KJ Adams must extend his offensive skill set to the perimeter

KJ Adams can become a far more valuable asset to Kansas next year if he develops an outside shot.

One of the Kansas Jayhawks’ most prominent flaws this season was its lack of size. That can be credited to Bill Self deploying KJ Adams as the team’s center, who stands at just 6′ 7″, 225 pounds. Adams showed that he was capable of playing the five at times, but he was also a liability in other instances.

Kansas has had its fair share of elite big men in the past decade — Udoka Azubuike, Joel Embiid, and Jeff Withey, to name a few. When David McCormack graduated last spring, he left a gaping hole at the center position.

There was speculation that Ernest Udeh Jr., Zuby Ejiofor, or Zach Clemence would play the five, but Adams ran away with the role. After scoring just 1.0 points per game as a freshman, Adams became one of the team’s best players. He won the Big 12 Most Improved Player award for his massive growth.

He offers plenty of benefits to the Jayhawks when on the floor. Adams is an explosive athlete with a fantastic vertical that allows him to catch alley-oops or elevate for tip-in shots. However, his skill set and height are not one of a true centers.

For Adams to flourish at Kansas, his role can not be as their primary big man anymore. He averaged only 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game, which resembles more of a wing or forward. Ernest Udeh Jr. or a potential transfer will man the five this year.

Adams has the size of a wing and the athleticism to be a small-ball four. In the offseason, he should train to become a capable three-point shooter. He has not connected on a single three in his collegiate career and shoots only 60.6% at the charity stripe.

This season, lineups consisting of Adams and Udeh Jr. on the court were terrible at spacing the floor and shooting the ball. With Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson set to declare for the NBA Draft, it will be an even harder task to find a go-to guy offensively. If Adams can shoot higher than thirty percent from deep on two or more attempts per game, it will be a tremendous boon for the Kansas offense. It would also be nice to see Adams put his head down and drive to the rim.

The experiment with KJ Adams at center did not pan out. Bill Self has a true center in Udeh Jr. that he needs to develop, and Adams at the five hinders his growth. He needs to start contributing more to the offense besides rolling to the basket and dunking.