	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 26, 2017

Steven Adams

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. This off-season, I know you just played 12 hours ago, but improvement for you, what are you going to be focusing on individually to try to show off your game in the off-season?
STEVEN ADAMS: It's all the same stuff, to be honest. Really still trying to improve on the defensive end, mainly. That's the main focus. That all just comes down to kind of wavering stuff and all that sort of stuff. But, yeah, other than that, it's just kind of getting with the coaches and trying to see what sort of direction they want to go. Then, yeah, just wanting to do whatever they say, you know?

Q. I know this was a season of change for everybody in the whole locker room. First time that you were all together as a group. But for you, what changed most for you? How much change was it from a year ago until now for you personally in what you were trying to do out there on the court?
STEVEN ADAMS: What was the biggest change?

Q. Yeah, yeah. How much did it change for you a year ago until now?
STEVEN ADAMS: It was just different. Just on the basketball side of things, they were just taking stuff away. Like rolls and stuff, or picking the paint, whatever. So that was different. I had to adjust to that and whatnot. But outside of that, the team chemistry was amazing, honestly. With everything that happened and what we have, being able to actually make it this far is amazing in itself. It's a real credit to the coaches, really, putting us in good situations to make it. So, yeah, I'm really kind of grateful for that.

Again, it comes down to having a core group of guys, and the mentality of it was just regardless of what happened or whatever, we weren't trying to compete with what we were in the past. It's just keep trying to plug your way forward. So that was really cool.

Q. Do people maybe underestimate how difficult it is to be a good team when you have so many new players coming in at different portions of the year?
STEVEN ADAMS: Do people underestimate? Like who?

Q. Yeah, like maybe just how much of a challenge is that, actually, to be able to incorporate new guys on the fly the way that you did in the summer, the start of the season, trade deadline?
STEVEN ADAMS: There is really very little credit goes to the player. It's mostly the front office that does a really good job of making sure that the dude's a good dude, you know what I mean? These dudes here, they do an amazing job to anyone in the facility is like a good person. So the credit goes to them, really, finding great guys.

Whoever comes in, it's just the environment around us and stuff, there is just immediate trust. Know what's going on, you know?

Q. How was it for you to be in such a diverse team? You've got Alex from Spain, you're from New Zealand, you've got Enes from Turkey. How was your experience to be with this group of guys that are so diverse?
STEVEN ADAMS: Where you from, mate?

Q. I'm from El Salvador.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, I was wondering, because you guys are the only ones who ask about international. No, it's just awesome. It brings a new aspect. Just kind of feel worldlyish, as worldly as you can feel. Yeah, it's just awesome just understanding different cultures and just trying to learn where they're from and what experiences they have and what you can share with them. That's what's cool about it, honestly.

Q. What do you think your ceiling is from where you got out of Pitt, and where you are now, and how much improvement do you think you can make?
STEVEN ADAMS: Oh, that's tough, mate. Yeah, I mean, there is no prediction, really. The only thing is that just I'm still pretty young. I wanted to kind of just work in whatever I have to do. So whatever the ceiling is, it kind of comes down to the person making the decision of taking that route of hard work in that direction. Yeah. That makes sense. I hope that makes sense.

Q. Are you doing your pitch already to hopefully get guys to come to New Zealand this summer?
STEVEN ADAMS: Yes. Only two people haven't been. All the other ones I haven't invited them. They just invite themselves, which sucks. They just think they're coming along, and try to stop them at the border, block them out. No, yeah, just making sure that everyone gets to come down and see what it's about, have a good time.

Q. There have been people that have termed this the season of Westbrook. Just talking about how amazing this season was for Russell. You saw it firsthand. What stands out to you about the season that he had?
STEVEN ADAMS: Well, statistically it was amazing. Like particularly from what I've seen before. Yeah, from outside, the best I could put it from outside. But like playing with him, it's just like normally all the players, but all the players don't actually really care about what the stats are, really. He has amazing nights, and you're just like obviously it's amazing.

But it just comes down to him being just awesome, really. Just like a really good dude, and he really tries to help you out in whatever way he can and improve your game. That's the biggest thing. That's why it's really fun to play with him. He's not trying to just separate himself even though, let's be fair, he is out there. But he's really trying to bring us with him the best he can.

So, yeah, that's what the biggest thing as a player playing with him, that is the biggest thing that stuck out.

Q. Did you ever find yourself amazed or awe by something he did in a game, or just sort of watched him do whatever it was and think, wow?
STEVEN ADAMS: Honestly, it was nothing in the game, nothing. It was literally just one of our players was having a tough time. I was kind of like in the background. I wasn't stalking, I was actually taking a shower, to be honest, but I kind of peeked over. I just saw him. He was having a word much he was really trying to bring one of our players up, our teammates, and really help him out mentally and get him back on track. I listened to most of the conversation and it was just like really good stuff what he was saying. That's when I was like this guy's legit.

He's actually a legit dude for doing that. Most players it's just like, oh, they'll just be like we don't want to trouble with that, whatever. But he went out of his way to really try to help the dude out, you know.

Q. That's not stalking?
STEVEN ADAMS: Eavesdropping in the shower, naked. That is weird. That is weird.

Q. How long are you going to grow your hair?
STEVEN ADAMS: I don't know. It's kind of weird. It's kind of gross. No, it is, because it's just really straggly, almost. But I don't know. Wait until I get diminishing returns. It's not there yet. So wait until it plateaus and then I'll probably cut it.

Q. Last year exit interviews you gave Enes your shirt after, and you guys wore the same shirt in the exit interview.
STEVEN ADAMS: Did we? Oh, we did.

Q. Yeah, you switched.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yes, we did.

Q. Any surprises this year?
STEVEN ADAMS: No. He does, doesn't he? He does. Maybe. He might have something for you, I think. I don't want to build it up and it's something lame. But I think he might have something.

Q. You're pretty consistent where you say like you do the same workout routine every summer. You try to work on the same type of stuff. But is that going to be the same thing for you again?
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, I say that just because it's so broad. With basketball there are so many different drills that I do. I can't really go into detail because I just say all of it because I do all of it. But it's got to be there, but obviously the focus will be on other things more than others.

So say I'll be not doing that many three-point shots more just like rolls. You know what I mean? So I'll do more rolls. So that's what it comes down to, you know.

Q. Do you feel like you're going to get to a spot, maybe not next year, you don't have to put a cap on it. But do you feel like you'll get into a spot where you'll be capable of taking a step away from baskets and taking jumpshots in games?
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, I mean, I'm capable of doing it. It just, it will suck. It will be a terrible shot. But I am capable of doing it. It's just getting to that point where it's got to help the team, not screw us up. So, yeah, eventually. We'll wait to see what the coaches say.

Q. Nick was in here before you talking about how in terms of your growth sometimes you get a little too mental, like too much in your head. Where do you feel those barriers come for you in the game?
STEVEN ADAMS: Barriers? Is it like what's holding me back a bit from whatever, doing my job?

Q. Yeah, he said sometimes it gets a little bit too mental for you and that's where you can overcome your frustrations in the game?
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, it definitely has -- I process everything. Try to figure out what I could have done better. But I guess the timing of it is a bit weird, and also I get upset with myself with different mistakes that I do. The main things are just like on pick-and-roll coverages and all of that, stuff that I really want to get done.

But, yeah, that's the main thing. Just ability to just process in and move on with it. That's like the best ability to have. It's like, yeah, you made a mistake. What could you have done better, positioning or whatever, and move on. Next time try to fix it.

Q. Coach Donovan was in here and he talked about seasons of firsts for a lot of people, including you, and how you had to adjust to a new role. What were some of the things that you had to adjust to this year in your season of firsts, as he called it? What did you learn?
STEVEN ADAMS: What did I learn? I guess the main thing is just defensively it was just a lot more. It was a lot different just because, one, I was used to having Serge. So he cleans up a lot of the stuff. So the main thing for me what learned is I have to be more, I guess, aggressive and stop them earlier just because, yeah, I don't really like challenging at the rim. I like to just stop them outside before they get any sort of job, and just kind of work from there.

So that's the biggest one I learned was just to do those sort of rotations faster, more aggressive. Yeah, that's about it. Offensively it was just the rolls, just different reads. I had to be sure when I rolled now because they're selling out on the paint. It was just to make sure that different reads are there, corner guy, passing, whatever, just those sort of things.

Q. Defensively, a lot of teams were running pick-and-rolls. How big of an adjustment is that for you to be able to guard that now, whatever?
STEVEN ADAMS: The pick-and-roll? It wasn't that much of an adjustment. What made it difficult was they were doing just their traditional like drag where you could see it coming from a mile away. They're doing a bunch of false action. Dallas is really good at it. Do a bunch of false action to get you off the net, and then they sprint up the bigs to get that separation. Our pick-and-roll coverage was to blitz. So the big has to be up there with the guard, obviously.

So any sort of separation will put you in a tough position. That's what the main kind of adjustment was I guess defensively. That's what the tough thing was, getting two basketballs.

Q. When you're switching and sometimes you guys play that strategy?
STEVEN ADAMS: (No Microphone) to be honest. Honestly. I don't know. It depends. Being serious, I don't mind the switches if it's a certain play that kind of jeopardizes our guards in terms of their -- I don't want to just switch randomly if the bigs aren't going to go down to seal.

If the bigs on their team don't go seal, they're usually the ones that just get out of the rebound, then switching is fine. I don't mind it to be honest.

Q. It seems that's the direction the league is heading though. Less and less guys that are going to go down and post-up and seal. Do you see that maybe being less of a problem moving forward, maybe? Guys posting up?
STEVEN ADAMS: No, I think it's going to go further. People are going to realize that there are still advantages there, especially if it's a guard-on thing. Big to big post-ups are rather rare as you were saying. Obviously, big guards and switches and stuff, that's definitely trying to get an advantage there. Yeah, I guess.

Q. This is a tough series for Enes from a matchup standpoint. How did he handle it? And just going forward, some of his strengths and weaknesses, what do you guys need from him to make sure that you can maximize what he brings to you guys?
STEVEN ADAMS: I mean, the way he handled it was perfect. He was fine with everything. Every time we had practice and whatnot he was still locked into all the plays and all the scouting and stuff. So he handled it how anyone else would handle it. What was the second part?

Q. Going forward, how do you maximize what he's able to bring to you guys?
STEVEN ADAMS: Maximize it, it's just like it's mainly just kind of -- because it's not when we're just on him to maximize him. It's more so helping him out in an area to where he can still be on the floor. So whatever that is.

Obviously, he's an amazing scorer, an amazing scorer. So that's his best benefit. He's like solid on defense. Like this past series he did an amazing job, I thought, getting to the spots that he needed to get to, verticality, on whatever, for the time that he had. So he did really good there. But, yeah, again, I think it's just like as a team, we've just got to kind of help him out more in terms of, I guess, like just like his coverages and whatnot. Just help him out more there. Guards have to be more aggressive with him, helping him ore over screens and whatnot, and that will keep him on the floor longer.

Q. What would you like to see him do better?
STEVEN ADAMS: See him do better? I have huge expectations for him, honestly. I want to see him do a whole bunch of stuff. But physically it's like -- he's capable of doing it, but it's not like a thing -- lateral speed is not as good as say like I'm quite good at lateral speed, so that's one of the areas.

But it's a physical thing where you can't really just say, oh, you have to be faster. It's just one of those things where you either guard it or you don't. But then again, it's the adjustments that you make from that and the type of angles that you take that can not put you at a disadvantage. So whatever that is for him, he's going to figure it out.

Q. You didn't miss any games this year, but you had a hand wrapped pretty heavily at times?
STEVEN ADAMS: Oh, yeah. That's this one here.

Q. Now that the season is over, can you reveal how much or how little that effected you, whatever happened to your hand?
STEVEN ADAMS: It was just -- I mean, it didn't effect me. What do you mean, effect me in playing?

Q. Either catching or shooting or anything like that? It didn't have any effect?
STEVEN ADAMS: No, shooting, no. The only effect that it had was just mainly because I've so many times just playing defense, putting hands on dude's heads or whatever, so when they turn, it kind of turns with them. So it's like re-spraining an ankle. It was just tipped.

Q. It got healthy?
STEVEN ADAMS: It eventually got healthy. It's just one of those things. It just happens when you're inside, especially just trying to be physical. Got a touch in there (No Microphone).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297