So, Steven Adams had a good first day at the NBA Combine in Chicago. There’s speculation — early and idle though it may be — that Adams might be working his way into the 1st Round. Perhaps even the lottery portion.
This is good. Pitt hasn’t had a player go in the first round since Vonteego Cummngs. There hasn’t been a high first round Pitt player selected since Charles Smith.
You would think this would be a good thing. That Pitt is not just turning out good college players, but NBA talent.
Apparently not. Instead it’s complaints that Adams was wasted at Pitt. That Dixon’s system held him back. That Dixon can’t coach talent. That Dixon drove him to the NBA Draft because the system was hurting him. By god, there has to be someone to blame for this!
It couldn’t possibly be that the NBA Draft is big on talent and potential. Not so much on how the kid produced in college. That Steven Adams was always going to be an intriguing prospect that would rise on the draft boards because of his size, good footwork, motor and athleticism. Oh, and plays a position that is always in need of talent.
No, that can’t be it. Silly me.
Since I’m being silly, let’s try this.
This was Steven Adams for the year:
Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
Steven Adams | 32 | 23.4 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 1.1 | .571 | .443 | .000 |
Now, in the 2012 draft the first true center taken (Anthony Davis was classified as a PF/C) was another freshman. He was picked #9 by the Detroit Pistons.
Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
Andre Drummond | 34 | 28.4 | 10.0 | 7.6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 1.5 | .538 | .295 | .000 |
Tell me how Jim Calhoun wasted the talent of Andre Drummond at UConn. Please. Drummond was considered one of the top-5 players when he arrived at UConn. He was pedestrian while there. While an obvious one-and-done, he hardly impressed.
If you want to compare their 40 minute and tempo neutral numbers you can look here and here.
Yet, when the draft rolled around he was a top-10 pick. Why? Because of his potential.
Do I think Adams could have been more productive at Pitt in some games? Yep. Do I think Lamar Patterson and Tray Woodall failed to get the ball inside to him enough during games? Yep (and not out of jealousy or a desire to freeze him out).
I also think Adams noticeably improved from the start of the season to the end. Compare his presence in the Michigan game in November. 10 minutes, 1 rebound, 0 points and 2 fouls. He was a complete liability against the Michigan frontcourt. Then look back on later games like Louisville. He improved over the course of the year. It wasn’t sudden or drastic. It was fits and starts. Setbacks and progress. He’s now had the last 6 weeks or so do nothing but practice with a coach one-on-one.
“I’ve been working on my jump shot a lot with my coach [New Zealand-based] Kenny McFadden. We’ve been trying to work on moves, and getting more comfortable and confident scoring.”
Asked about his learning curve as he prepared for what is hoped to be the next step to the NBA, Adams said: “A big one bro. So far it’s been good for me. Pitt helped, [coach] Jamie Dixon taught me a lot and that helped the transition to here and helped me deal with the culture and the intensity. It’s been really good man.”
I’m rooting for Steven Adams to be a lottery pick. To develop and become a great player in the NBA. There is no donwnside for Pitt for him to get drafted high.
What I read between the lines, some of his handlers (former coaches, etc) he needs to leave Dixon if he wants to make bucks in the NBA. In other words, Dixon is not developing Adams for the NBA, etc.
Adams never came back to finish the semester. He stayed in New Zealand to prepare for the draft, combine, NBA workouts, etc under his former coach.
I agree that Adams doesn’t seem NBA-ready, but if you are a 7-footer with potential, the shy’s the limit
If he manages to go 1st Round and get a guaranteed contract, he’ll earn more with his Pitt “degree” in one year just with the signing bonus than I’ll earn in my lifetime with my Pitt degree.
And if he saves & invests well, he’s set for life before he turns 20, even if he’s a bust in the NBA (which, based on what I saw with his time at Pitt, I’d say that’s the way to bet…). Especially if he lives in NZ.
On the other hand, if he wants to actually make a name for himself in the NBA? Or if he wants to really make bank in order to take care of his 20-odd-some siblings?
Then he really shouldda stayed at least one more year in college.
Granted because of he has been only playing ball for 6 years he has much to learn. However it is ridiculous and spitful to think he will fall into the second round. With his limitaions he is the most athletic center in the draft. He owned Noels in a one-on-one in Prpe school and word is he ha s been working out with Zeller, Deing, and the center from Kansas and Maryland and has more than held his own.
Below is a report that appeared in
Bleacher Report
NBA Combine 2013 Results: Day 1 Measurements, Highlights and Top Prospects
By
Brian Mazique
(Featured Columnist) on May 16, 2013
Best two players I’ve seen at the Combine today have been Steven Adams and Rudy Gobert. Both helping themselves a lot here
At the combine, he was consistently the most mobile big man. He shot the ball well, and his performance had to make scouts believe he could contribute sooner than some may have believed.
Because of the refusal to contribute any fault to Dixon and his staff lack. The obvious inability to improve Pitt’s big men limiting Adams to under the hoop and refusing him to use his face to the basket game his major strength that caused him to alwys hesitate on his jump shot and pull up short;Blair never helped him work away from the hoop, Gray limited to one offensive move, McGhee no offensive coaching.
Consider if Adams and Robinson were not on last years team. Even playing part time because of Adams Pitt won 10 more games limited opponents to 1o less points per game and got Pitt into the NCAA.
Without him and Robinson Pitt would not have made the CBI this year.
Yes Adams had much to learn but less than we thought. He had an offensive game facing the basket Dixon obviously did not want him to use and when he was open away from the basket he had no confidence and when he did shot he short-armed the shot.
Conside if he played 30 minutes a game since Novemebr and learned from his experience and mistakes in my opinion Pitt gets to the elite eight or better.
The most athletic 7’center in college basketball, despite his presnt limitations, playing 23 minutes behind a 6’9″ overweight power forward who averaged 6 ponts a game and 8 rebounds.
Adams had a multi-year relationship with Dixon before coming to Pitt… his “handlers” knew perfectly well what Dixon was about and what the kid we be going through.
For whatever reason they pulled the trigger a year earlier than most people hoped/expected. Too bad for Pitt. We could have used him. And clearly he would have improved athletically and as a player.
But hey, the NBA is what it is…
Here is a second to Chas’ hope the kid goes high.
And overall observation is more and more people are going to rag on Dixon until he breaks through in the tournament, wins games there, gets far into the tourney.
I am a Dixon supporter and the reality is all the regular season stats are great for awhile… but the league tournament record, and the NCAA record just weighs him down over time. Looks like he is making some moves though and that is what you want to see… people adjusting.
H2P
Agree Adams should have gotten the ball
more offen. However many times he dropped
passes on a “give and go” clearly the result
of experience or lack of concentration.
Nevertheless Adams will be successful
at the next level. Make big bucks and have
a long career.
To all potential recruits. PC may not be
a dynamic personality however he also
will not lie to you. Beware of the Frauds
and hologerson types.
his skill level is much better than they thought
what does that mean it meams when he played for pitt they could not see how good he was.
becuse he was used wrong dixon tryed to make a race
horse into a plow horse a long time ago EMel
said the same thing i think what EMel said was
dixon was trying to make him into Grey or something like that.
when you are surprised some looks as good as he does after watching him all year in games
it means the system was bad for him and he could not show his skill.
If that is JD’s style, so be it … maybe he needs to recruit these types.
Isn’t this similar to HCPC recruiting these 3 star massive OLs to fit his style?
look nba scouts saw him in more then 24 games
at pitt .
he gets to the nba combine and they cant believe
how good he is he is blowing them away moved into top 10 picks.
what is different he is not in dixons system
he is able to show what he can do.
yes dixon should recruit his kind of players becuse he cant use 5 star players he wont use them right or cant , they dont fit what he wants to do.
Or maybe we should just fire JD for keeping Pitt and nationally relevant team over the years, and bring in someone who promises to run a high octane offense. Oh wait …..
that is the point no one is saying dixin is not a good coach all i am saying is some players dont fit his system.
he needs what Wbb said his kind of player gray was a plow horse and the NBA needs that kind also.
bit adams was a race horse hr did not fit what dixon wanted to do he did it yes and did a good job but in that system he could not show how good he really was.
not saying dixon is bad coach just that some players would be better in a different system.
why do you all haveto think every thing is a attack on the coach Wbb could see what i was saying.
but you all have to go into attack mode insted
of thinking abought it.
.
The fact that Woodall had a bad game vs Wich St and we got our butt kicked only proves just how important he was to pitt’s success …. and nobody else was able to pick up the slck.
(kind of reminds me of Lebron’s last year in Cleveland. He goes 8 for 28 in the final playoff game vs Celtics and he is called a quitter. That same year in the finals, Kobe goes 7 for 24 against the same Celtics, and gets another ring!)
Dick Vitale said barry slice rohrssen being back
with pitt is vital to pitt.
will hear tonight that sheldon jeter is to
transfer to pitt dont know if he could play this year but will try for weaver if he does.
not 100 percent but maybe?
he does not walk on water and is a big boy and he can take a jab does that mean i want a different coach no i dont.
but i think he does better with his kind of player better for him better for the players
that dont fit what he wants to do.
i know you dont like what i say but read Wbb
he made my point and he is fair.
my be us who knows
did not mean to.
but i really do think he does better with players he has to coach up.
bye the time they are JR they know his system and are really good as SR.
AND thoes kind of 3 stars are glad they had a offer from pitt it is just my point of view but i think he understands thoes kind of players
and they fit what he wants to do .
A lot of that was because of his inexperience and adjusting to the style and tremendous competition increase. But do not kid yourselves either, he was not always put into the best position to maximize his talent and benefit the team.
He should’ve been a solid low post player, but it never once appeared that the JD and the team specifically made it a point to feed him on the block, especially in the Non-con portion of the schedule. By the time BE play roled around, he didn’t have any confidence built up…
Thinking back to Howland and the early days of Dixon, that was the bread and butter, feed it to Taft, Gray, heck even Chevy Troutman and of course Blair. Let them develop that part of their game. This NEVER happened with Adams, and it’s a damn shame.
something is or was wrong .
we have never had so many players jump ship at once
or forced out.
i would really like to know what is or went wrong.
did he recruit a bunch of bad players did they get tired of his system.
was it his ASST coachs i dont know but wish i did
brought birch here i cant remmber was that when it started i am not sure maybe.
Dixon IMO is starting to look to his players like a coach who only cares for himself and his own record and not preparing his student athletes for their professional careers…..I think that one of the reasons why a lot of guys are leaving….Adams & Moore included.
Sam Young, Aaron Gray, and all the guys playing in Europe are just find w JD. Pitt just hasn’t had much NBA talent.
His only hope was his shot….he needed also to work on creating his own shot. Can’t do that when all you’re doing is passing the ball to someone…