Domantas Sabonis, Kelly Olynyk among elite NBA company
The Gonzaga men's basketball program has been well represented in the NBA through the versatile, all-around big man who can adapt to the changing landscape of modern basketball. Look no further than the continuing evolution of Kelly Olynyk's game as a back-to-the-basket turned 3-point specialist, to Domantas Sabonis' ascension as the future of the NBA big man who can dribble, pass and still rebound with the best of them.
Coming off a 48-win season and a Pacific Division title in 2022-23, Sabonis and the Kings have picked up where they left off. Sacramento sits fifth in the Western Conference at 19-12 behind Sabonis and All-NBA teammate De'Aaron Fox, who's averaging a career-best 30.0 points while shooting 40.3% from deep. Fox's career year parlayed with the consistency of Sabonis has the Kings primed for back-to-back postseason appearances.
When considering how rare of a campaign Sabonis put together last season, his ability, in consecutive years, to nearly duplicate a stat line that only Wilt Chamberlain has ever recorded thus far into his eighth season is incredible. The 6-foot-11 Lithuanian is averaging 19.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists while shooting 59.3% from the field. That's almost identical to his 2022-23 season, which earned him All-NBA honors as the league's rebounding champion.
It also earned him a big payday — the Kings extended Sabonis to a five-year, $217 million contract extension in the offseason.
Sabonis is on track to win the NBA's rebounding crown again, as he's currently tied with Anthony Davis in rebounds per game after an impressive showing on the boards in his last outing against Memphis. Sabonis had 13 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists in the KIngs' 123-92 win over the Grizzlies on Dec. 31, joining Nikola Jokic as the only two players this season to have 20 rebounds while recording a triple-double. Over his last five games, he's been Sacramento's engine averaging 23.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists while shooting 67.7% from the field.
Like Jokic, Sabonis' versatility as a do-it-all big who can initiate instant offense and run pick-and-rolls both ways has helped usher in a new era of giants. Former Gonzaga star Chet Holmgren is among that next wave, as the NBA moves toward a position-less style of basketball in which every player will be expected to have a wide-ranging skillset.
Likewise, Olynyk knows a thing or two about keeping up with the times. Similar to his steady evolution at Gonzaga, where he was an All-American guiding the No. 1 team in the country, Olynyk adjusted his game to fit the needs of professional basketball at that time, which required spacing and 3-point shooting. Even at the age of 32, he's found another way to expand his game and in turn, extend his NBA career.
Olynyk has developed more of a playmaker approach in his second season with the Utah Jazz, averaging a career-best 4.7 assists to go along with 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. He's dished out six or more assists in six of his last seven games, including 10 in a win over Miami on Dec. 30. His transformation into an all-around veteran has him in elite company along with Sabonis, as the two former Bulldogs are among five players who average a triple-double per 100 possessions, according to basketball-reference.com.
Olynyk's efforts may be futile on the middling Jazz (15-19), though rumors have circulated that title contenders are monitoring his availability on the trade block. Insider Mark Stein reported that the Boston Celtics are keeping an eye on Olynyk's situation in Utah ahead of the NBA trade deadline, which is Feb. 8. With Olynyk performing as well as he has on an expiring $12.2 million contract, he's shaping up to be a hot commodity over the ensuing weeks.
