Sacramento Kings starting big man Domantas Sabonis is still one of the top centers in the NBA. While he has defensive shortcomings, the prospect of he and Acuff on the offensive end is very intriguing.
The Sacramento Kings have a lot of forgotten talent on the roster that missed significant time last season.
With key players returning to health, the team is much more well-rounded and poised to be more competitive.
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento's starting big man, is perhaps the most important player returning from injury, as he will be a mentor for Darius Acuff Jr. to learn from and target in pick-and-roll actions.
The three-time NBA All-Star is a talented offensive player, providing immense value on the glass.
Earlier this week, Sabonis was ranked the No. 13 big man in the NBA by The Athletic, falling in the "Maybe they should be higher?" tier.
While this is a dip from his previous ranking (No. 10), it is not surprising, considering he appeared in just 19 games last season before suffering a torn meniscus.
Unfortunately, this injury set off a series of ailments for the Kings as a whole, with Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and others missing significant time.
Entering the offseason, Sabonis was mentioned multiple times as a potential trade candidate, but with his recent missed time, his value was likely not as high as years past.
Allowing Sabonis to return to full health and play alongside Acuff is a smart decision, giving the Kings' front office the opportunity to see how he gels with the new-look regime.
In last season's small sample size, Sabonis posted a slight decrease in production, averaging his lowest points and rebounds per game since the 2019-2020 season.
But, he has shown the ability to be extremely effective in the past for Sac Town, leading the NBA in rebounding in the 2022-2023 campaign.
On the offensive end, Sabonis can score from all three levels, but his 3-point shooting will dictate Sacramento's level of effectiveness with spacing.
After posting the most successful 3-point shooting season of his career two years ago, Sabonis made just 5-of-27 attempts from deep before getting injured.
The attention being paid to LaVine and Acuff on the perimeter should help Sabonis find easier looks from the outside, while letting the former All-NBA performer use his playmaking ability.
The biggest question for how Sacramento's starting five will fit is on defense, as both Acuff's and Sabonis' biggest question marks come on that end of the floor.
Sabonis has always been an offensive-focused player, and is undersized compared to most paint-protecting centers.
But, the prospect of he and Acuff in actions on offense is very intriguing, especially when considering the floor spacing provided by players like LaVine, Murray, De'Andre Hunter, and Malik Monk.
If Sabonis can stay healthy, the Kings' 1-2 center combo of he and Maxime Raynaud will be one of the strongest in the league.
