The Houston Rockets have a Steven Adams problem

Some Houston Rockets fans have accused Rafael Stone of undervaluing second-round picks.

That feels like a call to pinch pennies. Second-rounders are the least valuable assets in the NBA. Why should Stone value them?

Well, it's not good to make a habit of throwing pennies away, either. Second-round picks can be used to broker deals for quality role players. That's exactly what Stone thought he was doing when he acquired Steven Adams at the cost of four second-round picks at last season's deadline.

So far, it hasn't panned out that way.

Newest Rocket is struggling

Let's look at the raw data.

Adams has a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of -3.2. He's suited up for 7 out of 15 possible games. In those contests, he's averaging 2.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in just 11.6 minutes per game.

That's subpar production. It's less than you expect from a player you moved four second-round picks for. A deeper dive into Adams' numbers doesn't give any indication that he's impacting winning.

Per CleaningTheGlass, the Rockets' most used lineup featuring Adams has him alongside Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, and Reed Sheppard. That group has 25 possessions together, and they're a nasty -56.7 in that time.

The most effective lineup featuring Adams swaps Aaron Holiday in for Green in the same lineup. That group is +9.1 in their 11 possessions.

Realistically, these sample sizes are too small to glean much meaning from. The broader point is that Adams hasn't been part of much winning Rockets basketball. It's troubling that he's not playing well with Green. Adams' screen setting was supposed to open up space for Green to get downhill and finish around the basket.

Is that Adams' fault, or Green's? The eye test says it's probably a mixture. Green is having a disappointing season that extends far beyond Adams, but Adams' impactfulness as a screensetter looks neutered from years past.

There's also the matter of Adams' reliability. He basically plays every other game. So far, it seems the Rockets gave up four second-round picks for a part-time player.

Is that fair to Adams?

Rockets need Adams to return to form

Adams is recovering from a season-ending injury. Everyone ought to keep that in mind. It's possible that his production - and availability - will pick up as the season continues.

If it doesn't, the Rockets will need a new backup 5. Jock Landale is a great third-string option, but he's not a primary backup. That's what Adams was supposed to be:

That's what four second-round picks can get you.