The Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs this year, but their star players still had moments of greatness. De’Aaron Fox led the NBA in steals per game (2.0 per) and their big man, Domantas Sabonis, netted his second-straight rebounding title. Sabonis led the league in total rebounds per game by grabbing 13.7 boards per game. The Kings’ star duo is statistically one of the best in the entire association and it is almost baffling how they missed the playoffs after being one of the biggest surprises a season before this campaign. All in all, Domantas Sabonis is continuing to solidify his place as a top-five center in the current NBA despite his team’s shortcomings.
Domantas Sabonis Wins Second Straight Rebounding Title
Domantas Sabonis’ Season
Sabonis had an All-Star worthy year. Like his cohort, De’Aaron Fox, many feel as if he was robbed of All-Star honors. We already know Sabonis led the league in total rebounds per game, but he also logged 19.4 points, 8.2 assists per game, and shot 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.
He also averaged a field goal percentage of 59.4 percent and led the NBA in triple-doubles with 26 this season. Many have likened Sabonis to “a poor man’s Nikola Jokic,” and he is certainly showing that he belongs in the conversation for one of the best centers in the entire association. Ever since he got with Sacramento, his fortunes have turned around in a big way and bigger things could be on the horizon. Hopefully, the Sacramento Kings can right the ship and return to postseason action soon.
Can the Sacramento Kings Build Around Him?
It remains to be seen whether the duo of Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox can lead the Kings to a title. The Kings certainly need to retool their roster in some areas, but they still have some promising talent around their star duo. Keegan Murray is a young talent that is a sharpshooter who can stretch the floor. Davion Mitchell looks to be one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. Not to mention, Chris Duarte has shown spurts of potential.
Regardless, Sacramento needs to improve defensively if they want to become true championship contenders. They already have plenty of offensive firepower with Sabonis and Fox. However, we have seen time and time again that a team must be excellent on both ends of the floor to contend. Time will tell if the Sacramento Kings build around Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox in the correct fashion.
