Drew Eubanks Speaks On Filling In As Kings' Starting Center

The Sacramento Kings begin their season on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns, and they'll be without two starters in Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. While there are still questions on who will start for Murray, it looks like Drew Eubanks is set to start in place of Sabonis as he recovers from his hamstring injury.

Eubanks isn't nearly as talented as Sabonis, but he does have a similar skillset in that he can facilitate from the top of the key, get out in transitions, and set screens to get his teammates open.

When asked about his role stepping into the starting lineup, Eubanks stated how he doesn't have much to change in his approach between starting and coming off the bench, and how he will look to set up his teammates and push the pace as much as possible.

"Starting, I don't see my game changing that much. I liked how we played the other night in LA," Eubanks stated. "Really just getting the ball, facilitating a little bit more, putting a little more pressure on the defense, but mainly playing around Dennis, Zach, DeMar, being an outlet for them. Picking up the pace a little bit. I know with Domas in it kind of slows things down, so just keep playing fast and getting guys open."

Drew Eubanks talks about filling into the starting rotation with Domantas Sabonis out for a week, the role Doug Christie expects from him and Russell Westbrook joining his Sacramento Kings. pic.twitter.com/n6DMvxHG5q
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) October 20, 2025

Pace is certainly a point of emphasis for Doug Christie this season, as he's said he wants the Kings to be the best conditioned team in the NBA. And Eubanks is a great player to have at the center position to help accomplish that feat.

Of the 405 players with enough transition opportunities to qualify for the play type last season, Eubanks ranked 23rd in the play type at the 94.6th percentile. For comparison, Sabonis finished in the 38.1st percentile.

Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward/center Drew Eubanks (19) drives the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

Eubanks was also asked about filling in for Sabonis for rebounding by Sactown Sports 1140's Brenden Nunes, and Eubanks spoke about it being a team approach to grab the boards to finish possessions.

"For me, rebounding, I always just try to take my guy out of the play. So if I'm guarding Mark Williams on Wednesday, take him out, and if I can get it great, but it's also going to be the guards coming in and trying to clean up to. Because they've got two or three guys going back in transition. So just being mindful of my positioning with who I'm guarding, and if my guys not crashing, making sure I go clean up."

It's hard to replace the league leading rebounder, especially with one player, so a team approach on the boards will be crucial. Between Russell Westbrook, Nique Clifford, and Devin Carter, the Kings have multiple guards on the team who excel at rebounding, and that seems like the approach Sacramento is going to take while Sabonis is out.

There's no timeline of return for Sabonis at this point, but Eubanks and the rest of the team have their work cut out for them to hold down the fort until he returns. Luckily, it sounds like they have a good plan in place. Sacramento begins its season on Wednesday at 7:00 pm against the Phoenix Suns.

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