Indiana Pacers: 2017-18 player grades for Domantas Sabonis

Strengths

Despite his near-seamless fit with the Pacers this year, Domantas Sabonis is a bit of a throwback. Sure, he has range that extends past the 3-point line, but that’s not what catapulted him to next big thing status this season. After taking 159 3s as a rookie, he put it up only 37 times from deep this year.

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The two-fold reason for his explosion is simple: first, Sabonis became more than just a prop for Russell Westbrook as Indiana gave him the freedom to do what he’s really good at, and second, what Domas is good at, he’s really, really good at.

This season in the NBA, there were seven centers who played at least 24 minutes a game, had a true shooting percentage over 56, a usage rate over 22 and an assist rate over 10. Four of them – Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins and Joel Embiid — were All-Stars. The fifth (Nikola Jokic) probably should have been, and the sixth (Julius Randle) is about to get seriously paid. Domantas Sabonis was the seventh.

He’s the rare big man who combines efficient scoring, high usage and top-notch passing. He also holds his own on defense despite not being a shot-blocker; the Pacers were a better defensive team with him on the court than without him.

Oh, and he just turned 22 years old. Not a bad sophomore year for the son of one of the greats.