Domantas Sabonis is undisputed MVP for Indiana Pacers

Make no mistake, this is more than a breakout year for Domantas Sabonis. He is the Indiana Pacers most valuable player.

Domantas Sabonis came into this year with murky, yet lofty expectations with the Indiana Pacers. Spending most of his minutes at center over the last two years, Sabonis was now going to be asked to play both frontcourt positions at different times and in different scenarios, splitting his minutes equally.

This would allow for a few things. One, it would allow for a really threatening starting frontcourt alongside Myles Turner, who would be sliding over to the center position where he is most comfortable. Second, it would allow the Pacers to remain dominant in the frontcourt with Sabonis running with the second unit, staying on the floor while the rest of the starting unit rotates out.

The results were a 53 percent split at power forward, 47 percent at center so far this season. Last season Sabonis spent 76 percent of his minutes at center.

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Sabonis has been, in a word, excellent. He’s taken the adjustment in stride and put his best foot forward throughout the year, getting named to his first All-Star team in the process.

Sabonis is undoubtedly the team MVP if the season is indeed over.

Let’s look at some of the team ranks Sabonis has:

• Points per game: 2nd
• Rebounds per game: 1st
• Assists per game: 2nd
• Field goal percentage: 2nd
• True shooting percentage: 5th
• Defensive rating: 4th
• Box Plus/Minus: 1st (his 3.2 nearly doubles the second-place Malcolm Brogdon at 1.7)
• VORP: 1st
• Win shares: 1st

Sabonis is the only player that plays more than 20 minutes per game to have a net rating greater than 3.0.

Furthermore, Sabonis has often been key in providing the Pacers with momentum to carry throughout their campaigns. Typically, Sabonis plays the start of the second and fourth quarters while Myles Turner sits, a smaller lineup that features Doug McDermott at the four, the Holiday brothers, and T.J. McConnell.

This lineup boasts a net rating of 7.2. Of 5-man lineups that have seen more than 50 minutes of action total, this is second to only two lineups, one of which was the longtime starting lineup of Jeremy Lamb, T.J. Warren, Turner, and Sabonis.

It’s relieving, too, that the extension Sabonis signed in October for four years and $77 million has not deterred him from working hard and leading success on this team. His financial future is secure, but the wins mean everything for Sabonis.

Turner, Sabonis’ running mate in the starting frontcourt has taken minor statistical steps back in his game with the transition this season. His points, rebounds, and assists per game have all gone down despite playing more minutes per game this season.

Much of that has to do with the amount of talent joining Turner in the frontcourt this year. Sabonis and Turner played just 6.7 minutes per game together last season, this season that number is 19.7 minutes per game. That means less opportunity for easy rebounds, but it’s all in the name of a greater good.

Turner has not taken a significant step back, rather, he’s welcomed a talented running-mate into the frontcourt with him. The duo imposes a daunting challenge for opposing defenses, and the flexibility Sabonis has provided has given the Pacers meaningful opportunities to make up ground with their second unit.

All good players help make their teammates look good too. Malcolm Brogdon sees his second-most assists per game on Sabonis makes, and McConnell his third most. 19.3 percent of the team’s assists are to Sabonis.

While Victor Oladipo is still the best player on the team, due to his lengthy absence this season, the MVP has to be awarded to someone else. Far and away that award must go to Domas Sabonis.