Domas at PF?

#2
When we play teams with giant sized centers like Denver or New Orleans- should we play Alex Len at center and move Domas to PF? This would also give us a shot blocker in the middle.
I agree it is something to try for at least a few minutes during the game. You want to be less predictable and give the other team different defensive (and offensive) looks. I wonder whether Sabonis would like to throw an alley oop to Alex Len?
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#6
We need a mobile big who can protect the rim. It doesn't matter if they are the 4 or the 5 on paper. The issue is that most teams won't play a lineup that Domas and Len will be effective with, there are too many skilled players that going small would get us feasted on. Plus we'd lose a shooter. If Len was about 2 seconds faster in a 40 and could shoot .400 from 3 sure thing.
 
#7
Ben Wallace at C, Rasheed Wallace at PF. Domas at C, who is PF??? Not HB, I know that thing for sure.
Domas at PF??? Then a C should be Wemby. I don't see another working combo currently.
Lithuanian national team always played better when Domas and Valančiūnas were not sharing the floor at the same time.
Domas at PF maybe like in good 6+ years from now.
 
#8
We need a mobile big who can protect the rim. It doesn't matter if they are the 4 or the 5 on paper. The issue is that most teams won't play a lineup that Domas and Len will be effective with, there are too many skilled players that going small would get us feasted on. Plus we'd lose a shooter. If Len was about 2 seconds faster in a 40 and could shoot .400 from 3 sure thing.
The problem is Domas doesn't pull the trigger on wide open 3s, when he should. If he could at least take 4 3s per game and hit 38% of them, the Kings would have a lot more options, including moving him to the 4 and getting a big rim protecting 5, like Zach Edey in the draft. They could run a twin tower line up similar to Minnesota, but Sabonis has to be willing outside shooter to open up the lanes for Fox.

Maybe one day Sabonis can get that Brook Lopez epiphany and realize he's a pretty good shooter and start shooting the 3s more.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#9
The problem is Domas doesn't pull the trigger on wide open 3s, when he should. If he could at least take 4 3s per game and hit 38% of them, the Kings would have a lot more options, including moving him to the 4 and getting a big rim protecting 5, like Zach Edey in the draft. They could run a twin tower line up similar to Minnesota, but Sabonis has to be willing outside shooter to open up the lanes for Fox.

Maybe one day Sabonis can get that Brook Lopez epiphany and realize he's a pretty good shooter and start shooting the 3s more.
If you ran Edey with Sabonis I think we'd get eaten by mobile teams.

If we pick 13 or 14, and right now I am pretty sure we will be, there are other guys that might be more in the mold to do what we need as athletic defenders that can protect the rim, if any of them can shoot at all we should probably pull the trigger and hope it works out.
 
#10
If you ran Edey with Sabonis I think we'd get eaten by mobile teams.

If we pick 13 or 14, and right now I am pretty sure we will be, there are other guys that might be more in the mold to do what we need as athletic defenders that can protect the rim, if any of them can shoot at all we should probably pull the trigger and hope it works out.
Yeah, I thought about someone like Flipowski, but I don't think he would be any better at banging with the real big NBA centers.
Sabonis gets beaten up by bigger physical centers like Valanciunas, Nurkic,and Jokic. He doesn't have the height and beef to bang with those big, heavy, long centers. If we get someone like Edey, you would hope he can counter what those big physical centers do to the Kings. But for this to work, Sabonis has to become a willing outside shooter.

I think centers like Gobert, Valanciunas, Nurkic are showing NBA teams that your center doesn't necessarily need to be 3 point shooting machine for your teams to be successful. Big bodied shot blocking centers can still contribute to winning in the NBA, so long as you have a PF willing to stretch the floor a bit.
 
#12
Yeah, I thought about someone like Flipowski, but I don't think he would be any better at banging with the real big NBA centers.
Sabonis gets beaten up by bigger physical centers like Valanciunas, Nurkic,and Jokic. He doesn't have the height and beef to bang with those big, heavy, long centers. If we get someone like Edey, you would hope he can counter what those big physical centers do to the Kings. But for this to work, Sabonis has to become a willing outside shooter.

I think centers like Gobert, Valanciunas, Nurkic are showing NBA teams that your center doesn't necessarily need to be 3 point shooting machine for your teams to be successful. Big bodied shot blocking centers can still contribute to winning in the NBA, so long as you have a PF willing to stretch the floor a bit.
Valančiūnas has a nice touch. Big hands. Always was good from the line, mid and long range:


Domas is good at what he works on. After last summer his body held very well so far after 81 grinding games. When Domas will reach his prime (pretty soon), all that he worked hard on during these years will come together in one, complete package. But well, he likes most passing the ball ;)
 
#16
I think what we need is a tall, long, lanky PF. Domas as C is probably right now is the strongest player in the NBA. Plus - he is quick and fast and furious. Starting PF's role for the Kings should be to focus on plugging the holes (quick rotation), rim protection.... and just to be all over the floor on defense. Domas is very good on sealing and boxing out. Sure, he will be able to get his 12+ rebounds, but if a PF can get to those rebounds out of reach for Domas and get them - opposing teams will have much less second chances. I'm not worried about offense at all. Kings have one chronic issue as a team (players and coaches) - they have a tendency to play stupid and botch all their efforts before. Take care of that and we are good to go ;)
 
#17
Wendel Carter Jr would be a nice fit next to Sabonis up front and replace Barnes. Give us a little more size and rebounding and he can shoot the three so would open up the floor. Murray will be full time at the SF spot
 
#18
Wendel Carter Jr would be a nice fit next to Sabonis up front and replace Barnes. Give us a little more size and rebounding and he can shoot the three so would open up the floor. Murray will be full time at the SF spot
Yeah, he would be an good fit next to Sabonis, but I doubt Orlando would trade him. He's young and has a couple years left on a team friendly contract.
 
#19
Yeah, he would be an good fit next to Sabonis, but I doubt Orlando would trade him. He's young and has a couple years left on a team friendly contract.
They also have Mortiz Wagner and Goga Bitadze at the PF/C position not to mention they’re lock at the PF position with Banchero already and Jonathan Isaacs if he’s healthy. What they need is shooter. Perhaps we can work something with Barnes or Huerter
 
#20
When we play teams with giant sized centers like Denver or New Orleans- should we play Alex Len at center and move Domas to PF? This would also give us a shot blocker in the middle.
If Kings come out hot from 3 Willie Green will bench Val and will go with Nance, for some reason Kings were unable to abuse JV in a pick and roll like pretty much every other team in the second half of the season, hopefully that changes
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
#24
Why do we keep trying to move our All NBA C to a different position?
Exactly. Why would we want to have Sabonis guarding guys like Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris etc? Or in the case of the Pelicans, Zion Williamson or Bradon Ingram? Having two relatively lumbering bigs on the floor is just asking to get killed from outside or P&R'd to death.

I don't see how playing Len and Sabonis together doesn't make both the offense and the defense worse. If Domas is struggling with Embiid, or Jokic, or Valancunis (which he doesn't as often as people seem to think) then why not just sub in Len instead of trying to play two bigs like it's the 1990's?
 
#25
Exactly. Why would we want to have Sabonis guarding guys like Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris etc? Or in the case of the Pelicans, Zion Williamson or Bradon Ingram? Having two relatively lumbering bigs on the floor is just asking to get killed from outside or P&R'd to death.

I don't see how playing Len and Sabonis together doesn't make both the offense and the defense worse. If Domas is struggling with Embiid, or Jokic, or Valancunis (which he doesn't as often as people seem to think) then why not just sub in Len instead of trying to play two bigs like it's the 1990's?
When Domas played for Pacers - Embiid was struggling with him. This season Jokic didn't outplay Domas, not a bit. Valančiūnas - yep, too tall, too long. Though as I mentioned before, too slow and not quick enough. Domas has problems with the whole Pels front-line, not one particular player. To make problem worse - Pels for Barnes is just a nightmare.
I loved game plan that coaches cooked up against Warriors. Pels record at home in regular season was 21-19. Add yesterday's loss to Lakers. Zion tweaked something somewhere, Ingram just came back and McCollum is not firing well at home at all. Still, I consider Pels to be a slight favorite (if Zion plays), but if Kings play their A- or a better game - we should be alright (I hope) :)
 
#26
Depends on the match ups. Against the Pels for instance, I like the idea.
Good defenses react to what the offense throws at them.
Just remember that the position a player can handle is determined by who they can guard.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
#27
Depends on the match ups. Against the Pels for instance, I like the idea.
Good defenses react to what the offense throws at them.
Just remember that the position a player can handle is determined by who they can guard.
Which is why it seems like a terrible idea to me. Sabonis guarding Valanciunas? He's struggled a bit with him in the past, but at least that's a manageable assignment. But with Zion out, it would mean Domas guarding Brandon Ingram or whever they start in Williamson's place, likely Larry Nance or Trey Murphy. None of those seem like good matchups to me.

And that's before we get to the issue of having Sabonis and Len on the court at the same time reducing the offensive spacing for Fox, Ellis, and Murray (who I assume would be the other three starters).

Barnes has been inconsistent at best, and a non-factor at worst, but trying out a lineup that the team hasn't used all season and asking Domas to defend on the perimeter consistently in a must win game seems like a bad idea to me.
 
#28
Which is why it seems like a terrible idea to me. Sabonis guarding Valanciunas? He's struggled a bit with him in the past, but at least that's a manageable assignment. But with Zion out, it would mean Domas guarding Brandon Ingram or whever they start in Williamson's place, likely Larry Nance or Trey Murphy. None of those seem like good matchups to me.

And that's before we get to the issue of having Sabonis and Len on the court at the same time reducing the offensive spacing for Fox, Ellis, and Murray (who I assume would be the other three starters).

Barnes has been inconsistent at best, and a non-factor at worst, but trying out a lineup that the team hasn't used all season and asking Domas to defend on the perimeter consistently in a must win game seems like a bad idea to me.
Yeah I really don't get it. What is Len going to do when Sabonis is running the offense? Either clog up the lane or stand in the corner and shoot low percentage 3s.

Sure, Len is 10x the rim protector but the much smaller PF that Sabonis is guarding is just going to blow right by him and put Len in a lose lose situation more often than not.

Then once the Kings get back on offense, the opposing C will switch onto Sabonis and the PF will switch onto Len because Len isn't an offensive threat.
 
#29
Yeah I really don't get it. What is Len going to do when Sabonis is running the offense? Either clog up the lane or stand in the corner and shoot low percentage 3s.

Sure, Len is 10x the rim protector but the much smaller PF that Sabonis is guarding is just going to blow right by him and put Len in a lose lose situation more often than not.

Then once the Kings get back on offense, the opposing C will switch onto Sabonis and the PF will switch onto Len because Len isn't an offensive threat.
If Len had better hands or was a better passer….maybe? I think Domas is a center and that it will be easier to find a PF that works well with him rather than another center.
 
#30
Can you imagine two "braliukai" - "braliukai" is a friendly way how Lithuanians and Latvians call each other, "little brothers" - Domas at C and Porzingis as PF on the same team? ;) Let's smoke something tasty and just imagine :) Though never will happen... Like biggest Baltic tribes never united. Only žemaičiai and aukštaičiai managed to stay together through the times. Prussians were enslaved and exterminated by European Christian Knights, Latvian tribes had a little better fate, finally managing to form their own country at the end of the WWI, reclaiming independence later in 1991.
Funny thing: Latvians won first Euro Championship in 1935 with the W in the finals against Lithuanians, then LTU got two gold medals in a row, 1937 and 1939. We all know very well what happen a bit later, on September 1st of 1939.