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Hey, that Domas Sabonis kid is pretty good: 3 things it means for the Indiana Pacers

By Jonathan Matthes

MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 21: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers handles the ball against the Miami Heat on October 21, 2017 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 21: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers handles the ball against the Miami Heat on October 21, 2017 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 10: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers handles the ball during the preseason game against the Maccabi Haifa on October 10, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Project? What Project?

Back when Domas Sabonis was seen as a throw-in (and not a particularly good throw in) during the Paul George trade, Sabonis was a 6/4 player, while barely shooting 40-percent with a slightly less than average defensive rating (108) and an atrocious offensive rating (93). To put it lightly, he was a project.

This isn’t groundbreaking research or anything, but most Centers who are going to be worth anything will show some improvement during their Sophomore seasons. I took six centers, Indiana’s last two (Turner and Roy Hibbert) and four other promising youngsters (Steven Adams, Karl Anthony-Towns, Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic) and compared how they improved from their rookie to sophomore seasons.

 Points   FG% Rebounds Usage % PER Off Rating Def Rating
+4.7 +.063 +1.9 +2.1 +2.6 +3.8 -2.5

So, if that’s the average developmental curve, then Sabonis is incinerating said developmental curve.

Points FG% Rebounds Usage % PER Off Rating Def Rating
+7.1 +.261 +6.6 +3.2 +16.3 +37.0!  -2.0

The transformation of Sabonis is the embodiment of something we also talked about in July when you need to reboot the franchise you don’t have to bottom out, you can also find young players that have potential and only need a chance. In other words: Oladipo and Sabonis.

The exuberance that those two have taken to their opportunity in Indy significantly speeds up the franchise’s reboot.

Indiana does still have its share of projects.

There’s the obviously promising project in T.J. Leaf who will only get better with age (the guy’s 20) and strength. And there’s the mystery prospect in Ike Anigbogu, who needs to play himself onto the court. He’s played 12 whole minutes.

Good news, Indiana can afford to not force the two Bruins into uncomfortable roles. Leaf can learn the game as the team’s last rotation piece, and Anigbogu (who’s the youngest player in the league) can learn behind a pair of stellar 21 year-olds (Turner and Sabonis) and a grizzled vet in Al Jefferson.

The Pacers will be better in the long run for it. And it’s all possible because

Sabonis is far, far, far away from being a project. He’s in the top third in the NBA (among center’s) in both offense and defense. In other words, he looks more like a building block than a block in need of construction.

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