Indiana Pacers: Most impactful players of the season thus far

1. Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis‘ leap in ability could not have come at a more crucial time.

With a constantly changing guard rotation and inconsistent play from Myles Turner, Sabonis has established himself as the rock on which the Pacers have to place their hopes of winning.

Luckily, it seems Domas has some pretty capable shoulders.

Domas has taken on ten more minutes per game than last year, and he commands the offense while he’s on the court. He averages a double-double with 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, but that isn’t his most surprising stat — he also averages 5.0 assists a game.

The assists are telling of just how crucial he is to the Pacer’s offense. From the top of the key or coming off of a screen, Domas is excellent at finding cutting teammates. As the roll man of a pick and roll, Domas is particularly lethal. His supreme footwork allows him to get deep in the paint forcing the defense to rotate and collapse towards him. Once he’s in the paint he’s excellent at taking advantage of defensive rotation mistakes and finding open teammates.

Whether he’s setting brick wall screens for teammates, rolling like a boulder towards the rim, or dishing out an easy five assists per game (second among NBA centers), Domas is a force on the offensive end. The first time all-star has absolutely been the Pacer’s most impactful and reliable player to this point in the season.

When a rejuvenated backcourt of Malcolm Brogdon and Victor Oladipo returns, expect Domas to be an even more dangerous when the season begins again.