Zach Lowe highlights the importance of Steven Adams

ESPN’s Zach Lowe’s most recent “10 things I like and don’t like” column discussed how important Steven Adams is to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lowe highlighted the fact that Adams hasn’t fundamentally changed the nature of his game, despite transforming as a player over the last few years.

“Adams is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, steals and assists. The Thunder fall apart on the glass when he sits. (Adams playing most of his minutes with Russell Westbrook -- the league’s best rebounding guard -- infects those splits, but Adams’ presence is the more important bellwether.) He’s turning the ball over and fouling at career-low rates.

His floater is money. Adams is posting up more than twice as often as last season, but he has sacrificed nothing in efficiency; the Thunder have scored 1.12 points per possession anytime Adams shoots out of the post, or passes to someone who shoots right away -- 20th among 119 guys who have recorded at least 20 post-ups, per Second Spectrum data.”

Lowe goes on to discuss how Adams takes no possessions off, while continuously forcing turnovers. However the best line about the OKC center? “In return, he asks for nothing.”

Read Lowe’s full piece here.