Adjusting to change for Domantas Sabonis and the Indiana Pacers

Domantas Sabonis has been a centerpiece for the Indiana Pacers. After a strong start to the season, the injury to Victor Oladipo has impacted the production of the power forward. The question is now how he gets back on track.

Life hasn’t quite been the same for Domantas Sabonis since the loss of Victor Oladipo to a season-ending quad injury. Sabonis, in his two seasons with the Pacers, has been an integral part of the team’s success.

As many NBA enthusiasts know, Sabonis comes from a legacy of basketball. Domantas’ father, Arvydas Sabonis is considered one of the best passers at the center position in NBA history. Held from Lithuania, Arvydas is a global basketball phenom.

In 2010, Arvydas was inducted into the 2010 FIBA Hall of Fame. It is safe to say that, Domantas, as a son of a legend, is aware of the peaks and valleys of a professional basketball season.

Domantas Sabonis took a long path to the Indiana Pacers

When talking about Sabonis and his career, it is important to note his journey to the Pacers. Born in Portland, Oregon while his father was a member of the Trailblazers, Domantas would later return to his family’s native country of Lithuania. There, Domantas would develop into the complete basketball player he is today.

While overseas, Sabonis became no stranger to competing against professionals. Prior to returning to the United States to attend college, Domantas had several stints with professional basketball clubs in Europe.

However, Sabonis never signed an official professional contract in Europe in order to preserve his NCAA eligibility. Sabonis would compete for several clubs and compete in the EuroLeague, more formally known as the second-best professional basketball league in the world. Talents such as Bojan Bogdanović and Luka Dončić have developed in the EuroLeague and have thrived on NBA rosters.

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Sabonis’ success in the EuroLeague presented him with the opportunity to attend national basketball powerhouse Gonzaga University. In his two seasons at Gonzaga, Sabonis led the Bulldogs deep into the NCAA Tournament with Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen appearances. Sabonis’ success in college transformed him into a highly touted NBA prospect.

This would prove to be true as the Orlando Magic drafted Sabonis with the 11th overall pick of the 2016 Draft. However, Sabonis would then be traded on draft night to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trade included another fellow Magic and Pacer in Oladipo.

After a brief stint with the Thunder, Oladipo and Sabonis would be traded once again as a package deal to the Pacers in exchange for Paul George. A tough series of transition for a young player in the NBA.

Brothers in basketball

So far in their NBA careers, Oladipo and Sabonis have been tied to the hip. So attached that Oladipo and Sabonis have proclaimed one another as brothers. So far, Sabonis has spent every moment of his NBA career alongside Oladipo.

Despite having previous experience both professionally and at the pinnacle of college basketball, Sabonis has had to make a difficult adjustment to change. The change ensued with the Oladipo injury.

So far in his career with the Pacers, Sabonis has carved out a significant sixth man role. This season, Sabonis has emerged as a leader. Prior to Oladipo’s injury, Sabonis was having a tremendous season, statistically the best of his career. However, after the injury, Sabonis has struggled. It’s as if he lost his best-friend in Oladipo. The numbers show.

Before Oladipo’s injury, Sabonis averaged 15.0 points per game. That has shifted as he has struggled to find a rhythm resulting in an average of 10.1 PPG since he lost his partner in crime. The lack of rhythm is also evident in his field-goal percentage.

As of January 23rd, Sabonis has been shooting at a 51-percent rate from the field. That’s a significant difference from the 62-percent clip he averaged through the first forty-five games of the season.

This isn’t too surprising if you consider how often Oladipo assisted Sabonis this season. His 31 assists were only behind Tyreke Evans (34) and Cory Joseph (52) despite the fact he played significantly fewer minutes with Oladipo then his bench brethren.

With his size, Sabonis has been crucial on the boards for the Pacers this season. Sabonis leads the Pacers in rebounding by averaging 9.2 rebounds per game; an uptick from 7.7 RPG last season. However, there has been a recent slump in rebounding for Sabonis since the Oladipo injury. In the last nine games, Sabonis has only averaged 7.2 RPG.

Getting back on track

With the loss of his best friend, there can be several reasons as to why Sabonis has had inconsistency. With the loss of their star, the Pacers as a whole have struggled to find their identity. With Sabonis having a larger role on the roster, he has also had to take on more responsibility on both sides of the floor. As a young player who has recently found his way in the league, this can challenge and a new experience. Sabonis has been forced to find exactly what piece he is to the Pacers’ puzzle.

As the teams’ performances post-Oladipo injury have indicated, patience will be needed for Sabonis and his teammates. It will be an upward climb for Sabonis to return to his old self but Coach McMillan will continue to give the power forward plenty of opportunities as the team seeks to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference.

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But, with his experience earned in the EuroLeague coupled with the pedigree instilled by his father, we can expect Sabonis to return to early season form. For Sabonis and the Pacers, the all-star break couldn’t come at a better time as to look to retool their approach without Oladipo in the lineup. Sabonis will look to put this tough stretch behind him and take on the new challenge of leading the Pacers.

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