The Indiana Pacers held a Q&A on their official Twitter account with Rik Smits. He was asked a variety of different questions including his pick for his favorite current player on the team. His pick? Domantas Sabonis.
Smits shared his perspective regarding why Sabonis was his pick starting with ‘hustle, tenacity, passing, and rebounding.’ Also, Smits mentioned how Sabonis is ‘phenomenal in the low post’ and has confidence that improvement in the outside shooting department will come.
Since being traded to the Pacers from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sabonis has gradually become the focus of the team’s offense. He went from being the primary option with the bench unit for his first two seasons in Indiana to relied on as the focal point of the starting group.
While it’s unclear if and when the NBA season will resume, Sabonis posted impressive averages of 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists through 62 performances. It was enough to earn him his first All-Star appearance and represent the Pacers in Chicago.
After signing a four-year, $77 million contract extension before the season, Sabonis will surely be a foundational player for the Pacers for years to come. It was a slight risk for Indiana to commit big money to two big men but giving Sabonis a new deal has proven to be a success.
The next step for Domantas Sabonis will be to prove he can be the focal point of the Pacers’ offense in a playoff setting. With Victor Oladipo sidelined due to a torn quad tendon, the Boston Celtics contained Sabonis to a poor outing in the 2019 NBA playoffs.
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