The Memphis Grizzlies suffered a disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets in Memphis on January 9th to fall to 0-2 in the season series and 1.5 games behind Houston for the second seed in the Western Conference. A return trip to Houston is set for January 13th so the Grizzlies have a chance to exact revenge.
Amid the on-court battle between the division rivals was a return trip to Memphis for two of the current Rockets players. Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams were starters with the Grizzlies' big three during their back-to-back two-seed seasons before transitioning to the Rockets last season.
Dillon Brooks signed with the Rockets as a free agent in 2023 and was able to play all four games against the Grizzlies last season including a 26-point and nine-rebound performance in his first game back in Memphis in December 2023. However, Steven Adams began last season on the Grizzlies and was ruled out for the season just days before the beginning of the regular season due to knee surgery from the sprained PCL injury he suffered in January 2023.
The Grizzlies traded Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets in February last year for Victor Oladipo and three second-round draft picks in a move to shed salary in anticipation of a younger center. While Adam's time in Memphis was met with good memories before his knee injury, the Grizzlies' insistence on moving on is something the Rockets realize.
Steven Adams isn't a starting center
Before this season Steven Adams was a full-time starting center for every season of his 11-year career outside of his rookie season. After starting only 20 games during his rookie season in 2013-14 Adams started 621 of a possible 625 regular season games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and Memphis Grizzlies from 2014-2023.
Steven Adams' impact as one of the game's best rebounders and as a great screener kept him in a starting position but today's NBA has lessened his impact, especially after missing a year and a half recovering from knee surgery. Also, the Rockets already had a rising star in center Alperen Sengun, who is having an All-Star caliber season this year.
The Grizzlies severely missed Adams' production during the second half of the 2023 season and all last season but have returned to form without him this season as they rank second in rebounds per game behind only the Houston Rockets. Adams has played 24 games this season without a start and is averaging 4.5 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.
He averaged double-digit rebounds in both of his seasons in Memphis including a career-high 11.5 rebounds during the 2022-23 season. However, the Grizzlies are proving this season that his production can be replaced by multiple guys who can provide production in other areas.
At age 31 Steven Adams still has a skillset that can be used in smaller increments, as the Rockets are currently using him, but his days of being a team's primary starting center and enforcer are over.