Grizzlies stud deemed one of ‘most underrated’ players in NBA

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team widely recognized for their enviable collection of top-tier young talents, with the likes of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane serving as headliners for the bunch.

However, also within their midst is a savvy, old-school style veteran in Steven Adams who, in many ways, simply does not get the recognition that he deserves.

Grind City faithful have been aware of this essentially since his arrival to the organization back in 2021, though now it appears the sentiment is starting the expand beyond the fanbase, as Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes recently labeled the big man as one of the game’s “most underrated” players.

"“The combination of pure strength and impish guile is a weird one, but it works—particularly for the Memphis Grizzlies, who need Adams’ best-in-class contributions on the offensive glass to generate half-court offense. Memphis is 79-39 when Adams plays and 28-18 without him over the last two years, the difference between a 55-win pace and a 49-win pace across an 82-game season.Every year since 2015-16, Adams’ teams have had significantly better net ratings with him in the game. Five times during that span, his presence on the floor has boosted his club’s point differential by at least 7.0 points per 100 possessions, an elite figure,” Hughes wrote."

Steven Adams’ on-court impact was perhaps the most apparent throughout his injury-plagued 2022-23 campaign, as his absence from the Grizzlies saw a stark contrast regarding whole-team productivity compared to when he was found running in the rotation.

During the 46 games prior to his season-ending PCL sprain, Memphis ranked a whopping third in win percentage (.674), first in offensive rebounding (13.4), first in total rebounding (49.4), first in defensive rating (109.2), and second in net rating (5.4).

Following his injury-induced removal, the Grizzlies plummeted in each of these aforementioned categories, ranking 13 (.556), 13 (10.3), 15 (43.1), ninth (112.6), and 13 (2.2), respectively.

Coming into the 2023-24 campaign, Taylor Jenkins’ club is being penciled in by some such as ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne as a legitimate title contender capable of serving as a top threat to the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets.

While the bulk of this boastful categorization stems from the club’s offseason acquisitions, particularly veteran guard Marcus Smart, it’s evident that the return of Steven Adams will play a key role in their ultimate successes.

Grizzlies linked to potential trade involving $73 million sharpshooter

The Memphis Grizzlies were recently tabbed as a potential trade partner in an Evan Fournier trade with the New York Knicks.