Could Steven Adams be the key to success for Grizzlies in 2022-23?

It’s well known that Ja Morant and Desmond Bane displayed impressive improvement last season for the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant won the Most Improved Player award and established himself as a real superstar in this league. Meanwhile, Bane, doubled his scoring average and became a focal point of the team’s offense.

While we expected that type of leap from them, since they are two of the most talented young players in the league, there are basketball reasons for their success. As strange as it may sound, both Morant and Bane owe a lot for their breakout season to Steven Adams.

Could Steven Adams be x-factor for the Memphis Grizzlies this season?

When the Memphis Grizzlies traded Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams in the summer of 2021, there was a lot of doubt and skepticism among the team’s fans. JV was coming off the best season of his career, being the team’s 2nd best player, while Adams had a quite forgettable season in New Orleans. However, as soon as the 2021-22 season started, Adams would prove his doubters wrong.

Steven Adams, a great screener and rebounder for all of his career, fit right away on the Grizzlies starting lineup. He didn’t provide the scoring production of Valanciunas— he was taking just 5.1 field goal attempts per game—but he eased the way for the team’s young stars to thrive by playing to his strengths.

During media day, Adams talked about how he has built a strong connection with Desmond Bane, which has resulted to a lot of easy baskets for the third-year guard. As a matter of fact, the Adams to Bane connection was the Grizzlies’ top assist combo last season, as Adams assisted 85 of Bane’s field goals.

While he overall made leaps as a passer, averaging a career-high 3.4 assists, he impacted the team’s offense in other ways as well. He finished third in the league in screen assists, as his hard screens and dribble hand-offs opened up the team’s offense and gave room for the ball-handlers like Morant and Bane to expand their game.

Perhaps the most important part of Adams’ play was his offensive rebounding. He led the league with 349 offensive rebounds and gave a huge boost to the Grizzlies’ offense, which were ranked first in second-chance points.

With the 2022-23 season approaching, Steven Adams should continue making an impact on the Grizzlies starting lineup. His passing, physical presence and ability to gain extra possessions are too valuable to what is one of the most productive offensive systems in the league.

In his second season in Memphis, all that the Grizzlies expect from Adams is to keep being himself. And maybe shoot some threes.