Steven Adams could be the favorite to open the season as the Thunder's starting center, the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater reports.

Adams could be the favorite to open the season as the Thunder's starting center, the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater reports.

Analysis:

He is averaging 17 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.8 steals while shooting 77 percent from the field in four preseason games, so it's pretty clear that he's a better player than Kendrick Perkins at this stage in each player's career. Adams' biggest flaw is his propensity to get in foul trouble. He picked up 11 fouls in his first two games of the preseason, but has just four in his last two, so perhaps it's getting drilled into the young center that in order to play big minutes, he needs to clean up his defense. Adams is worth a pick in most category leagues, given his upside in all the relevant big-man stats.