Kings All-Star C Domantas Sabonis Ranked Top 3 Best Centers in NBA

When taking a look back at some of the fairest NBA trades in history, it is no secret that the deal struck in February 2022 between the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers to send Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana and Domantas Sabonis to the Kings is up there as one of the best deals for both teams. Haliburton is turning into a young star in Indiana, making an All-Star appearance during his first full season with the Pacers, and Domantas Sabonis is the All-Star anchor of the Kings fast-paced offense, which had the most efficient offense in NBA history last season.

Due to how fantastic Sabonis is in the handoff and screen game - displayed by how easily he puts his body on the line for his team - it's clear that he is one of the top centers in the league. A recent rankings list from Hoops Hype in fact has him ranked as the third-best center in the league, right after championship-winning C Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and MVP-winning C Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Sabonis had an incredible year, averaging 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 61.5% from the field. Frank Urbina of Hoops Hype describes Sabonis's only downsides as this:

"His total lack of defense hurt Sacramento many nights, especially in the playoffs where the Kings fell in the first round to the Warriors. He shot just 49.5 percent from the floor in the postseason and was routinely outplayed, impact-wise, by Looney... Even so, Sabonis is a three-time All-Star and was just named an All-NBAer (3rd Team) for the first time, so even with his flaws, he’s one of the best centers in the game today. He just needs to tighten up his defense to help those around him reach that next level of team success."

This is a very fair assessment. While Sabonis was critical to the team's success, with players like G Malik Monk openly calling him the team's anchor, Sabonis did lack in the playoffs offensively as the Kings fell just short of the second round after an electrical series against the Golden State Warriors. The Kings also struggled defensively the entire season, finishing 24th in defensive efficiency across the league.

However, given that this is the first time the majority of those guys have been to the playoffs and now understand what it takes, Mike Brown's team will undoubtedly be back to contend for the ultimate goal of an NBA championship.

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