Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan – A Perfect Match

The Sacramento Kings have found a star pairing after acquiring DeMar DeRozan.

Feb 16, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) shoots past Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports / Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

When Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings, it was clear that he would immediately be the best big man that De’Aaron Fox ever shared an NBA court with.

That’s often the case for most players joining the Kings, but with 15 seasons under his belt, DeMar DeRozan has played with some extremely talented big men.

DeRozan played with Chris Bosh, Serge Ibaka, and Jonas Valančiūnas throughout his tenure with the Toronto Raptors. He and LaMarcus Aldridge shared time with the San Antonio Spurs. And most recently DeRozan was playing with Nikola Vučević as Chicago Bulls.

With players like Bosh and Aldridge, it’s probably safe to say Sabonis isn’t at the top of the list of the best big that DeRozan has played with. He does possess a unique skill that sets him apart though; his elite passing.

Domantas Sabonis is such a genius when creating for others.

Excellent secondary ball handler alongside Fox. Fakes the pass to the corner to dish it to the cutter. Probably ended up in the easiest finish in Fox' career and brought Taj Gibson to his knees. pic.twitter.com/10nBakGnEe

— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) August 30, 2022

Sabonis averaged a career-high 8.2 assists last season, sixth most in the NBA. The most assists a center has averaged while playing with DeRozan was Vučević last season with 3.3. It shows how much potential a pairing of Sabonis and DeRozan has, and the numbers make it look even more promising.

DeRozan ranked in the 87.3rd percentile for the ‘cut’ play type and 92.2nd percentile for the ‘pick and roll’ play type, both of which should pair perfectly with Sabonis and the Kings offense. Sabonis also led the league with 6.0 screen assists and 14.1 screen assist points created. 

Mike Brown has talked about how he thinks DeRozan’s efficiency can go up with the way the Kings play on offense, and it’s easy to see why. All of the peripheral stats point to DeRozan feasting with Sabonis running the offense and setting screens for him.

Here's Mike Brown's full NBA TV interview from SL with notable quotes on the addition of DeRozan, reasons for their defensive improvement, Devin Carter, Keon Ellis' development, and more.

On DeRozan: "To have a veteran guy that has seen a lot of defenses thrown at him... and… pic.twitter.com/inaJNI6lI1

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) July 12, 2024

Not only should DeRozan thrive, but Sabonis should benefit from playing with the 6-time All-Star as well. DeRozan is an extremely underrated passer, averaging 5.3 assists last season. His top player that he dished out assists to? Nikola Vučević.

DeRozan had 95 assists to the Vučević last season, the most on the team. Second was 71 to Coby White and third was 49 to Ayo Dosunmu.

The numbers are clear, the pairing of Sabonis and DeRozan looks like two puzzle pieces fitting together. Sabonis may not be the best big man DeMar has ever played with, but he is definitely the best passer and may be the most unique big man he’s ever played with.

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