Regeln » for this Springboks star with Botha receiving an

How does one fill the void left by an all-league player? Well, when that player is Kevin Durant, its almost impossible to do, but Steven Adams is hell-bent on doing his part to make sure Oklahoma City Thunder wont skip a beat as they transition from the Durant and Russell Westbrook era, to potentially the Russell and Adams show.Adams shouldered more of the offensive load on Wednesday as the Thunder skipped out of Philadelphia with a win on opening night, finishing with 16 points on 16 shots.I was encouraged tonight that Steven took 16 shots, OKC coach Billy Donovan said. He didnt shoot a particularly good percentage, but its encouraging to see that most of his shots are coming around the basket. Thats a good thing for us.If I make them, deadpanned Adams post-game. I dont wanna throw them up and miss them. Missing dunks and stuff. Its one of those things where you just have to get a rhythm and theyll start falling.Adams is one of those NBA players that genuinely comes back each season a better player than the one before. Now entering his fourth NBA campaign, his scoring output has increased each season, along with his shooting percentage.Adams says that he doesnt specifically pinpoint one part of his game to work on during the summer, rather, he works on his overall play. Something thats helped him become one of the leagues best big men.I always work on the full game because the team can change each year, so you have to try and do everything so if they [coaching staff] do ask for a triangle, I can do a triangle, said Adams.You try and fit for what they ask for. If you do that, youll put your team in the best position to win. It doesnt matter who scores, as long as we get the win.That effort has not gone unnoticed by the Thunder coaching staff, who hope that in the absence of Serge Ibaka, Adams becomes the teams defensive anchor.Ive developed a lot of confidence and trust in Steven defensively, said Donovan. Seeing what he did last year in the playoffs where he had to guard some power forwards where we werent sure he could do it, [but] he was able to do it.Hes a smart defender, hes good on his feet, he understands angles, positioning, getting his size and strength into the game without fouling. Ive got a lot of confidence in him playing a multitude of different players.Circumstance has pushed Adams to the forefront of the Thunder leadership group, and even though hes only 23-years-old himself, hes already the third longest tenured player on the OKC roster - behind only Nick Collison and Westbrook.Adams says hes shouldered more leadership responsibility, but theres still a learning curve.I have taken more of a leadership [role] to the young guys, but Im still a young guy myself. Im still learning a lot from Nick and Russell, and the way they play the system. Just the fine details. Were trying to complement that, stay in our lane and learn. Were still young [ourselves].Even with an improved Adams as one of the teams focal points, the Thunder will still face numerous challenges in trying to make another deep playoff run without Durant and Ibaka. The New Zealander understands the enormity of the task ahead.We got a lot of work to do. 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With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position.Just weeks after All Blacks prop Owen Franks was cleared of an alleged eye-gouge of Wallabies lock Kane Douglas, Top 14 fly-half Matthieu Ugale from Brive was seen making eye contact with Grenobles Armand Battle.Its an act of foul play seen too often in rugby, so at ESPN weve listed some of the worst incidents of eye-gouging from around the world.Richard NonesColomiers prop Richard Nones, the only professional player to have received the maximum ban for eye-gouging, sat on the sideline for two years, from 1999 to 2001, for his dirty act during a Heineken Cup Pool Four match at Pontypridd.While the French player received the longest ban, his act surely isnt the worst of eye-gouging incidents throughout world rugby.David AttoubTaking out the second longest ban for eye-gouging, Stade Francais prop David Attoub was handed a 70-week suspension after he was found guilty of gouging Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris in 2010.Judge Jeff Blackett later said it was the worst act of contact with the eyes that I have had to deal with: it is a case of deliberate eye-gouging.The worst part; this wasnt the first time he had received a suspension for gouging, with the prop also standing down over an incident in a European match during the 2004-05 season.Teammate Julien Dupuy was also handed a 24-week ban, reduced to 23 on appeal, for his role in the incident.Dylan HartleyThe bad boy of England rugby, Dylan Hartley, has a rap sheet a mile-long adding up to a years worth of suspensions, with his eye-gouging ban making up a large part of the numbers.Hartley, now Englands captain, has been banned for biting, punching, elbowing and verbally abusing a referee, but his 26 week ban for gouging takes the cake.In 2007, Hartley was found guilty of two counts of gouging in the same game - one of current England teammate James Haskell and was ruled out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.Mariano GalarzaArgentina forward Mariano Galarza missed out on most of Argentinas amazing 2015 Rugby World Cup run after he was baanned for nine weeks for eye-gouging All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick.ddddddddddddThe replacement forward was found guilty of making eye contact with the eye or the eye area after he was spotted following making contact with Retallicks eyes in the 25th minute of their Pool C fixture.Bakkies BothaOne of the worst serial offenders for dirty play has been South Africas Bakkies Botha. Head-butting, stamping and illegal cleanouts are just the start for this Springboks star with Botha receiving an eight week ban for an incident with Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon.In 2004, the Test rugby bad boy was suspended after he got up close and personal with Cannons eyes and shoulder. While video footage was inconclusive, Cannon remarked Botha had left a bite mark in his right shoulder and later put his fingers in both of Cannons eyes.Schalk BurgerBothas teammate Schalk Burger can also claims a dirty track record with the 33-year-old dealt an eight week ban for his attack on British & Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald in 2009.Burger remarkably escaped with just a yellow card during the game despite being caught by touch judge Bryce Lawrence as he stuck his fingers into Fitzgeralds eyes just 28 seconds into the match.While Burgers actions were disgusting, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers also landed himself in hot water after he defended Burgers actions and claimed the actions did not deserve a yellow card and that they were part of sport.Tomas FrancisWales prop Tomas Francis managed to escape punishment on field punishment for this foul play, but it didnt last once the citing commission got a hold of it.Francis was seen rubbing his fingers over Englands Dan Coles eyes and while referee Craig Joubert took no action against the Welsh replacement despite watching replays on the big screens, Francis was found guilty of the offence and was banned for eight weeks. 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