3 ways ‘caveman’ Steven Adams is wreaking Stephen Curry and Warriors’ playoff hopes

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors built up a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff battle against the Houston Rockets. They managed to undercut the latter’s physicality and athleticism by using clever tactics such as hack-a-Steven Adams to limit their offensive possessions.

By doing that, Curry and Jimmy Butler had more chances to score, and they utilized that to win at the Rockets’ home court and then again in the two games at Chase Center. Along with their defensive positioning, they ensured that the Rockets’ big men did not get enough chances to impact the end result.

But all that changed in Games 5 and 6. The Rockets, with their backs against the wall, decided it was time to flip the script. The veterans on the roster upped their ante, and along with their overall teamwork, ensured that they wound up with a chance to play for the series in Game 7 at home.

In Game 5, the Warriors did not have an answer to the Rockets’ early game blitz. Steve Kerr rested his starters, and Ime Udoka followed suit. In Game 6, Stephen Curry and his teammates resorted to the same hack-a-Steven Adams tactics.

But this time, it backfired, and the New Zealander had more than a hand in the game. He ended up scoring 17 points, 9 of which came from free throws arising from that Warriors tactic. More importantly, he set the tone for his teammates to follow. Now, he is primed to impact the series in more ways than one.

Thwarting the Warriors’ small-ball lineups

The Golden State Warriors are devoid of proper big men. Most of the time, 6′ 6″ Draymond Green mans the interior. The former Defensive Player of the Year has proved his capabilities against anyone, no matter how he does it. But when he has to handle two big men taller than him, it becomes a problem.

The Houston Rockets traded for Steven Adams with the idea that he would be their primary interior protector. Since he has offensive limitations, he usually does not start. Throughout the regular season, he saw himself on the court for an average of less than 14 minutes.

In the playoffs, that number has risen to 21.5. In the three losses, Adams did not feature much. But in Game 6, Udoka asked him to set the tone. He did exactly that, going up for shot contests against any Warriors player entering the paint.

He tallied three blocks and one steal, good enough to let the Warriors know that they cannot attack the interior. This effectively pushed his opponents into midrange or perimeter shots. Now that he was covering an area effectively, his teammates used their length and athleticism to slow down the Warriors’ attack.

Helping his Rockets’ offensive game plan

After Steven Adams thwarts a Golden State Warriors offensive possession, he quickly transitions into helping his Houston Rockets on the offensive end. Understandably, he is not a scorer. But he uses what he is well known to possess, strength, to help his team.

He was setting screens for all his teammates while they looked to create scoring opportunities. Adams’ strength overwhelmed the Warriors, as they could not chase the ball handler. What impressed basketball fans and analysts is that he managed to do all this without getting into foul trouble.

Adams’ screens helped young All-Star Alperen Sengun contribute in every aspect of the game. Then, when the Turkish center missed, Adams was there to grab an offensive rebound, keep it out of harm’s way, and help his team reset their offense.

Embracing hack-a-Steven Adams

There was a time in the NBA when hack-a-Shaq was an oft-used play. Opponents knew that Shaquille O’Neal had a problem shooting free throws and used that tactic to limit his offensive output. Had they not, the most dominant force in the league would usually obliterate his opponents.

In the case of Adams, offensive domination is not a worry for any opposing team. The near seven-footer “caveman” averaged 3.9 points with the Houston Rockets. However, teams still use the hack-a-Steven Adams tactic to limit his time on the court so that his defensive contributions do not impede them.

He was frustrated by this tactic in the first four games. But in Game 6, he embraced it and scored nine of his sixteen free throws. Ironically, the Golden State Warriors lost by eight points, which indicates that they have to be careful with that tactic.

If he embraces it again in Game 7, the Warriors could find it difficult to outplay all that he does on the floor. To give an example of how his presence contributes to the Rockets’ overall play, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor gathered some statistics. When Adams and Alperen Sengun are on the floor, the Rockets record a 117.2 offensive rating.

On the defensive side, their rating stands at 85.2. The net +32.2 rating is difficult for any team to overcome. In addition to that, the two combined to rebound almost half of the Rockets’ misses. When all these factors come into play, there is no doubt that Adams has the tools to wreck Stephen Curry and the Warriors’ playoff hopes.

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