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.

Domantas Sabonis is likely one of the core components of this Pacers team moving forward. At just 22 years old, Sabonis is under team control for another 2 years before he’ll hit restricted free agency (if the Pacers don’t extend him before them). As a young, talented big man, the Pacers will be loathe to let Domas go anywhere.

To boot, his bromance with Victor Oladipo and his apparent love of the Pacers make it even harder to envision him going. However, that doesn’t mean keeping him will be easy either.

The Indiana Pacers 3 core players moving forward are likely to be Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, and Domantas Sabonis. Unfortunately, 2 of those guys happen to play the same position. Some fans have gone back and forth all year on who should be starting. The coaching staff appears to have complete faith in Turner, who had a slightly down year after 2 promising seasons with the blue and gold.

Ultimately, the Pacers have 3 options moving forward if they’re going to keep both of their prized young bigs.

Option 1: Myles Turner remains the starter, Domantas Sabonis remains in the backup role

This seems like the mostly likely outcome for next year. The Pacers are invested heavily in Turner, and he’s proven he can excel as a starting NBA center. His rim protection and 3 -point shooting are huge assets to the team, and his ceiling is unicorn-ish.

Sabonis feasted on weaker backup bigs, and his glaring lack of right hand was much less important against them. He also works brilliantly with Lance Stephenson. Their combined passing and feel juices an offense that really has no go-to guy with that 2nd unit.

Option 2: Domas becomes the starter, Myles assumes the 6th man role 

While fans have been calling for this, I struggle to see it happening. Not saying it is or isn’t warranted— just don’t see Nate McMillan getting down enough on Myles to bench him.

Option 3: The Pacers start both Turner and Sabonis

This has to be the ultimate goal — playing your young bigs alongside each other. The fit has definitely been rocky thus far, but they definitely have the offensive chops to make it work.

Defensively, neither has shown any capability of guarding small ball 4’s at all. Realistically, that may be the thing that decides whether or not the Pacers can play these 2 guys together. (As an aside— it becomes even less likely because it seems like Thad Young will likely be back next season.)

Regardless the long-term vision, it’s highly unlikely that the young Lithuanian big with immaculate hair will be going anywhere this upcoming year. With them both being on rookie scale contracts under team control for multiple years, the Pacers have time to figure it out. While the Pacers are figuring that out, they’ll hope to see Domas figure out a right hand and a bit more range on his jumper.

Next: Oladipo sings "New York, New York" with Charles Barkley

With another year (and a year playing his preferred style) under his belt, my money’s on another breakout type season for Domas Sabonis next year.