Domantas Sabonis emerges as early NBA MVP candidate
The Sacramento Kings shocked the NBA last season after snapping their 16-year playoff drought and securing the Western Conference’s third seed with a 48-34 record.
The primary catalyst in the team's turnaround was former Gonzaga Bulldogs star Domantas Sabonis, who earned his third All-Star selection and led the league in rebounding during his first full season in Sacramento.
Determined to prove last year's success wasn't a fluke, Sabonis and the Kings have opened their 2023-24 campaign with a 7-4 record and are fifth in the Western Conference.
Sabonis is averaging a team-high 19.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 35.2 minutes per game. He was listed No. 10 on NBA.com's MVP Ladder released on Friday.
In his last outing, the 6-foot-10 power forward compiled 27 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and one block to help Sacramento notch a 129-120 victory on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.
"He's the heartbeat of our team," said Kings guard De'Aaron Fox of Sabonis after the game. "Our offense is run through him so much. He scores in isolations, he scores on the roll, he's makings 3s ... he's probably one of the best rebounders in the league ... and one of the best passing bigs to ever play the game."
Fox was also a force on both ends, matching his career-high of 43 points, to go along with eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block against the Spurs.
"Our two All-Stars obviously stepped up,” said head coach Mike Brown of Fox and Sabonis. "... Those two guys did exactly what they’re supposed to do in a situation like this. We played just enough defense to let those two guys find a way to take us home."
The Kings have won five in a row after a 2-4 start to the season. Sabonis has been instrumental in keeping Sacramento afloat despite being shorthanded with injuries. De'Aaron Fox, Trey Lyles, and Alex Len have all missed multiple games.
During the five games Fox was sidelined with an ankle injury, Sabonis averaged 17.2 points on 57.6% shooting, 11.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists. His efforts led Sacramento to a 2-3 record in that span, which prevented the team from tumbling to the bottom of the standings — a fate experienced by several other teams grappling with injuries.
Among the factors that have fueled Sabonis' MVP candidacy, the most surprising may be his improvement on the defensive end. His defensive rating of 110 is his best mark since 2020-21. Sabonis is also averaging at least one block per game for the first time in his nine-year NBA career.
After giving up the fifth-most points in the paint last season (53.5 per game), the Kings have enhanced their rim protection to slightly below average through 11 games in 2023-24 (50.7). Sabonis has been one of the team's only reliable paint defenders, especially with Len, a 7-foot center, expected to miss six to eight weeks with a moderate high ankle sprain.
"We're still continuing to have a better defense than last year," Sabonis said after Sacramento's 125-115 win over the Lakers on Nov. 15. "We just have to stick to it. We have to keep doing all the little details and we can't get complacent."
Sabonis' defensive improvements haven't taken away from his usual offensive production. He's fourth in the league in field-goal percentage (60.9), 12th in offensive win shares (1.1), 13th in assist percentage (32.1) and 13th in offensive rebounding percentage (11.1).
As a team, the Kings are the eighth in scoring (115.9 per game) and fourth in assists (27.8). Sacramento's offensive output has been slightly worse than last season, but with Fox back in the lineup, the team should soon be running on all cylinders.
Over the summer, Sabonis agreed to a contract renegotiation and extension with the Kings for a total of $217 million over five seasons. He had an opportunity to receive more money but expressed his desire to prioritize the franchise's roster-building flexibility over maximizing his earnings.
"Things happened in the summer,” Sabonis said. "Opportunity came available, and I’m happy the franchise believes in me and I can be here for a long time. … I wanted to stay here, so when the opportunity came, I was more than happy to sign."
It's evident that Sabonis has found a home in Sacramento, where he was acquired from the Indiana Pacers ahead of the 2021-22 trade deadline.
"I always say Day 1 when I got traded and I walked out and I got a standing ovation from the fans," Sabonis said. "I care about all that stuff, and the fans have been big to me, my family and everyone here."
With Sabonis (27 years old), Fox (26), and second-year forward Keegan Murray (23) forming a promising trio, the Kings have established themselves as a rising power in the NBA. If those players can stay healthy, Sacramento has a chance to win its first playoff series in two decades.
