The Houston Rockets have so far lived up to their preseason billing as one of the best teams in the NBA.
Ime Udoka’s team have a 15-6 record, enough for fourth place in the Western Conference around a quarter of the way through the campaign.
A big reason for the Rockets’ success is that they are leading the league in one key statistic by a wide margin.
LeBron James has explained how one player is mainly responsible for this record, and why it takes several men to stop him.
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LeBron James recognizes Steven Adams’ impact on Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are averaging 48.8 rebounds per game, the most in the NBA and two more than the second-place Detroit Pistons.
The Rockets’ two primary rebounders are Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, but the New Zealander’s board numbers are far more impressive.
Adams (9.2) ranks 13th in the league for rebounds per game while playing significantly fewer minutes than Sengun (9.1) and 11 of the 12 players above him.
He particularly excels at offensive rebounding and has even caught LeBron James’ attention with his dominance on that front.
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“You know, as a competitor and as an opposing team, that when you play Houston, one of the main focuses is Steven Adams,” James said on the Mind the Game podcast.
“You need the whole team, plus the bench, and the coaching staff, and your security team to box him out.
“He’s the strongest guy. He’s ridiculously strong. You can’t box him out with two people. You need three or four guys around him.”
James is one of the strongest players in the league himself, so Adams must be exceptionally strong for the ‘King’ to speak so highly of him.
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Steven Adams’ rebounding signals league-wide change
James’ co-host Steve Nash believes the NBA as a whole is placing more of an emphasis on offensive rebounding.
He pointed out that Houston are on a record-breaking pace, and Adams will deserve the lion’s share of the credit if they can keep it up.
“I think it’s a pretty cool adjustment,” Nash added. “The game is constantly evolving. We’re constantly trying to find new ways. We’re seeing the league push these boundaries.
“Houston, at this moment, are flirting with the highest offensive rebounding rate this century. And they’re the number one offense.
“Obviously, a lot of these conversations are contextual; they’re about personnel. But I think seeing a league-wide jump is always fun to dive into and see what’s happening.”