Domas is who they thought he was.

[SLAB]

Everyone was right. We were wrong.

What needs to be next to him to be effective? Would the blueprint be JJJ, a bouncy defensive force that lets Sabonis eat all the rebounds then just kind of hangs out at the 3Pt Line on offense?

Is there a redemption arc in here somewhere? I can’t imagine. But I’m the sports pessimist.

Can we even trade him? Does anyone else even want him for all his flaws at a near-max?

Let’s talk about him.

 

[dude12]

Domas is a good player but like I’ve been saying in other threads, he’s got to deliver in the playoffs. This team needs to win a playoff series with him being one of the near max contract players. He got destroyed by the Dallas bigs

 

[TaxMan]

Everyone was right. We were wrong.

What needs to be next to him to be effective? Would the blueprint be JJJ, a bouncy defensive force that lets Sabonis eat all the rebounds then just kind of hangs out at the 3Pt Line on offense?

Is there a redemption arc in here somewhere? I can’t imagine. But I’m the sports pessimist.

Can we even trade him? Does anyone else even want him for all his flaws at a near-max?

Let’s talk about him.

Yes, it’s hard to hear in the moment, but most reputable external nba analysts arent actually idiots and “haters”. He does really need to be in the right offensive system tailored for him, with the right guy playing next to him on the frontline. It is in fact very difficult to build a winning team with him as your center, which was the point all along that most didn’t want to hear when things were fun to watch.

 

[sactowndog]

Everyone was right. We were wrong.

What needs to be next to him to be effective? Would the blueprint be JJJ, a bouncy defensive force that lets Sabonis eat all the rebounds then just kind of hangs out at the 3Pt Line on offense?

Is there a redemption arc in here somewhere? I can’t imagine. But I’m the sports pessimist.

Can we even trade him? Does anyone else even want him for all his flaws at a near-max?

Let’s talk about him.

my guy who works in basketball hates him and repeatedly tells me the Haliburton trade was a horrible trade for the Kings. He said no one knew the Kings were trading Hali and we could have gotten much better offers.

I get to hear lots of told you so’s from him.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

my guy who works in basketball hates him and repeatedly tells me the Haliburton trade was a horrible trade for the Kings. He said no one knew the Kings were trading Hali and we could have gotten much better offers.

I get to hear lots of told you so’s from him.

Hali isn’t a go to guy either he wasn’t even a top 3 player for Indiana in the playoffs

 

[upinsmoke]

San Antonio is the ideal fit for him oddly enough.

 

[Jdbraver137]

Domas is the most consistent player we have. All players have weaknesses. It’s up to the GM and Coach to find the pieces and plays to highlight him. Same with any player. It’s not on Dana’s guys, sorry.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Domas was having an All NBA year until the injury bug hit him. He was awful last night vs Dallas. Maybe it was lingering issues from injuries, maybe it was the Dallas game plan. Is Domas a #1 that can be the head of the snake on a championship team? Absolutely not. Can he be one of the main pieces for a championship team? I think so.

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

I feel like how the Rockets build around Sengun is how you need to build around Sabonis. Sengun is a good passer, but isn't the most gifted on defense and isn't a 3 point shooting threat at all. Yet they cover for him nicely on defense with Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks next to him, and don't over rely on him on offense either.

 

[SacTownKid]

Domas is the most consistent player we have. All players have weaknesses. It’s up to the GM and Coach to find the pieces and plays to highlight him. Same with any player. It’s not on Dana’s guys, sorry.

The issue with Domas is who is his comp as a teams go to guy to win a chip in the modern era that wasn't a consistent MVP candidate? Dirk and Jokic are the only comps but those two were/are levels above Domas and they had one specific momentary window and exactly the right team to even get one. Jokic isn't done yet so he might not be a one and done, we'll see. Either way that's threading the needle and the Kings are far too many steps behind. 9th seeds in back to back years, yeah, there isn't a single move outside of getting a bona fide HOF that fills those gaps. If the defense can get into the top 5 it would go a long way and perfectly matched defensive personnel worked for Dirk but it's no guarantee since Domas is still going to be Domas.

 

[SacTownKid]

I feel like how the Rockets build around Sengun is how you need to build around Sabonis. Sengun is a good passer, but isn't the most gifted on defense and isn't a 3 point shooting threat at all. Yet they cover for him nicely on defense with Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks next to him, and don't over rely on him on offense either.

Yeah, that should be the idea. We'll see where Sengun tops out and what the Rockets do in the playoffs. This is where sitting ducks in pick and roll suffer. The same type of makeup worked for Jokic.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Domas was having an All NBA year until the injury bug hit him. He was awful last night vs Dallas. Maybe it was lingering issues from injuries, maybe it was the Dallas game plan. Is Domas a #1 that can be the head of the snake on a championship team? Absolutely not. Can he be one of the main pieces for a championship team? I think so.

Domas can’t be a one or two at all this “injury” nonsense needs to stop he folded in Indiana too

 

[ESP47]

Domas is the most consistent player we have. All players have weaknesses. It’s up to the GM and Coach to find the pieces and plays to highlight him. Same with any player. It’s not on Dana’s guys, sorry.

I'm starting to sour on him myself. Love what the guy has done for Sacramento but I just don't think you can win with him because of his defense. There is essentially zero resistance in the paint when he is on the court. It's just a layup drill out there when teams get into the paint. He's also one of the most foul prone players in the league despite getting very few blocks.

The team is just full of guys who all need unicorns next to them to be successful. Can't win like that. A skinny shooting guard who has difficulty on switches and a relatively slow footed SF playing PF should not be your hubs defensively, but they are for the Kings. Pair them with 3 revolving doors on defense and you're going to get crushed just as often as you're going to win.

 

[SacTownKid]

Domas can’t be a one or two at all this “injury” nonsense needs to stop he folded in Indiana too

Flawed players that don't impact the game on defense definitely have to be on the perfect team to cover up their weaknesses. The easiest path for Domas to be a top 3 option on a team is next to someone like Wemby or Giannis. Someone where when Domas reverts to not looking at the rim and only to others it doesn't kill your chances. They have to be a top tier talent though. Domas was already next to a level below fit big in Turner and it wasn't enough.

 

[The_Jamal]

I mean, he's pretty obviously had poor luck with health heading into the playoffs over these last 3 years. He hasn't been right since he came back from his injury in March. Broken finger/bruised sternum/black eye 2 years ago.

He's done all the dirty work for this squad the last 3 years. Despite clearly being the best player on the team, basically was relegated to dirty work in the clutch when we go ISO/hero ball.

I refuse to make him the bad guy after what he's done for this franchise.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

^This team was going nowhere until he arrived. Mike Brown even said he was the reason he took the job.

 

[King Baller]

Flawed players that don't impact the game on defense definitely have to be on the perfect team to cover up their weaknesses. The easiest path for Domas to be a top 3 option on a team is next to someone like Wemby or Giannis. Someone where when Domas reverts to not looking at the rim and only to others it doesn't kill your chances. They have to be a top tier talent though. Domas was already next to a level below fit big in Turner and it wasn't enough.

The Kings have some problems. But Sabonis, Murray and Ellis are not any part of those problems.

 

[SacTownKid]

The Kings have some problems. But Sabonis, Murray and Ellis are not any part of those problems.

It depends on the view of them and realistic expectations. Any player that lacks in major areas can be if they are expected to be more than a role player or top 3 option. What are the results saying so far?

 

[serbiangoat]

I feel like how the Rockets build around Sengun is how you need to build around Sabonis. Sengun is a good passer, but isn't the most gifted on defense and isn't a 3 point shooting threat at all. Yet they cover for him nicely on defense with Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks next to him, and don't over rely on him on offense either.

They aren't really building around anyone imo, they look good with or without Sengun if anything there most valuable piece is Thompson followed by p Eason. Jalen Green is more ball dominant than Sengun they just got like 3-4 good young pieces and they are trying to figure out who to keep aside from Thompson who is a lock.

 

[Warhawk]

It depends on the view of them and realistic expectations. Any player that lacks in major areas can be if they are expected to be more than a role player or top 3 option. What are the results saying so far?

Funny, what are the results saying for Zion or Simmons so far, those "saviors of teams" many keep pining for that can't play 30 games a year? Or the PROCESS - how has that fared overall despite the hype?

Everyone has certain things they look for in players or approaches to team management or team-building, and they all have flaws.

Yes, those players listed have limitations. Tell me a player that doesn't outside maybe the top 5 in the league. That's the problem. There's only a handful of them and 30 teams, and everyone wants one of those to compete at the highest levels.

Everyone wants the next GM to tank and magically arise as a title contender in 2-3 years. How often does that actually WORK, though, to win a championship?

 

[SacTownKid]

Funny, what are the results saying for Zion or Simmons so far, those "saviors of teams" many keep pining for that can't play 30 games a year? Or the PROCESS - how has that fared overall despite the hype?

Everyone has certain things they look for in players or approaches to team management or team-building, and they all have flaws.

Yes, those players listed have limitations. Tell me a player that doesn't outside maybe the top 5 in the league. That's the problem. There's only a handful of them and 30 teams, and everyone wants one of those to compete at the highest levels.

Everyone wants the next GM to tank and magically arise as a title contender in 2-3 years. How often does that actually WORK, though, to win a championship?

Exactly, and the best way to get them is to draft and develop them and not waste their rookie contracts as by the end of it you need to start building that first competitive team around them. Especially now as the league is starting to gain momentum towards more physicality defense is extremely important for the teams that don't have that top 5 player. Hence the conundrum with this current Kings makeup and Domas specifically. Also, top players do shift amongst a broader group over time more often than not. Their impact is still largely based on fit even though it's obviously much easier to build around complete players, and sometimes the league changes and players diminish in terms of impact. Injuries shift the balance as you brought up. The one almost universal common denominator of top options for teams is that they run your offense as a score first option and most often out of pick and roll.

One thing is for certain. Kings fans know all too well, you do not want to sit in the middle for too long. It's no mans land. Most often the Kings were only able to land top tier close to franchise talent right where it would be expected. Near the top of the draft. Then maybe the best one they whiffed on in Doncic.

 

[Kingster]

The Kings brought in two big pieces that had no synergy with Sabonis - DDR and Levine. Big mistakes. Not only did they not complement his offensive game, they also did not compensate for his defensive weaknesses. You couldn't dream of worse pairings. One of the big questions for the new GM: How feasible is it to find the right pieces to fit around Sabonis within a fairly short period of time? If the new GM thinks it's feasible, then he'll keep Sabonis. If not, then bye bye Sabonis. It's probably that simple.

 

[hrdboild]

Funny, what are the results saying for Zion or Simmons so far, those "saviors of teams" many keep pining for that can't play 30 games a year? Or the PROCESS - how has that fared overall despite the hype?

Everyone has certain things they look for in players or approaches to team management or team-building, and they all have flaws.

Yes, those players listed have limitations. Tell me a player that doesn't outside maybe the top 5 in the league. That's the problem. There's only a handful of them and 30 teams, and everyone wants one of those to compete at the highest levels.

Everyone wants the next GM to tank and magically arise as a title contender in 2-3 years. How often does that actually WORK, though, to win a championship?

We might not be a title contender in 2-3 years but we could be a top 10 defense in 2-3 years with a front office committed to building the team in that way. I don't know what's going to happen with Scott Perry in charge now and an open coaching seat but if Doug gets to keep his job I think a young team of plus defenders would suit his personality better.

 

[Warhawk]

We might not be a title contender in 2-3 years but we could be a top 10 defense in 2-3 years with a front office committed to building the team in that way. I don't know what's going to happen with Scott Perry in charge now and an open coaching seat but if Doug gets to keep his job I think a young team of plus defenders would suit his personality better.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

And this isn't directed at you, but tanking for picks hoping for a #1 overall pick is a fools bet. With the odds as they are, even being the worst team still works out to what, a 3.5 average pick location in the lottery odds? (I posted the odds last week or so and I'm not about to hunt it down right now.) It doesn't make sense to artificially tank for just one generational player.

Now, if you are already bad and just want a better pick to get one of several "good" players, sure, tank to increase your odds a bit for getting a top 4. But moving up or down a few spots in the 10-14 range isn't really going to do anything for you odds-wise.

 

[Jdbraver137]

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

And this isn't directed at you, but tanking for picks hoping for a #1 overall pick is a fools bet. With the odds as they are, even being the worst team still works out to what, a 3.5 average pick location in the lottery odds? (I posted the odds last week or so and I'm not about to hunt it down right now.) It doesn't make sense to artificially tank for just one generational player.

Now, if you are already bad and just want a better pick to get one of several "good" players, sure, tank to increase your odds a bit for getting a top 4. But moving up or down a few spots in the 10-14 range isn't really going to do anything for you odds-wise.

That’s why you stack picks

 

[HndsmCelt]

Everyone was right. We were wrong.

What needs to be next to him to be effective? Would the blueprint be JJJ, a bouncy defensive force that lets Sabonis eat all the rebounds then just kind of hangs out at the 3Pt Line on offense?

Is there a redemption arc in here somewhere? I can’t imagine. But I’m the sports pessimist.

Can we even trade him? Does anyone else even want him for all his flaws at a near-max?

Let’s talk about him.

Ironically, we may already have that bouncy, defensive force, in the very raw talent of Isaac Jones. But that starting roster needs to be balanced, and of course Jones is not gonna be ready for primetime next year.

 

[Warhawk]

That’s why you stack picks

Getting a whole bunch of 15-25's isn't going to help much. Nobody is trading unprotected picks much. The perceived value is too great, despite the lack of generational superstars available after around picks 1-3, typically. The truly generational superstars typically get picked early. Those that go later are often the "who would've thought" variety.

Are we going to get a couple of unprotected picks from poor teams for Lavine? DDR? Monk? Domas? We certainly didn't for Fox, our "superstar"; in fact, one of the picks already conveyed to two 2nd rounders.

So yeah, you can stack picks. Most will not amount to much. Not with the current lottery odds.

I'm not saying they can't be helpful or important, but I'd rather trade for a player than a pick 9 times out of 10.

 

[NewArena]

Domas is a good player but like I’ve been saying in other threads, he’s got to deliver in the playoffs. This team needs to win a playoff series with him being one of the near max contract players. He got destroyed by the Dallas bigs

No excuses but i really don’t think he was healthy and has had to do too much of the heavy lifting before Jonas arrived. Dude just needs an offseason to recuperate and get him some real damn help

 

[Remi]

1 bad game deletes whole season? I dont think so. There are more reasons and people to be blamed more.

 

[dude12]

Here’s the problem with Domas.

Positives….plays hard, elite big man passer, elite rebounder, runs the floor extremely well for a big, can now knock down a 3

Negatives….. can’t protect the paint, makes near max money but can’t make the defense better nor create his own offense, needs a specific team built around him

Im sure others can come up with other stuff but the 3 negatives I’m afraid are outweighing the positives after watching him all this time. Regular season numbers are cool and all but when it comes to the playoffs, where max player production needs to be counted on to win series, he’s coming up short.

I think you can deal him, get a solid return and quickly retool your team which is what ownership wants.