Domantas Sabonis remains one of the NBA’s better centers, even if the conversation around him has shifted a bit after an injury-shortened season.
The Sacramento Kings big man was slotted No. 13 among NBA bigs by The Athletic earlier this week, landing in the publication’s “Maybe they should be higher?” tier.
That marks a drop from his previous No. 10 spot, but it’s not hard to see why the ranking moved. Sabonis played only 19 games last season before a torn meniscus cut his year short.
That injury was part of a wider mess for Sacramento, with Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and others also missing significant time. The Kings have plenty of talent on the roster, but a lot of it was out of sight for long stretches last season. With those players back in the mix, Sacramento looks more balanced and more capable of competing.
Sabonis is a huge part of that. He remains the club’s starting big man, a three-time NBA All-Star who gives the Kings real value on the boards and plenty of punch on offense. He’ll also be a key mentor for Darius Acuff Jr., who can learn from him and be targeted in pick-and-roll actions.
There’s also a clear reason Sacramento is willing to let this play out rather than forcing anything. Sabonis was floated as a trade candidate multiple times this offseason, but after the missed time, his value probably wasn’t at the same level it had been in previous years. Giving him a chance to get fully healthy and play in the new-look setup makes sense for the front office, which now gets a better read on how he fits with the current group.
Even with the down year, Sabonis’ track record in Sacramento is still strong. In the limited sample from last season, he posted his lowest points and rebounds per game since the 2019-2020 season. But he also showed what he can be when healthy, including leading the NBA in rebounding during the 2022-2023 campaign.
Offensively, the fit is where things get interesting. Sabonis can score from all three levels, but his 3-point shot will go a long way toward determining how well Sacramento’s spacing works.
Two years ago, he had the most successful 3-point shooting season of his career. Last season, before the injury, he went just 5-of-27 from deep.
The hope is that the perimeter attention on LaVine and Acuff opens things up for Sabonis and lets him do more damage as a playmaker. That’s the upside here: a skilled, bruising offensive center working off movement and spacing around him.
The concern is the other end. Defense remains the biggest question for Sacramento’s projected starting five, and that includes both Acuff and Sabonis. Sabonis has always been more offense than rim protection, and he’s undersized for the kind of paint patrol most teams ask of a center.
Still, the offensive possibilities are easy to see. Sabonis and Acuff in action together could be a problem, especially with LaVine, Murray, De’Andre Hunter and Malik Monk helping stretch the floor.
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