In games played during the month of January, the NBA leader in individual net rating is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21.4), a leading Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate with the Oklahoma City Thunder .
Second, though, is a bit of a surprise . It's veteran center Steven Adams (20.1) of the Houston Rockets .
After missing the 2023-24 campaign due to knee surgery, Adams had a somewhat slow start to 2024-25. But as he's increasingly returned to health , his production has improved, and the Rockets are reaping the benefits of his physical presence.
In his last nine games, Adams is averaging 4.0 points (59.1% FG), 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 14.0 minutes. The Rockets are 8-1 over that stretch, which has included several wins over good opponents such as the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Memphis Grizzlies (twice), Denver Nuggets , and Los Angeles Lakers .
"I was just trying to pick my spots," Adams said after scoring 14 points off the bench during Saturday's win over Cleveland . "It helped because we played them so recently, so I was familiar with what they were trying to do, defensively. I just tried to find the pockets and be aggressive in those areas. Sometimes they went zone, so I would take the gaps. Last game, there were some wide-open gaps that I needed to attack in order to free up others, so that's all I tried to do tonight."
Beyond physical play and elite rebounding ability, the Rockets also benefit immensely from Adams' brilliance at setting screens for athletic guards such as Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore — who are then able to either attack downhill or generate sufficient space from 3-point range.
The most telling aspect of Adams' improved play is his minutes. In 22 previous games for the Rockets from Nov. 15 through Jan. 3, the 31-year-old didn't play at all in six of them, with some coming strictly as a coach's decision. In the 16 matchups Adams did play, he averaged just 9.0 minutes, with head coach Ime Udoka often limiting or eliminating Adams' second-half minutes after what he viewed as an underwhelming first-half stint.
But ever since Jabari Smith Jr.'s broken hand on Jan. 3 (which took away Udoka's option of using Smith as a backup center, at times), Adams has found a more frequent and consistent role — and he's thriving. While he won't play starter's minutes, barring an injury to potential All-Star Alperen Sengun , the contrast in styles between Sengun's low-post playmaking and Adams' ability to set elite screens and crash the offensive glass seems to be serving the Rockets well.
"We can rely on our depth, and the second unit came in and gave us a boost," Udoka said after Saturday's victory . "Steven came in and does what he does on the offensive glass, and setting the screens. The others contributed, too, and it was great. It gave the starters the rest they needed to come in and finish."
Houston is 9-3 this month, and the Rockets (30-14) continue to hold the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings .
More: Ime Udoka: Rebounding is where Rockets miss Jabari Smith Jr. the most
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: With healthy knee, Steven Adams posting elite metrics for Rockets
