New Orleans Pelicans: Steven Adams is still vital for the Pels

New Orleans Pelicans: Adams and Ingram have great rapport

In particular, Adams has great synergy with Ingram. For the first stretch of the season prior to Ball’s improved performances in his new role and Zion Williamson’s real breakout, a lot of New Orleans’ offense was predicated on the Ingram/Adams relationship. The Pistons game was a return to that.

I enjoyed this possession in which Adams fakes the handoff to Ingram, fools Mason Plumlee, and then takes it strong to the basket. Although we don’t see them often, Adams does tend to flash some self-creation flashes throughout the course of a season. He was aggressive against Detroit, scoring the bucket above and also scoring on Isaiah Stewart in the post at another point in the contest.

But Adams’ most important contributions come on the boards, especially on the offensive end, where his hustle often leads to second and third shot opportunities for the Pelicans.