The Memphis Grizzlies are in the middle of an epic first-round playoff series vs the Minnesota Timberwolves— a series in which they currently enjoy a 2-1 lead.
However, the series lead has largely come to fruition without the help of starting veteran center Steven Adams.
The New Zealand native was benched after picking up two fouls in the first three minutes of Game 2 of the series. Since then he has logged zero playing time.
When will Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams return to the lineup?
While nothing official has been released by the team or Head Coach Taylor Jenkins, it seems Adams is unlikely to play again in the series against the Timberwolves.
Adams struggled mightily in the first two games of this series, having a very difficult time keeping Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns in front of him on defense.
Adams’ lack of lateral quickness and lesser athletic ability allowed Towns to torch the Big Kiwi on multiple fronts.
Jenkins made the difficult decision to keep Adams on the bench for Game 3. He didn’t start, nor did he log a single minute of playing time. This, despite starting in 75 out of 76 games for the second-best team in the NBA during the regular season.
Fortunately, and unsurprisingly, Adams has been a total pro about the move. Jenkins informed the media that Adams is willing to make any and all sacrifices to ensure the Grizzlies win.
There are few centers in the NBA that Adams matches up poorly with and Towns is one of the few. So, the benching is not do to any sort of falling out, injury or anything else. It’s purely a matter of Adams being ill-equipped to handle the opposing team’s best player.
If the Grizzlies advance to the second round, it’s looking more and more likely that their opponent will be the Golden State Warriors, who are up 3-0 against the Denver Nuggets.
You should fully expect Adams to return to the lineup for him to go against a more traditional big like Kevon Looney. Adams won’t have to chase him to the three-point line or worry about him attacking the basket from the wing (like Towns has been doing in the current series).
So, patience, Steven Adams fans. The big man is likely to make a triumphant return should the Grizzlies advance to the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.