NBA Play-in Tournament: 5 players who could thrive in the play-in

5. Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis knows how to use his massive 6’11”, 240-pound frame to bully his way to the basket or carve out space underneath the rim to crash the offensive glass. He’s fifth with 7.9 attempts within the restricted area per game and has hauled in at least two offensive rebounds a night in each of his four seasons with the Indiana Pacers.

That type of physically imposing basketball can wear an opposing defense out. Stretched over the course of a season, it could do the same to Sabonis, whose soft mid-range touch and playmaking abilities offer a much-needed compliment to avoid breaking down.

Sabonis may need to pace himself during the regular season knowing that another game isn’t too far away, but the play-in tournament offers no guarantee. There is no tomorrow without taking care of business today, which requires a star’s best to leave nothing about the game’s outcome to chance.

In the case of Sabonis, that means a relentless attack of the basket across the entire 48 minutes, finishing around the rim, drawing free throws and leveraging the attention to create for teammates.

We’ve seen what that type of mentality looks like with multiple outings of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists this season. There’s little reason to think Sabonis, with nothing to lose, would give us anything less. Especially if Indiana winds up facing a weak frontcourt.