Steven Adams to NBA Draft? Yes, predicts New Zealand website

With Steven Adams still finding his footing in college ball, the once near certainty of him jumping to the NBA after only one season seems to have died down a bit. But at least one New Zealand website is predicting for Adams to not only play in the NBA in 2013, but log significant minutes.

In all fairness to the site, the assertion is part of a very brief bullet-point list of five predictions for the New Year, so it can't be taken all that seriously. Still, it goes to show that Adams bolting to the pros after only a year is still a very real possibility in the minds of some.

And before you go all 'But he hasn't even played that well in the Big East' on me, just know that if Adams makes himself available, he will almost assuredly be drafted - and probably even in the first round. The NBA Draft is largely based on potential and Adams has enough of it that he'll likely warrant a pretty high pick. It really has little to do with how well he's played to this point - rather, a team will be perfectly willing to stockpile him on a bench for a year or two while he catches up to the American game.

I'm personally feeling a bit better about Adams coming back, but who knows - if he continues to progress the rest of the season and becomes a real force by the end of it, you never know.

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