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13 - Steven Adams

7-0, 255 Center
Pittsburgh Freshman
Birthday
07/28/93 (30.6 yrs)
Hometown
Rotorua, New Zealand
High School
Notre Dame Prep (MA)/Scots College (NZ)
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
7
Size
9
Defense
8
Strength
9
Quickness
8
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
7
NBA Ready
6
Rebounding
9
Potential
8
Post Skills
6
Intangibles
8

 NBA Comparison: Byron Mullens

Strengths: Strong, big-bodied center with a lot of upside…Great length (7’5" wingspan) makes him a terror on the defensive end and boards. Averaged 2 BPG last season in only 23 minutes per game…Hard-nosed big man who makes up for his raw post game by bringing energy and aggression to the court…Great bench press numbers (16 reps) indicate that he is already very strong, and should continue to add strength…Has a wide frame and an overall NBA-ready body…Very fluid for a man his size.  He runs the floor well and just seems to be comfortable in his own body…Uses his body to get good position in the lane…Very good rebounder thanks to his size and length…Expanding the range on his jumpshot.  Can shoot decently from at least 12 feet…Good transition big man…Efficient inside.  Shot 57% last year…Crashes the offensive glass with authority and gets a lot of put backs…Made a lot of progress in his one season at Pitt.  Appears to be a very coachable player and a hard worker…
 
Weaknesses: Has not played basketball for a very long time and is still an extremely raw big man…Has almost no consistent post moves…Doesn’t always use his strength like he should.  Often takes the ball up softly to the rim and gets blocked or simply looks overmatched…Was not a huge offensive threat in college, so he still has a ways to go to see a lot of playing time in the NBA…Is an extremely poor free throw shooter (44%)…Often looks passive on the court, and though he plays with a lot of energy, he often lacks the assertiveness he needs on offense…Poor footwork…Not much of a passer out of the post…Is still developing a feel for the game…His hands are big, but they aren’t very good, as he bobbles a lot of passes…Puts up a lot of very bad shots around the rim.  Needs to develop a softer touch…Still developing a consistent jump shot…Has a low free throw rate for a man his size…
 
Notes: Chose to enter the draft after his freshman year to help provide for his family in New Zealand…
 
Overall:
Adams is still several years away from reaching his ceiling, but that ceiling is a high one.  He’s very strong and very athletic and most of the flaws in his game can likely be improved with time.

Jacob Stallard 6/26/13

Strengths: Bigman with tremendous combination of size, length and athleticism … Just scratching the surface of his considerable talent … Extremely fluid. Runs the floor like a deer … Tremendous rebounder with huge, soft hands and strong arms … Has a great frame with broad shoulders and already has good amount of strength/weight …. Plays the game with a lot of energy/exuberance. Blue color work ethic/attitude. Has been shielded from the AAU sytem and the pampering and hype that he would have received had he been raised in the USA basketball system … Tremendous motor and shows a willingness to compete and be coached … His upside is considerable and he really hasn’t developed any bad habits … Has been working on correcting his jumpshot in the past year, and it has shown considerable improvement, as it had a hitch in it last year at the 2010 adidas Nations (Chicago) and now appears much more fluid … His feel for the game is surprising considering the amount of time he’s been playing the game at a high level … His passing is good for a bigman showing excellent touch on outlet passes … Excellent shot blocker. His length makes it very easy for him to block shots, even when he’s slightly out of position … Huge, soft hands makes him a great rebounder …

Weaknesses: Has never played basketball against a high level of competition, however he’s developed a solid base of fundamentals and holds his own against high level players … Free throw shooting is still a major weakness to his game. But he recognizes that and is working to become better from the line … Will need to embrace being a star. He’s a humble kid and doesn’t seem to be overly comfortable in the spotlight, but he has some time to develop his confidence … Post skills are a work in progress but he seems to have a solid understanding of what he needs to do in the post …

Notes: The top International prospect on the immediate NBA horizon and will be the top center prospect in the NCAA in 2012 … Committed to play for Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh in 2012-13 … Will graduate Scots College high school (New Zealand) in November and transfer to Notre Dame Prep in the US and then be eligible to play at Pittsburgh …

Aran Smith 8/9/11

Notes: Has committed to play for Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh for the 2012-13 season.

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