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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 24, 2018

Steven Adams

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. Nerlens was super high on just being able to work with you, like super excited to see what you guys can do together this season. When you found out that the organization was bringing Nerlens in, were there things about his game that you immediately were like, this will be really cool, we can fill some holes, that kind of thing?
STEVEN ADAMS: No, not too much of that, honestly. It was just more like that we brought him on. It was just a familiar face, someone from the draft. It was one of those weird moments where you're like, it's weird to see where people end up, sort of thing. So it was just cool to have another familiar face from the draft, honestly. But playing with him, yeah, he's a good dude, man. Great character in the locker room, and yeah, everything else will take care of itself. Just the fact that he's a good lad. Good stuff.

Q. Just from the small amount of time that you've had to spend with Dennis, I don't know if you even had any time with him on the court, what have you seen from his game, and in terms of the pick-and-roll, being able to screen for him, and how do you see meshing his game with Russell's, as well, and those guys potentially playing together?
STEVEN ADAMS: Meshing it together?

Q. Yeah, their games meshing together when they play together.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, Schroder is a very quick guard. Again, another familiar face. I worked out with him in some of my pre-draft workouts, which was cool. But like yeah, his ability just to read the different screens, and not just read them but set up his man, if that makes sense, it's a big difference that I notice in guards that know how to use pick-and-rolls and stuff like that. He does, he knows how to use that. And his tempo off that, his pace off that is very clean.

Again, those are just from summer. Can't really base anything off that, like too much solid stuff from that because it's still pickup basketball, stuff like that. But yeah, he should be fine, mate. He'll be all right.

Q. Another kind of technical question: The NBA implemented some new rules this summer, the Board of Governors voted on some new rules, and one of them pertains to the shot clock resetting to 14 after an offensive rebound. How do you think that affects what you do and what the offense will do when the shot clock resets to 14 as opposed to 24?
STEVEN ADAMS: No, it won't affect it too much, mate, honestly, unless you're running out the clock, like if the whole 24 seconds, which I don't think most teams do, most of the shots there are quick kick-out shots because offensive rebound, most of the defense they're quite scrambled, so usually you get a quick shot usually off rebounds, offensive rebounds, but then again, like you have plenty of time to still run your offense if you can get into it fast enough. Obviously you still have time to run that. I mean, I don't see it affecting too many things, too much. I'm guessing you're meaning, oh, are people just going to try and go back up with it straightaway. Is that what you're asking?

Q. I didn't really have an intention.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, that's pretty much my thoughts on it. It won't affect much. 14 seconds is plenty of time to still kind of get into a decent set, probably max two screens, yeah, if you're fast; know what I mean?

Q. As kind of a power type player, how have you adjusted your game over the last couple of years as the center position has become a little bit more perimeter oriented?
STEVEN ADAMS: What have I done to what?

Q. How to keep up with that aspect of things. The center position you've got guys shooting threes, running the floor more than they did maybe when you first started.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah. How have I developed --

Q. How have you adjusted --
STEVEN ADAMS: Adjusted? The main thing was just changing foot position and kind of habits coming off the pick-and-roll defense. Other than that, mate, it's just all the same stuff, because that's where probably -- yeah, probably all of them really, they get their shots off just pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops, stuff like that. I guess that was the biggest adjustment was just treating them mostly -- like Dirk, for instance, you a hundred percent would never take a step back because he'll launch it. It's always towards him on the perimeter. Yeah, painting quite a picture here for you, mate, but yeah, that's the biggest adjustment I made over the last years.

Q. I don't know if you've been around enough of the team enough to have a feel or a vibe, but have you been around them enough, and is this vibe different than other teams you've been on here in Oklahoma City?
STEVEN ADAMS: So just to catch a vibe from them?

Q. Well, just the feeling of the team, the positive feeling or whatever the feeling is, what are you sensing, the mood of this bunch? It's a different crew.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, I mean, it's always a different crew, but one of the main things is that the culture that the organization has built, it's -- you have your front runners, obviously Russ, for instance, like leading us. You come in excited always, whatever the season is, wherever you have -- you just can't ignore it. Like you can't just be kind of whatever, especially in this organization because everything is done so well. It's just one of those things, mate, and it's always been that vibe from last year and the year before, since my rookie season, it's always been really consistent around here, mate. It's always good.

Q. You kind of hinted at it, but you mentioned that you're kind of working on a three-point shot. Are we going to see you shoot the three ball this season?
STEVEN ADAMS: Shoot a three?

Q. Yeah, maybe?
STEVEN ADAMS: No. Absolutely not. Maybe. No, just -- maybe. Preseason?

Q. Maybe try it, I don't know.
STEVEN ADAMS: No, I've got to see, mate, because I don't want to lose my job. It's tough.

Q. You've got one of the NBA's more unique personalities. My question --
STEVEN ADAMS: Way to sugar-coat that one, mate. Cheers.

Q. Is the persona that the public sees and the media sees, is that how you are in the locker room and in your private life, also?
STEVEN ADAMS: I don't know, probably not. I'm quite an awkward guy. It's a weird situation, especially to us, if it's like personal -- how they personally act when they're up on stage, it's a different sort of thing. Like if me and you go have a beer, mate, it'll be a different interaction just because of that. But sure, I'm just an awkward guy, mate. Let's just leave it at that, yeah.

Q. How much of your uniqueness among NBA personalities --
STEVEN ADAMS: How much of what?

Q. How much of your uniqueness among personalities compared to other NBA players is just because of that personality, or how much of it is just being a New Zealander? Are you a typical New Zealander personality-wise?
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, I think so, mate. Just a normal Kiwi guy, I think, mate. Some of the stuff that you guys laugh at, they won't laugh at it there. It's just different, mate, different cultures. Yeah, you can just say I'm a Kiwi guy. Awkward Kiwi guy, mate. Keep it simple.

Q. You opened yourself up a little bit this summer when you did your autobiography, and in that book you had some insider information that probably many do not know about in normal terms of media. How has that reaction been to your auto biography and some of the things that were said in it?
STEVEN ADAMS: Just reaction from the public? Yeah, it's been good. I got a really good response from it. Yeah, it's a well-written book. Madeline did an amazing job, the Kiwi girl, the one that -- the ghost writer for me. She did an amazing job making the book. It's a pretty good read, mate. Pretty good read.

Q. Last season you bring in Carmelo a couple days before camp. Billy had the plan to start Patrick Patterson at power forward. What do you see being the difference in having a guy like Patrick or Jerami at power forward starting alongside you as opposed to a guy like Carmelo?
STEVEN ADAMS: I mean, it's just different, mate. Yeah, I mean, it's just different. They all bring their own whatever to that lineup. Again, this is just one of those -- whatever the strategy is that Coach has and whatever role or whatever it is that he sees fit for the strategy, then that's what needs to go into it, and that's what needs to happen. So it ain't like -- I don't know, it's a weird comparison. You can't really compare it. It's just weird. It's just like if they play small like when I'm out. Again, it's just a different dynamic. And I'm not saying any of them is better than the others, it's just that a team might struggle with small ball a lot more than say playing big. Just whatever fits their scenario or whatever fits their game, whatever. Did I answer your question, mate? I'm not sure. It didn't?

Q. What have you thought about what you've seen from Andre and personally as a friend of his, what have you thought about seeing him get back on the court and get back to where he was before?
STEVEN ADAMS: What have I seen from him?

Q. Yeah, and as a friend personally, what have you thought about him being able to get back on the court.
STEVEN ADAMS: Yeah, as a friend, obviously I want to see him on the floor, hands down, that's a given. But like his -- I don't know too much about his progress, but he has been doing everything that he can. The dude loves the sport, man. He loves what he does. So he's doing everything he can in terms of rehab, staying pretty much the whole summer here in Oklahoma, just making sure that he locks down on it. He's a good dude, man. He'll do everything he can. That's all I've seen from him, honestly.

Q. A question was posed to Russ earlier about how being a father kind of changes things. You've been around him for a few years now. Have you noticed any differences in Russ as he gets older and becomes a father?
STEVEN ADAMS: No, not really. I think when anyone says that, it's more internal. I don't think anyone else really picks up on any of that. It's kind of more because you have a kid, so then it's just like a mirror, really, isn't it. I am not a parent, but that's what it seems like, it's just a mirror thing, his own evaluation on himself. None of us will see it, though, but it's something for yourself, you know? I guess. Anyway...

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