3 most surprising Memphis Grizzlies so far in 2021
Surprising Player No. 3: Memphis Grizzlies C Steven Adams
I’d like to say “I told you so” when it comes to Steven Adams, but I’m not actually sure if anybody doubted what the Kiwi center was capable of with the Grizzlies.
After a pair of underwhelming seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans where Adams averaged some of the worst numbers of his career, his arrival presented a mixed bag of reactions. Some believed that the Grizzlies would take a huge step back without Valanciunas, while some believed that Adams would plug into JV’s role perfectly.
I was somewhere in the middle.
Thankfully, the latter has come true about Adams. Through three games, the veteran big man has looked as good — scratch that — even better than Jonas Valanciunas somehow. Granted, his scoring hasn’t necessarily been on par with JV’s, but Adams has been hugely impactful all over the court — namely on the glass.
The new Grizzly center is averaging 13 points per game, and perhaps more importantly, 13 rebounds per game, including six rebounds on the offensive glass. He doesn’t just look like JV, he looks better than JV.
Next. Ja Morant could have a say in the NBA MVP race. dark
Even more surprisingly, Steven Adams looks like the second-best passer on the team, averaging 4.7 assists per contest. That’s the second-highest total on the team, only trailing Ja Morant.