DraftExpress: Karnowski is more skilled, polished & ready to contribute. Adams better athlete & has more upside. RT @GoodmanCBS: Przemek or Steven Adams? 2012-05-02 11:58:46
DraftExpress: Really nice practice from James Robinson too. Definitely belongs here. Making some very smart passes. Steven Adams will love playing w/him. 2012-04-05 09:56:58
DraftExpress: Told the reason Steven Adams declined his Hoop Summit invite is due to academics. Its crunch time for him and there are some concerns there. 2012-03-27 10:35:18
DraftExpress: No, but he'll be at the Nike Hoop Summit. RT @Lawson_NZ: @DraftExpress is Steven Adams participating at McDs? 2012-03-26 06:07:57
DraftExpress: Strange. Was definitely in until recently. Now he's going to the adidas Derby Classic instead. RT @brianbatko: Any idea why no Steven Adams? 2012-03-26 01:57:01
HoopHall Classic Scouting Reports: Elite 2012 Prospects (Part One) January 18, 2012 Joe Treutlein
Steven Adams (#7 Scout, #4 Rivals, unranked ESPN) didn't have a great performance at the Hoophall Classic, but it's not unexpected seeing how he's been with his team and in the United States in general for just a week. Having just finished high school in New Zealand, Adams joined his new team and is obviously still getting up to speed with both his new teammates and the heightened level of competition he's seeing going up against his peers.
There really wasn't much new to take away from Adams' game since the last time we've seen him, as he remains an excellent physical specimen with a high motor and still developing skill set. Adams struggled to get consistently involved here, especially on the offensive end, and finished with a modest line of just five points and four rebounds in 21 minutes.
Adams frequently fought for deep post position on the offensive end, but was mostly ignored by his guards or not rewarded with re-post opportunities when he kicked the ball out. He did a solid job fighting for put-back opportunities on his own, scoring both of his baskets in that manner. He didn't show much from an offensive skills perspective overall, being limited to mostly hustle plays for his contributions.
Defensively, Adams looked a bit better, blocking an impressive three shots to go along with two steals, showing a similarly good motor on this end of the floor and also displaying an impressive sense of timing on his shot blocks. He did a great job using his full extension and mobility to block shots, doing a very good job in that regard.
Looking forward, Adams remains a very intriguing player in the long term, but you probably can't take much from this performance given his poor conditioning-level and limited time here in the US, along with just the nerves of playing in a setting like this for the first time. Spending the rest of the season playing prep ball prior to joining Pittsburgh next year should help his acclimation to the higher level of competition, but he'll have plenty of work to do developing his game once he gets on campus next season. [Read Full Article] adidas Nations: The Best of the Rest September 27, 2011 Jonathan Givony
An inch or two taller, and a little more developed physically, Adams is still the same highly fluid and athletic center who runs the court well and shows great mobility for a player his size. He elevates with ease off the floor for blocks and dunks, using his length and huge hands extremely well to challenge shots and finish plays around the rim.
Adams still lacks a great deal in terms of fundamentals on both ends of the floor, a testament to his late start in basketball and the low level of competition he's faced exclusively thus far in his career. He does not possess much of a post-game and is a little bit wild with the way he conducts himself offensively, but shows intriguing sparks of talent from time to time with the things he does.
He likes to put the ball on the floor and can beat opposing big men off the dribble with his quickness and aggressiveness, often finishing well above the rim in impressive fashion. He'll also step out to the perimeter on occasion for jumpers, usually with mixed results, but shows good touch from the line which is an encouraging sign at his size. He also showed unusual passing ability, often making Kevin Love-esqe outlet passes to ignite the fast-break.
The first impression you get from watching Adams play is that he has a limited feel for the game, but some of the passes he made suggest otherwise.
Defensively, Adams is both impressive to watch and a work in progress at the same time. On one hand he does a great job challenging shots around the rim with his size, length and terrific athleticism, showing nimble feet and good timing. He plays with a real chip on his shoulder, not backing down from anyone, and not being afraid to dish out a hard foul or offer up some choice words to an opponent.
On the other hand, he clearly has no concept of how to play fundamentally sound half-court defense, giving up deep position without any fight, and showing a very limited understanding of help-side defense. He doesn't really know how to use his body inside, does not box out his opponents, and is too quick to chase blocks wildly.
The wide open, loosely coached setting of the adidas Nations played perfectly into Adams' rare strengths as a prospect, and he generated a tremendous amount of buzz in return with his play. Right now his plan appears to be heading to Pittsburgh to play for Jamie Dixon in 2012. If he gets eligible, there will surely be some initial growing pains as he adjusts to the completely new style of play that he'll encounter in the Big East.
Adams is still very much playing catch-up with other players his age in regards to his fundamentals and knowledge of the game, but his ceiling as a prospect is obviously off the charts. It will be very interesting to see how he performs when he finally does come over. [Read Full Article]
adidas Nations Highlights and Interview: Steven Adams August 29, 2011 A video profile featuring 2012 center Steven Adams from the adidas Nations Experience in Los Angeles.
[Read Full Article] adidas Nations Player Profile: Steven Adams August 22, 2010
Video film and production courtesy of Tad Hathaway of 312 Media
Scouting Report:
One of the most interesting players to emerge from the adidas Nations Experience was New Zealand big man Steven Adams, a complete unknown coming into this camp. The brother of Olympic shot put champion Valerie Kasanita Adams-Vili, he drew immediate attention with his terrific physical profile and continued to draw intrigue by leading the camp in rebounding (by a huge margin) and dropping impressive flashes of potential in every game he played in.
The first thing that stands out about Adams is his excellent frame. He has a body that looks more like that of a 25-year-old than someone just 16 years old. He's well proportioned, with long arms, huge hands, excellent lower body strength and wide shoulders that will fill out even more in time. He's a legit 6-10, if not 6-11, and should have no problem playing center in any league he goes to.
Adams is a very good athlete for his size. He's fluid and explosive, quick off his feet, and a big time leaper. He was clearly one of the most athletic guys at the camp--and this was against the very top players in America in his age group.
The thing that is most intriguing about Adams is that, despite only playing basketball for around four years now, he's actually fairly skilled. His touch around the basket is terrific and he can even face up from 15 feet and comfortably knock down mid-range jumpers, sometimes using the glass. He doesn't have much in the way of post moves, but he already shows a very nice jump hook. He also seems to have a knack for moving off the ball and presenting himself for easy finishes around the rim, something he did repeatedly throughout the week.
Adams does a great job setting bruising screens, then rolling purposefully to the rim. He has great hands, holds the ball up high and then immediately goes up for a dunk. It's obvious that whoever coached him did an excellent job because his fundamentals are pretty strong offensively. He is a poor free throw shooter at the moment, but that is something he can work on in time, especially when you consider the touch he has on his jumper.
Adams, as mentioned, led the tournament in rebounding at 11.3 boards per game--which was over three rebounds more than any other player in attendance. He was especially active on the offensive end, using a quicker initial bounce to beat out his opposition. He chases down every loose ball. And though he doesn't do much in the way of boxing out, he's just so much stronger, tougher and more athletic than his competition that he was usually the one to end up with the ball.
Defensively, Adams' potential is terrific. He's not a shot blocker, but he clearly will be a presence in the paint with his physical tools. He also looks nimble enough to step out to the perimeter to hedge screens and guard the pick-and-roll. He's also not afraid to throw his body around in the paint to make his presence felt, which is a great thing to have from a near 7-footer.
Adams doesn't have much of a concept of the fundamentals of team defense, but players his age rarely do, especially when they haven't played much high level basketball. He'll likely be foul prone early in his career, especially until he starts going up against other players his size, which is something he probably hasn't had a chance to do yet considering his background.
Another thing that stands out about Adams is how businesslike he is in his approach to the game. He plays at a nice pace and never looked out of control in Chicago. He doesn't have any misconceptions about the type of player he is. He appears to be extremely humble (as you can hear in the interview above), describing himself as being mostly a rebounder, an energy guy and a defender.
Adams is verbally committed to the University of Pittsburgh and, if cleared academically, will be a part of their 2012 recruiting class. He still has two years to continue to add polish and experience to his game, but he will need to find a way to test himself against bigger and stronger players than he'll find in his current home of Wellington if he wants to continue to progress as a player. [Read Full Article]
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