For a variety of reasons, longtime Sacramento Kings fans are finally waking up from a nightmare that many thought would never end. No one at his 26-year-old has more agility and sharper shoulders than Domantas Sabonis. All-around attack effect lifted them Net ratings above some preseason contenders.
A two-time All-Star, Sabonis has never been in a more mutually beneficial situation than this year with the Kings. Predicted by one forecast It made the playoffs for the first time since Barack Obama became a U.S. Senator.
Looking at Sabonis’ basic stats, few stand out compared to his career-highs. His points, rebounds, and assists averages were all previously tops. But now serving as a full-time center with a spacious lineup that highlights his strengths, Sabonis’ true shooting, PER and assist percentage are all career highs. It pops off the page in a borderline transformative way.
Descending the blocks, all his skills, strength and senses combine to crush defenses. “He’s just a special player,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said.
With Sabonis posting up, the Kings generate a staggering 1.36 points per possession. 2nd out of 616 players in Second Spectrum’s database Percentage of players who posted 100 or more times in a season from 2013-14. (Second!) If one of his post-ups ends in a shot, foul, turnover, or pass to a player he shoots immediately within one dribble, he is far more efficient than anyone else At least 4 post-ups per game.
“I think I’ve gotten [the ball] maybe less? “When I tell him about these numbers, Sabonis laughs. “Maybe I’m trying to be like, ‘I need to finish!’ Look? As you grow older in the NBA, you learn more and gain more experience. So maybe it’s slowing down and I’m reading the game a little more. Some teams are throwing double teams at me so I have to read it differently.
Sabonis has almost a full season removed from playing in a more crowded environment with the Pacers next to Myles Turner. Wasn’t that efficient outside the postHis performance this season has been so otherworldly that it’s natural to wonder how realistic and sustainable it is. I’m here. probably I was lucky.
Sabonis’ glorious play is also behind Sacramento’s decision to leave Tyrese Halliburton At last year’s trading deadline. A very seismic deal won’t be judged accurately for a few more years.Haliburton is only 22 and already leads the league in assists.But neither organization feels any buyer’s regrets. Hmm.
To call Sabonis’ success a surprise would not be accurate. He was an effective low post presence for several years. Strong, fast and decisive. But everywhere he goes three points In Sacramento, where his shooter is, his post-up is a crashing wave, and he must prepare for the devastating impact and ensuing flood at the same time. All dribbling is forward. The collision of his upper forearm with someone else’s sternum is his love language.
“I was raised — ‘You’re a big guy. You have to play aggressive in the post,'” Sabonis says. “Post is a physics game. You have to get a position and then exit the space. People always say you have to be strong. , In many cases, there are a lot of players who are strong but lack physical ability, right?”
He only shot 6 shots at Sacramento Avalanche of 153 points against the net in November. But his post-up was an indelible personification of the phrase “man among boys.”
Kings guard Malik Monk is finding it difficult to handle some of the plays Sabonis makes in the post. Monk concludes my sentence by mentioning the Bucks’ recent buckets against Center Brook Lopez (Defensive Player of the Year candidate). he moved brook “By the way. That’s crazy. He’s two or three inches shorter than him. Crazy, bro. He’s so strong, man.”
That brute force is heightened by a cunning awareness of every turn and off-ball movement that Sabonis hopes to reward with a pass. According to Second Spectrum, only LeBron James (2018 and 2020) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2020) Higher average number of assists per post-up Than the current Sabonis.
“He actually looks like he passes earlier than he normally does,” says Monk. “Sometimes more than necessary. That’s what makes him hard to defend.” Players cut more purposefully, setting up hard screens on big guys who are willing to pass. The incentive is that strong. Rookie wing Keegan Murray has scored 100 goals this year. more than a quarter of them Sabonis helped me with the following play.
See what this wedge screen does for Monk against a Hawks team that is only interested in stopping Sabonis.
Sabonis wants to punish him as a scorer. And often he does. But there is a purpose behind that animosity.He also hopes to help his advocates pay However With plenty of attention behind the play, you can feed your slash teammates or whip the ball into an open shooter on crosscourt. Some of his NBA stars know how to bend the defense. Only a select few can break it.
Defending Sabonis with one player makes him draw fouls or look like point-blanks. Send help and see if he’s still scoring or has a smart reading. . spectrum per secondWhen this happens, the Kings generate a whopping 1.46 points per possession.
“The team has done a great job of getting a lot of shooters around me this year. [De’Aaron] Fox,” says Sabonis. “And I definitely feel it helps. When they double-team me, it’s easier to kick them out. [they] please defeatthen they [also] I’m more worried about doubling down.
How these coverages are carried out is something Sabonis is aware of and prepared for. He operates from different spots on the floor, turning his back to the basket, facing up, and popping into the perimeter to combat his defensive game plan.
“Sometimes teams dribble for double teams,” Sabonis says. “And sometimes the teams come in when I’m going downhill. A lot of the time they come from the baseline. So they’re just getting it mixed up and it’s a big Always makes you…doing the same thing over and over again, [beat] that. “
One of the most dribbling handoff partners in the NBA, the Sabonis name appears in the Top 8 three times alongside Kevin Harter, Fox and Monk. In particular, his partnership with Huerter makes for a gorgeous and seamless synergy. (Hueter is having a career year and the Hawks should be saddened that his effective field goal percentage Ridiculous 18 percentage points higher When he shares the floor with Sabonis.)
And when those dribble handoffs result in a mismatch, it puts Sabonis’ post-up power under the spotlight. Opposing wings that have had the misfortune to switch to him may find it easier to try to lift the Washington Monument than to keep him from backing them down.
Poor Sam Hauser is inserted inside the rim in this play. A minute later, reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, ran out Hauser and fell victim to a jump hook.
Regardless of where they land in the deal that sent Sabonis to Sacramento, the long-term costs of losing a budding All-Star point guard like Halliburton remain very high! .they have 3rd best half-court offense in the league, mostly because he’s around. (Past 5 years, 21st, 11th, 17th, 22nd, 29th)
He’s a multi-faceted weapon that makes everyone around him better. is useful for
