Domantas Sabonis Gives Intriguing Answer on New Offensive Role

Domantas Sabonis details his excitement about his offensive role in the Sacramento Kings' offense under new head coach Doug Christie.

Mar 17, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) warms up before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Training Camp is underway for the Sacramento Kings, and the excitement around the team is palpable. After a disastrous 2024-25 season, the players seem ready to prove everyone wrong, as they've already been written off by many in the tough Western Conference.

If the Kings are going to compete this year, they'll need a bounce-back year from their All-Star center. Domantas Sabonis didn't have a bad year last year, as he finished with 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 59.0% shooting from the field and 41.7% from three.

Those are great numbers that once again put Sabonis in the conversation as one of the best bigs in the league last year, but what stands out is his assists. Six assists is an extremely impressive number for a center, but it's the lowest mark for Sabonis of his three full seasons in Sacramento.

In 2023-24, Sabonis averaged a career-high 8.2 assists per contest, so a drop-off to 6.0 is significant. Passing has always been one of the biggest parts of his game, but it felt like that was an underutilized asset last season, and the big man seems to agree.

Jan 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) and guard Devin Carter (22) react after a play against the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

When asked about the new offense under Doug Christie, Sabonis was excited about getting back to his focus as a distributor on the perimeter more than he was last year.

"It lets me do what I do on offense," Sabonis said. "Getting guys open more frequently, instead of being under the rim, an under the rim as an undersized big. I can't do as much as I do out on the perimeter." While Sabonis has a good post-up game, he hasn't had as much success in that role recently, and he doesn't have the athleticism to be a vertical threat in the dunker spot that other centers have around the league.

Domantas Sabonis is excited about the changes in training camp, how he will be used in the offense, and how "professional" camp has been under Doug Christie & Scott Perry's lead. pic.twitter.com/M4bVuT2QiT

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) October 1, 2025

"I'm excited," Sabonis continued. "I do all the DHO stuff, the pick and roll stuff, now I'm on the wing. I can either shoot, drive, get into more stuff, whereas when the guards are doing that and I'm in the dunker, not really a threat down there. And now teams are going to have to respect me, not only just creating, but being aggressive too."

Dennis Schröder will help as a true point guard this season, but when it comes down to it, Sabonis is the Kings' best player and offensive hub. And with his improved three-point shooting, he's even more of a threat on the perimeter than he was in the past.

Sabonis has mentioned that he worked on speeding up his release this offseason, which could make him even more lethal from outside. Even with his improved shooting last season, teams sagged off of Sabonis on the perimeter to let him shoot. If he shows he can knock down the shot early this upcoming season, it should open up everything for the Kings offense.

It's a good sign as the season approaches. Christie is setting everyone up for success and putting players in positions to succeed, which is all you can ask for from a coach. And for Sabonis, getting him back to his facilitating ways could be the key to the Kings proving everyone wrong this season.