Domantas Sabonis: Breaking down season one with the Indiana Pacers

Domantas Sabonis — also known as Domas — came to the Pacers prior to this season as a percieved throw-in for some in the Victor Oladipo-Paul George trade.

This wasn’t the first time Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo had been traded together. Just a season prior, they were packaged by the Orlando Magic for Serge Ibaka. Now, they were on the move again, sent to the Indiana Pacers for Paul George.

Sabonis was the second person Oladipo reached out to (after his mom), and he simply told him “I promise, if you win here in Indiana, they’ll embrace you like no other.”. After a successful season in Indiana, Sabonis is learning this to be true.

Sabonis was the 11th pick in the 2016 draft, and was coming off a … disappointing rookie year. Across the board, his stats underwhelmed — 6.9 PER, 5.9 points per game, 39.9% shooting. He was a starter for most of the season, but only a token starter. OKC wanted Sabonis to be a stretch 4 to support the Russell Westbrook show, but Domas just wasn’t able to fill that role. Coming into Indiana, he was still a young/intriguing prospect, but he looked like a long-term project, not necessarily someone ready for NBA minutes.

In his first year in the Hoosier state, Sabonis exceeded all expectations (except maybe his). His stats across the board sailed: points, rebounds, fg%, 3 point %, nearly everything measurable was better. In many years, Sabonis would’ve been a strong candidate for most improved player, but Oladipo stole that shine.

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That doesn’t mean his improvement was any less impressive or stark, however. OKC fans had to be asking where this guy was the prior season. While Domas undoubtedly improved overall as a player from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign, but the Pacers used him in a much different way than the misbegotten Thunder had.

The Thunder wanted Sabonis to hang out in the corner and wait for savior Westbrook to find him. The Pacers, however, wanted him to do what he does best: They wanted him to bang down low, be a true big man. Domas was criticized for being soft in OKC. In Indiana, he’s had no such complaints. His strength and conditioning coach from Gonzaga chimed in on Twitter and said “This is why we preach physicality is a mentality not a physique.”. Hanging out in the corner tapping his toes and watching Russ made it difficult for him to maintain that mentality. Playing the low post in Indiana brought that mean streak back out of him, in a bit way.

While his first season with the Pacers was a bit uneven, he certainly outplayed expectations. Some would even argue that he outplayed the incumbent center of the future, Myles Turner. Sabonis filled in admirably when Turner missed time with injury, and was regularly a force with the Pacers 2nd unit. He scored 20 or more 5 times, including a 30-point outing.

His career high in OKC was a measly 6 points. After not playing in Oklahoma City’s last 3 playoff games, he averaged 23 minutes through the Pacers bloody 7 game battle with Cleveland, and was the crux of a big comeback (that just fell short) and an ass whooping the Pacers laid on the Fightin’ LeBrons in Game 6.

Unfortunately, there were some definite holes in Sabonis’ game. His 3 point shooting still leaves plenty to be desired, though his shot looks fluid enough to expect that to come along. He was among the league leaders in personal fouls, and his total inability to use his right hand around the rim (he went to his left hand an astonishing 96% percent of the time in the post) kept his efficiency from being even higher.

The Pacers undoubtedly want Domas and Myles Turner to play together. Neither has shows the defensive chops to do so. Sabonis played LeBron James tough, but certainly couldn’t stop him. His rim protection is near nonexistent, meaning he’ll probably have to play as a power forward in order to be a full time starter.

None of this is to put down the season Sabonis put together as a sophomore, by any means. He was much more than even the diehard Pacers fans had hoped.