Steven Adams’ Injury to the right knee in January had a huge impact on the Memphis Grizzlies’ ability to win games, both in terms of their actual performance and their symbolic representation of that performance. This season, Adams participated in 42 fewer games than he ever had before.
The absence of Adams caused a significant shift in the Grizzlies’ capabilities, and factors such as rebounding took on a greater degree of significance. Before the 2022–2023 season, they decided that they were comfortable enough with his performance to extend his contract for a further two years.
In January, Steve Adams’ injury to his right knee made him suffer while playing against the Phoenix Suns, there was no indication that he would be out for the remainder of the season. The Grizzlies estimated that Adams’ right posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) sprain would keep him out of action for three to five weeks.
Memphis increased Adams’ workouts as the early March deadline drew near, and he even took part in a five-on-five basketball game; however, the Steve Adams’ injury knee swelling he experienced following those sessions was concerning. When the Grizzlies decided in March to inject Adams with stem cells, it caused his schedule to be pushed back to sometime around the beginning of the postseason.
At that time, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins speculated that Adams would not participate in the postseason for the most part. Fans were confused since Adams would frequently be there during practices to shoot free throws; nevertheless, the Grizzlies never felt confident in releasing Adams because of his consistent presence.
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NBA Playoffs 2023: After Steve Adams’ Injury, Xavier Tillman SR. Took Over for Adams
Before Steve Adams’ injury to his right knee, he had a rate of offensive rebounding of 20.1%. To put that number into perspective, Ivica Zubac led all NBA players who had played more than 2,000 minutes in terms of their offensive-rebounding percentage, which was 12.3. Adams was in a league of his own when he was in good health.
Although the Grizzlies’ performance on the boards was the primary example of how different they were with and without Adams, this was by no means the only instance of how the Grizzlies performed differently with and without the big man. Adams is widely regarded as one of the best screeners in the NBA.
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He led the league with 5.6 screen assists per contest and added 12.6 points overall to the team’s score. Because of his effectiveness, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane were able to score with ease, but the Grizzlies were never able to determine whether or not he was able to boost Luke Kennard’s shooting during the playoffs because the club struggled to get the sharpshooter and open shot.
After Steve Adams’ injury, Xavier Tillman Sr. took over for Adams, he focused more on establishing screens than he did on any other area of his game. His average of 4.2 screen assists per game throughout the postseason ranked sixth best. He claimed that his conversations with Adams were a significant contributor to his education.
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