Steven Adams (4) Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Steven Adams shares his secret to offensive rebounds

By Sean Keane | Last updated 1/2/23

Steven Adams leads the league in offensive rebounds. He says there's a simple reason.

Adams had a career-high 23 rebounds, including a career-high 13 offensive boards, as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Sacramento Kings, 118-108. When asked how he grabbed so many offensive rebounds, Adams had a succinct response: "We sucked at shooting."

Memphis shot just 31.3 percent from three-point range in the win. But the Grizzlies got more shots and free throws than the Kings by crashing the offensive glass. It was especially impressive since Memphis was facing the NBA's leading rebounder (12.4 per game), Domantas Sabonis (Adams is 5th, averaging 11.2).

Rebounding and Adams are a huge part of the Grizzlies' success. They're a below-average team when it comes to shooting, ranking 20th in field goal percentage and 22nd in three-point percentage. But they're first in the league in rebounding, and they're excellent at denying opponents the chance at second-chance points, as their opponents are 5th-worst in offensive rebounding.

The Grizzlies are also second in the NBA in blocked shots, thanks to Jaren Jackson Jr. swatting 3.2 shots per game, along with Adams' 1.2 blocks. In a league that's being increasingly dominated by perimeter play, the Grizzlies are getting it done with big men doing the dirty work.

Last year's trade for Adams is looking like a steal for Memphis, who also moved up in the draft to take Ziaire Williams as a result of swapping Jonas Valanciunas for Adams. They also extended Adams at a very reasonable $12.6 million per year through the 2024-25 season.

Memphis (23-13) sits at second place in the Western Conference. Imagine how good they could be if their shooting stops sucking.

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