Lebron James says what all Rockets fans already knew about Steven Adams's impact

As Steven Adams has begun his second full season with the Houston Rockets, his impact has become clearer than ever, with his imposing presence enabling the team to dominate the offensive glass and play with almost unbeatable size whenever they feel the need to do so.

Now, on the recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, Lebron James has issued a reminder not only of how potent Adams is but also what his presence, despite his lack of offensive production, does to opposing teams' game plans:

""You know as a competitor, you know as an opposing team that when you play Houston, one of the main focuses is Steven Adams. You need the whole team, plus the bench and the coaching staff and your security team to box him out.""

Lebron James

While James is obviously being hyperbolic in some sense, his comments reveal a vital truth. Adams' impact on both ends of the floor for Houston cannot be overstated.

Steven Adams makes an impact on every game for the Houston Rockets, even if the box score doesn't reflect it

Since his arrival in Houston, Adams has very quickly become one of their most important players. Yet, the box score stats wouldn't necessarily indicate that on first glance. This season, through 18 games, Adams has averaged 6.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 53.2% from the field.

Yet, his presence alongisde Alperen Sengun has enable the Rockets to become a historic offensive rebounding team. Just over a quarter of the way into the season, Houston leads the league in offensive rebounding percentage, and, if they somehow maintain this pace, they will be among the top teams in NBA history in that category.

In a league now defined by pace of play and 3-point volume, Adams is allowing the Rockets to take an alternate path to success. As one of the strongest players in the NBA, opposing teams don't have to plan for Adams in the traditional way, instead needing to account for his ability to grant Houston second-chance opportunites at a frankly absurd rate.

Calling Adams a "main focus" might seem strange from a traditional offensive perspective, but, in the context of the way that the Rockets have found success this season, teams must attempt to account for Adams's presence, handicapping their rotational versatility in order to maintain size on the court at all times.

James is one of the legends of the NBA, and any praise from him, therefore, is high praise. Adams, without a doubt, deserves it.