knowing whether or not it will pan out regardless. If developed into the player that he could potentially be, Adams could be dominant defensively at the highest level. Either way, Adams is a project player.

• Role on the Sixers

Whichever NBA team selects Steven Adams on Thursday knows that they are not getting a player that will contribute on day one and be a impact player for the next fifteen years. Simply said, they are banking on his upside. As it pertains to the Sixers, it is unlikely that they would take someone that is so far away from contributing to the team. With the franchise in turmoil, it is more likely that they will try to pick relatively safely.

If the Sixers do wind up with Adams, and he does develop into the type of player that he could potentially be, it is easy to say that he would be an energy player and rim protector. For years now, Philadelphia has lacked a shot blocker. Adams could be that guy four or five years down the road, but would play no role on NBA roster for some time.