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Let's talk about Steven Adams, preseason stud and reputed dirty player

Jerome Miron / USA Today Sports

Where to start with Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams?

A quick refresher: the 7-foot New Zealand native was the No. 12 overall pick out of Pittsburgh in 2013, and had a promising rookie season for the Thunder last year. His middle name is Funaki, he seems to thrive when games get chippy, and every opponent in the league seems to hate him.

In other words, there's a lot to like as a fan.

Zach Randolph falls in the category of opponent, not fan, and he isn't exactly fond of the brutish 21-year-old.

“I mean, seven players have gotten suspended because of him. You've got to look into that,” Randolph said Monday. “Why are players getting into it with this particular guy?”

Recall last season's opening round series between the Thunder and Randolph's Memphis Grizzlies - Randolph was suspended for Game 7 for throwing a punch at Adams in Game 6.

Ahead of the two teams squaring off in preseason action, Randolph admitted that he fell for what he thought was Adams's plan to goad him. He wouldn't be the first player to suggest Adams is a pain - Nate Robinson, Vince Carter, Jordan Hamilton, and Larry Sanders have also taken exception to the center's tactics.

Adams doesn't see the issue with his style of play.

"No, not at all," Adams said Tuesday. "I was just playing hard ... I probably just stay aggressive."

In his defense, the fact that Adams carries around 255 pounds on his frame makes even the simplest of movements seem like a full-on attack. Just ask the Memphis Grizzlies' Jordan Adams:

Steven Adams's play has gone beyond just hard screens, defense, and playing the pest this preseason. He's showing genuine signs of improvement, averaging 18.7 points on 85.7 percent shooting in 23.8 minutes. Last season, he averaged just 3.3 points in 14.8 minutes, shooting 50.3 percent.

He won't shoot anywhere near 85.7 percent when the season opens, but he should absolutely see his minutes increase to that 22-26 range, if head coach Scott Brooks is willing to put aside Kendrick Perkins's feelings for the betterment of the team. Especially with Kevin Durant out for roughly 20 games, the Thunder need to optimize their lineups, and Adams has proven a better option than Perkins even before factoring in a sophomore bump:

2013-14 Minutes O-Rating D-Rating Net
with Adams 1197 107.0 103.2 3.8
with Perkins 1207 102.6 100.8 1.8
with Nick Collison* 1353 111.3 99.1 12.2

*Collison will often play with Perkins or Adams, but sometimes mans center alone.

As Perkins continues his multi-year decline and Adams further develops his offensive game and defensive positioning, the gap is only going to grow. This isn't news, but Adams's hot preseason and the injury to Durant cast additional light on this obvious means of improvement for the Thunder.

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