Steven Adams might just be the strongest player in the NBA and Victor Wembanyama got some unwanted first-hand experience of that strength on Monday. In the third quarter of the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets, Wembanyama attempted to box out Adams, only to be pushed aside with ease.
Wemby tried to box out Steven Adams…
🐘🦒 pic.twitter.com/ezS3Jjd5V8
— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) October 29, 2024
This was a no-contest. It seemed like Adams wasn’t using anywhere near his full strength and Wembanyama still wasn’t able to stand his ground. It was probably one of the easier offensive rebounds the New Zealander has grabbed in his life.
To be fair to Wembanyama, plenty of players have failed miserably at boxing out Adams over the years. He averages 3.7 offensive rebounds per game for his career, which actually ranks eighth all-time.
As for this game, it was Adams’ first since Jan. 22, 2023. A PCL injury caused him to miss the second half of the 2022-23 season and the whole of 2023-24. The 31-year-old then missed the start of this season due to a minor calf strain but is finally back now.
Adams finished with six points and three rebounds in just under 14 minutes on his return as the Rockets won 106-101 to improve to 2-2. Here’s hoping the injury bug doesn’t strike him this season. Wembanyama, meanwhile, had 14 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in this contest but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Spurs from dropping to 1-2 on the season.
Considering how long Adams had been on the sidelines, this was the first time that Wembanyama played against him and after the game, he was asked about that challenge.
“Offensively a little bit of a problem,” Wembanyama said. “On the boards, of course, very strong guy that you can’t really move. So, you have to be there early. Just a solid player as we know Steven Adams.”
As Wembanyama said, you cannot move Adams. If you allow him to get in a decent position under the basket, he is going to get that rebound. Wembanyama will have to deal with Adams two more times this season, with their next meeting being on Nov. 6, 2024.
Victor Wembanyama Aims To Take Another Step In 2024-25
Wembanyama had one of the finest rookie seasons in recent NBA history and took measures to ensure his sophomore campaign would be even more impressive. Before the season, Wembanyama spoke about taking another step in his development after the Olympics.
“After the Olympics, I spent four or five weeks working here. It’s enough to make me pass another step. This is how I want to go. I want to keep progressing every year, every summer. It has helped me already through the Olympics, and I’m sure it’s going to help me during the season too.”
Wembanyama hasn’t gotten off to as great of a start to this season as some expected, though. The 20-year-old is averaging 20.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc.
Wembanyama is putting up good numbers, but you’d expect better, and he hasn’t been efficient either. I think he will play better as the season progresses, though.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
