Jerry Lai – USA Today Sports Images
The 2013 NBA Summer League kicked off on Sunday in Orlando with five games. With the first part of Summer League kicking off, it’s the first time that we get a glimpse of some of the rookies that were drafted around two weeks ago playing against a higher level of competition.
One of the players that was on display today was the 12th overall selection in the draft, Steven Adams, as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s squad faced off with the team sent by the Indiana Pacers.
Adams wasn’t in the starting five for the Thunder’s Summer League team, but came off the bench relatively early in the game. Overall, Adams saw the floor for just under 21 minutes. However, despite seeing a good chunk of time, he wasn’t really able to do much with his opportunity.
Adams finished that contest with just two points, six rebounds, two blocks and two turnovers. He also only attempted four field goals in the contest, obviously converting on only one of those attempts. Having said that, his one made field goal was impressive as he threw done a pretty thunderous jam that showed off his surprising explosiveness.
One of the things that was noticeable about Adams was that, though he showed a brief moment of aggressiveness and explosive play, he was somewhat tentative on the offensive end of the floor and didn’t seem comfortable in the post. He was decent on the glass, but there was obvious room for improvement. Defensively, though, Adams looked like a solid rim protector.
It’s just one game in Summer League so you don’t want to read too much into how Adams performed. However, with the first glance at Adams, his offensive game is worth keeping an eye on as we go forward. He needs to be more assertive and needs to look to attack when the opportunity is there. It’s clear, though, that Adams has the tools to be a quality player if he can learn how to apply them to the game.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google+ and like his Facebook page.
