New Orleans Pelicans: 8 most important storylines to follow this season
By Tim Burke
New Orleans Pelicans: Things to watch this season, Steven Adams
Team Rebounding with Steven Adams on the Floor
The Steven Adams trade was widely panned around the NBA, the main sticking point was how this trade would impact Zion and the spacing on offense. I too wasn’t very high on the trade but that was mainly because I think RJ Hampton could be a special player.
Adams is exactly the type of big body a team wants if they’re trying to protect the young Face of the Franchise type. With Adams, you have the embodiment of a team-first player; he routinely does the small things that don’t necessarily pad his own stats but can increase how teammates. Remember Russell Westbrook’s triple-double season? Adams was often boxing out on rebounds so that Westbrook could grab them.
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The Pelicans have a few guards on this roster that are exceptional rebounders. Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball come to mind, both averaged over six rebounds per game last season and the was with Favors missing 14 games last season. I expect those numbers to climb slightly with Adams in the fold.
Just keep an eye on how often Adams will box out instead of securing a rebound, electing for a teammate to grab the board and push the ball up the court. This is no small gesture given contracts are largely based on stats and Adams is actively passing up the opportunity to increase his. The front office knows this and rewarded him handsomely, signing Adams to an extension before he even donned the uniform.