Domantas Sabonis Any Questions?

[funkykingston]

I guess. Did you see the videos of him openly laughing and mocking the trade? His admission was like a tail tuck, ya I guess I was kinda wrong...blah blah blah.

Most sports journalism doesn't involve much actual analysis. I think Vinny Basketballerino summed it up - it's not that different from high school where most guys just want to align with the groupthink take. Or be purposely contrary for the clicks. But not much nuance.

Winning teams get the benefit of the doubt. How many questionable moves (that turned out to not be great moves in hindsight) has Bill Belichick made that sports guys hedged their bets on rather than outright criticizing? And that's because the Patriots (at least for a very long time) were right more often than they were wrong, even when their moves differed from the "consensus".

The flipside is that if a NBA franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since George W Bush was president makes a move that is somewhat questionable at the time, you get carte blanche to rip it to shreds because it's most likely terrible.

If the Kings keep playing well and Monte keeps making shrewd moves, the perception will change.

 

[Pimpis Zajoba]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1634068382374039557

 

[206Fan]

Is it just me, or has Sabonis become a household name after this season? I wish we could have some Indy fans here to chime in. He was already a 2x All-Star before he joined the team, but the talent on the East always been been perceived to be weaker than the West. Those those Pacers team post-Paul George were extremely forgettable with constant 1st round exits.

I wonder if this will be a big factor for Sabonis when he decides on FA. Not to say he was rotting away in Indy, but everyone in the basketball world went pyscho when we traded Haliburton away.. and hardly anyone mentioned Sabonis' name in the trade. He was an afterthought despite being the primary piece. It feels like the first time the NBA world talks about Sabonis as a top player. They pretty much ignored him when he was in Indiana.

 

[ESP47]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1634068382374039557

That 14, 15 and 8 game is the clunker in all that.

 

[Kingster]

Other than Barnes, he's the grown up on this team. I haven't see one game all year where Sabonis didn't come to play. He means business in literally every game. Frankly, with the brutal schedule I wouldn't blame him if he "took a couple of games off," but that's not who he is. He is a special player.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Is it just me, or has Sabonis become a household name after this season? I wish we could have some Indy fans here to chime in. He was already a 2x All-Star before he joined the team, but the talent on the East always been been perceived to be weaker than the West. Those those Pacers team post-Paul George were extremely forgettable with constant 1st round exits.

I wonder if this will be a big factor for Sabonis when he decides on FA. Not to say he was rotting away in Indy, but everyone in the basketball world went pyscho when we traded Haliburton away.. and hardly anyone mentioned Sabonis' name in the trade. He was an afterthought despite being the primary piece. It feels like the first time the NBA world talks about Sabonis as a top player. They pretty much ignored him when he was in Indiana.

To their credit the announcers on TNT last night really elevated Sabonis, and the Kings FO - pointing out that the Kings were catching all kinds of flak for the trade, but now Sabonis is the central part of this historically productive offense.

That game last night seems like it was a bit of a national coming out party for both the Kings - but especially Sabonis. Van Gundy in particular seemed completely enamoured with him. And Shaq in the post game couldn't stop saying positive things, calling him a "real big man".

Sabonis' star absolutely leveled up last night. Didn't hurt that he got a triple double

 

[mrlaze]

I think its more of a testament about Indiana and their player evaluation and use.

 

[The_Jamal]

Is it just me, or has Sabonis become a household name after this season? I wish we could have some Indy fans here to chime in. He was already a 2x All-Star before he joined the team, but the talent on the East always been been perceived to be weaker than the West. Those those Pacers team post-Paul George were extremely forgettable with constant 1st round exits.

I wonder if this will be a big factor for Sabonis when he decides on FA. Not to say he was rotting away in Indy, but everyone in the basketball world went pyscho when we traded Haliburton away.. and hardly anyone mentioned Sabonis' name in the trade. He was an afterthought despite being the primary piece. It feels like the first time the NBA world talks about Sabonis as a top player. They pretty much ignored him when he was in Indiana.

Assuming we don't cheap out on the max contract, I'd bet my house that Sabonis is staying. The only real factor I thought playing against the Kings was we weren't winning games yet and would he want to ink his prime years to a team that's bad. Well. Think we answered that problem and more this year.

His family is in Cali, his wife's family is in Cali, we can pay him more than anyone else, the Kings are as poised as anyone to build a long-term winner, he's having a career All-NBA season with us and he's done nothing but embrace Sacramento from day 1 as a place he wants to be long-term

 

[pdxKingsFan]

He, along with plenty of others still feel the Pacers slightly won the trade but he has admitted that he underestimated Domas and that both teams benefited. I think that’s a reasonable position to take. He openly admitted his original take was way off, good enough for me .

In order for the Pacers to win the trade they need to capitalize on Haliburton's low salary, thus far they have extended Turner despite him also being on the market, shipped Brogdon off to Boston where he will finish in the top 3 of the 6th man of the year race, and have done nothing with Buddy Hield.

There was also this belief that because the Kings could keep Hali for 7 years against his will but only got 2.5 seasons guaranteed with Domas, that we'd lose Domas who would obviously want to leave Sacramento before his plane even landed, and there has been zero evidence of that.

So much of the trade was predicated on the Kings being a basketball wasteland where no player would voluntarily play. Sabonis's arrival, along with Brown and the turnaround this year have made us one of the most exciting teams in the NBA with a real shot at reaching the WCF this year.

Trade is now a push, and could very well be a total win if Indy doesn't actually do anything with the "advantages" that Hali's cheap deal gave them. So far they seem to be squandering the extra salary flexibility and have moved talent to accommodate giving Haliburton a bigger role (whereas moving Hali restored Fox's role).

 

[funkykingston]

Other than Barnes, he's the grown up on this team. I haven't see one game all year where Sabonis didn't come to play. He means business in literally every game. Frankly, with the brutal schedule I wouldn't blame him if he "took a couple of games off," but that's not who he is. He is a special player.

Any time you hear him during the game, he's also constantly talking - on offense and defense. He's directing traffic on both ends. He's crucial in so many ways.

Is it just me, or has Sabonis become a household name after this season? I wish we could have some Indy fans here to chime in. He was already a 2x All-Star before he joined the team, but the talent on the East always been been perceived to be weaker than the West. Those those Pacers team post-Paul George were extremely forgettable with constant 1st round exits.

I wonder if this will be a big factor for Sabonis when he decides on FA. Not to say he was rotting away in Indy, but everyone in the basketball world went pyscho when we traded Haliburton away.. and hardly anyone mentioned Sabonis' name in the trade. He was an afterthought despite being the primary piece. It feels like the first time the NBA world talks about Sabonis as a top player. They pretty much ignored him when he was in Indiana.

He's putting up similar stats to his all-star years in Indiana, but he's doing it much more efficiently which is why his PER, TS%, FTr, AST%, and eFG% are all career highs.

It's a testament to the difference in how Domas is being used. He's in an offense built completely around his skills. His screens, passing, and low post scoring are the key to all the other cutting and shooting around him. Contrast that with OKC where they asked him to be an outside shooter as a rookie (1/3 of his shots were threes) and Indiana, where they asked him to find a way to play alongside Myles Turner. On paper, the low post scoring and rebounding but defense deficient PF paired with the shotblocking, 3pt shooting center who is a bit soft on the glass is an ideal pairing. But that's not who either of them really are. Sabonis has a much wider array of offensive skills and Turner likes playing in the paint too.

I think part of why Sabonis didn't get as much love as a Pacer as here (beyond the better role for him on the Kings) was that everyone knew that the Pacers weren't going anywhere with Turner and Sabonis as their best players. It wasn't quite Fox & Hali, but it wasn't super far off. Both guys need to be THE big in the starting lineup and both are playing better this year because of it.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Assuming we don't cheap out on the max contract, I'd bet my house that Sabonis is staying. The only real factor I thought playing against the Kings was we weren't winning games yet and would he want to ink his prime years to a team that's bad. Well. Think we answered that problem and more this year.

His family is in Cali, his wife's family is in Cali, we can pay him more than anyone else, the Kings are as poised as anyone to build a long-term winner, he's having a career All-NBA season with us and he's done nothing but embrace Sacramento from day 1 as a place he wants to be long-term

Allegedly every FA coach in the league was champing at the bit to coach him - but reality is Sac is the team that gave him the keys. A lot to risk moving elsewhere. Also if he wants to be in CA, the other 3 teams mortgaged a lot of their future and are now on the decline. We offer the best bet to be a power unless he wants to completely pack up and go to another state.

 

[Remi]

Is it just me, or has Sabonis become a household name after this season? I wish we could have some Indy fans here to chime in. He was already a 2x All-Star before he joined the team, but the talent on the East always been been perceived to be weaker than the West. Those those Pacers team post-Paul George were extremely forgettable with constant 1st round exits.

I wonder if this will be a big factor for Sabonis when he decides on FA. Not to say he was rotting away in Indy, but everyone in the basketball world went pyscho when we traded Haliburton away.. and hardly anyone mentioned Sabonis' name in the trade. He was an afterthought despite being the primary piece. It feels like the first time the NBA world talks about Sabonis as a top player. They pretty much ignored him when he was in Indiana.

Sabonis played well on Indy too, just like funkikingston said - he is doing here better due better usage of him. I want to point that Indy didnt pass 1st round, because Domas got injury and all Indy chances to go further were gone ....
Sabonis was quite happy in Indy, despite some bad usage, but divide came when Pacers GM Pritchard during some interview told that Indy is looking for a real star. This was ridiculous, cause GM told that when he had by then 2 time all star in his team. Of course , later Pritchard tried to close this matter, but bad feelings arise from Domas side. Especially Domas wife Shoshana Rosen /Sabonis was not happy with town and team relationships and wanted to be closer to her own family. So Sabonis and wife were looking ways to get out from Indy and then this famous "malpractice" trade came .....

IMHO and I would bet that Domas will resign here with 99% probability.

P.S. on updated MVP ladder, Sabonis remains at 8th position >> https://www.nba.com/news/kia-mvp-ladder-march-10-2023-edition

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

I think its more of a testament about Indiana and their player evaluation and use.

That theory doesn't hold with Hali though... after all they traded a guy who wasn't a fit for a guy who was. There was no loser in this trade. Granted our player eval and utilization is better

 

[pdxKingsFan]

That theory doesn't hold with Hali though... affter all they traded a guy who wasn't a fit for a guy who was. There was no loser in this trade. Granted our player eval and utilization is better

Carlisle strikes me as a guy who was from the old guard and who's better days may be behind him.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

He, along with plenty of others still feel the Pacers slightly won the trade but he has admitted that he underestimated Domas and that both teams benefited. I think that’s a reasonable position to take. He openly admitted his original take was way off, good enough for me .

In terms of team success and production to this point in time, there’s no justification to conclude that the Pacers won anything, even slightly. If anything, it’s the other way around.

Those clinging to their “Pacers won the trade” take are basing it almost entirely on age difference and what they believe might transpire in the future. But until any of that happens, what are we talking about? Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

Besides, there is less than a 4 year age gap between the two players. It’s not like they traded Tyrese for a 34 year old injury prone KD.

In this day and age of professional sports, we often see players playing quite well into their late 30’s and even early 40’s depending upon the sport.

So the idea that Tyrese will be around so much longer and also be more productive is quite shortsighted.

It really boils down more to most not wanting to admit they were wrong or at the very least might have been wrong. It’s just not an easy thing for many to do.

 

[Jc121]

I feel that when you draft the best player available some times you get a player that plays in some way what you already have.

They tried it but it was plain it’s not working So they made a trade and to this point in time the results are quite frankly impressive.

So to me it’s like we really drafted Sabonis and I am satisfied with that.

 

[NYKingsfan57]

As great as his numbers are, what really makes Domas so special is the numbers he effectively creates for others, I am not talking about assists...his stellar passing is obvious. I am talking about how his mere presence on the court creates space for others to shoot. Its so hard to quantify, but anyone who watches the kings knows what I am talking about. Then you factor in his leadership and mentorship. Watch him on the bench. He's talking to teammates, coaches...always engaged. My praise for Domas is unending.

 

[funkykingston]

I feel that when you draft the best player available some times you get a player that plays in some way what you already have.

They tried it but it was plain it’s not working So they made a trade and to this point in time the results are quite frankly impressive.

So to me it’s like we really drafted Sabonis and I am satisfied with that.

McNair took the 12th pick in a fairly weak draft and eventually turned it into a three time all-star big man who hasn't yet entered his prime and is the hub of a historically good offense.

That's what was lost in all the talking heads that bashed the trade. They never gave the Kings front office credit for drafting Haliburton but were more than happy to slam them for trading him.

But I digress. Hali is an example of why you always go best player over fit. At the very least you end up with a trade chip. The only teams that should ever draft for fit are contending teams with a set core and system who are picking in the 20's.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Those clinging to their “Pacers won the trade” take are basing it almost entirely on age difference and what they believe might transpire in the future.

Major cope.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

As great as his numbers are, what really makes Domas so special is the numbers he effectively creates for others, I am not talking about assists...his stellar passing is obvious. I am talking about how his mere presence on the court creates space for others to shoot. Its so hard to quantify, but anyone who watches the kings knows what I am talking about. Then you factor in his leadership and mentorship. Watch him on the bench. He's talking to teammates, coaches...always engaged. My praise for Domas is unending.

"His daddy was a monster"

-The Chuckster

You can add that to your list! lol

 

[See_Hanks]

While he's not at CWEBB levels yet, he's pretty dang close to being the best PF/C we have ever had. He's already at #2 on my list. Cousins just lost a spot and is now #4. Cousins was never going to win here because of his attitude. I would put him under Divac for who is worth more W/L to a team.

Looked at March stats for Domantas and he's going crazy in March so far. 22.5ppg 12.0rpg 8.3apg.. He's our Jokic.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

"His daddy was a monster"

-The Chuckster

You can add that to your list! lol

What made me lol was Shaq's retort, which was basically to deny Chuck's claim.

First thing I said out loud was, "your damned lucky, Shaq, that you didn't have to face Arvydas in his prime". Because that wouldn't have went well for Diesel.

Instead, he got to face a still very skilled (much more than Shaq) but very athletically limited version of Sabonis that probably couldn't jump over a thumb tack.

Prior to his knee injuries, there was not a single thing I can think of that Shaq could do better than him.

But go on ahead, Shaq, believing he wasn't an absolute monster.

In truth, Shaq is probably very aware of Sabonis' history, but since he didn't ever get to see it in person -- he won't ever believe it.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

What made me lol was Shaq's retort, which was basically to deny Chuck's claim.

First thing I said out loud was, "your damned lucky, Shaq, that you didn't have to face Arvydas in his prime". Because that wouldn't have went well for Diesel.

Instead, he got to face a still very skilled (much more than Shaq) but very athletically limited version of Sabonis that probably couldn't jump over a thumb tack.

Prior to his knee injuries, there was not a single thing I can think of that Shaq could do better than him.

But go on ahead, Shaq, believing he wasn't an absolute monster.

In truth, Shaq is probably very aware of Sabonis' history, but since he didn't ever get to see it in person -- he won't ever believe it.

Ha, yeah I caught that. It was clear the Big Diesel didn't want to acknowledge the Big White Diesel. He obviously knows of Sabonis' legend, which remains sealed in the golden tomb of Soviet-era Europe - forever haunting him, never able to be disputed.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

McNair took the 12th pick in a fairly weak draft and eventually turned it into a three time all-star big man who hasn't yet entered his prime and is the hub of a historically good offense.

That's what was lost in all the talking heads that bashed the trade. They never gave the Kings front office credit for drafting Haliburton but were more than happy to slam them for trading him.

But I digress. Hali is an example of why you always go best player over fit. At the very least you end up with a trade chip. The only teams that should ever draft for fit are contending teams with a set core and system who are picking in the 20's.

You make several great points here.

While he KINGS were super LUCKY to have Hali fall into their laps -- they easily could have fallen into the same trap the teams immediately ahead of them did by not selecting him. And that's clearly something the KINGS franchise had a history of doing before McNair arrived.

So they get props from me for that.

Then, having the presence of mind to realize that they had duplicative parts that weren't excelling together and having the balls to make such a bold trade should also be acknowledged and commended.

Honestly, McNair somewhat reminds me of Geoff Petrie, in terms of how he operates. The parallels between this current GM, HC and team and those of the glory era seem never ending.

Lastly, I couldn't agree more about drafting BPA over fit and the situations where it might be ok to deviate.

 

[coolhandluke]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1634068382374039557

If only the coaches can heed the call of random YouTuber and make Sabonis go right.

 

[Jc121]

Yes I totally believe in the best player available in the draft

 

[CVKingsfan]

Nope, no questions from me....but I will be honored to wear number 10 when it arrives!

 

[midtowner]

Nope, no questions from me....but I will be honored to wear number 10 when it arrives!
View attachment 11652

Nice - I got one too - but stuck with the 6th man. I’m not consistent enough to rock #10.

 

[bball_nomad]

Point center. He does everything well and under control. He has great foot work. He brings the ball up much like a guard. He is the team MVP for sure and makes everyone else better. The Anti-Boogie.

Point center. He does everything well and under control. He has great foot work. He brings the ball up much like a guard. He is the team MVP for sure and makes everyone else better. The Anti-Boogie.

Plus - extremely competitive.
Plus - never negative towards his teammates, his coaches. Supports, talks, explains - does everything for the betterment of everybody.
Very critical of himself.
Played pro age 17 in the second best national league in the world - Spanish.
Played many games in the top international competitions, either youth (LTU U-16 Euro was the first), or national LTU team.
Genetic code. His father never talks much, but everybody better listen when he does. Domas is the 3rd, youngest son in the family. he grew up to be humble. Otherwise his brothers and father would explain him how things are

 

[bball_nomad]

Domas didn't inherit his fathers size or length. He inherited his bones (big and "unbreakable") and the motor of the human body - heart. Domas never had any health issues so far, only once, he could not play in that short pandemic season's whatever in Vegas due to plantar fasciitis. I had myself that stuff once - nasty. Couldn't run without the pain for almost a year. Probabaly he had just inflammation, I had a small tear.