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By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow
If you’re an avid basketball fan, the name Sabonis should ring a bell. Domantas Sabonis is the son of Lithuanian Naismith Hall-of-Famer Arvydas Sabonis, who played seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Like his father, Domantas has proven to be a menacing presence in the front court, as he racked up 23 double-doubles during his latest collegiate season at Gonzaga University, while averaging 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Now, Sabonis will attempt to follow in his father’s footsteps by transitioning his game to the NBA.
By Marc D’Amico | @Marc_DAmico
Possessions Scouted from 2015-16 Season: OFFENSE: 19.1 percent of possessions DEFENSE: 18.4 percent of possessions
One of the more physical players in this year’s Draft, Domantas Sabonis is a true post-up big man with a high motor. Sabonis has strong hands and is naturally left-handed, but he can score with both hands around the hoop. He works hard for post position and uses an array of drop steps and counter-moves when he gets the ball. He will be a reliable post threat in the NBA and his jumper will likely cap out at 18-20 feet. He is a very good free throw shooter, which is important considering his physical style of play. He has good feet, and they are quick for his size. He loves the ball-fake and the baseline spin move. He is patient in the post, but not so much off the dribble, where he forces many shots and passes. He has decent vision but his passing skills are average at best. He is strong through contact around the basket and can finish in multiple ways from multiple angles. He lacks leaping ability, which could cause issues in finishing around the basket in the NBA. He plays with strength and physicality in the post on defense. He moves well laterally. However, his ability to start and stop and recover off of pick-and-rolls is limited. His team will not want him switching onto 3s and athletic 4s, but it won’t be a death sentence if he does on occasion, as his lateral agility will help him out. He is a very good rebounder. He attacks rebounds and tracks the ball very well through the air and off of the glass.
By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow
Domantas Sabonis was born on May 3, 1996 in Portland, Oregon to Naismith Hall-of-Famer Arvydas Sabonis and inaugural Miss Lithuania-winner Ingrida Mikelionyte. His father, a 7-foot-3 center, played half of his basketball career playing overseas, and then played seven seasons – spanning from 1995 to 2003 – with the Portland Trail Blazers. After Arvydas retired from the NBA, he and the family moved to Malaga, Spain. Ten years later, his 16-year-old son was suiting up for Unicaja Malaga of Spain’s Liga ACB. The younger Sabonis also played for the Lithuania U-16 national team and averaged 14.1 points and 14.4 rebounds per game during the 2012 FIBA U-16 European Championship. He then averaged 15.9 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game during the FIBA Europe U-18 Championship. Sabonis was offered a contract to play for Unicaja, but opted to play college basketball in the United States. As a freshman at Gonzaga University, Sabonis helped lead the Zags to a 35-3 record while averaging 9.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 21.6 minutes per game. He shot 67.7 percent from the field, which was the fourth-highest clip in the nation. Sabonis upped his averages during the 2015 NCAA Tournament, posting 11.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG, leading 2-seeded Gonzaga to its second Elite Eight appearance in program history. During the summer after his freshman campaign, Sabonis, at 19 years, two months and 26 days old, became the youngest player to ever debut for the Lithuania men’s national team, passing Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas. He went on to win a silver medal at Eurobasket 2015. Sabonis saw nearly a 50 percent increase in minutes during his sophomore season at Gonzaga and averaged 17.6 PPG and 11.8 RPG. He had a couple of monster performances along the way, including a career-high 36 points and 12 rebounds on Dec. 19 against Tennessee, and then a 35-point, 14-rebound, four-assist and three-block performance two weeks later against San Francisco. By season’s end, the forward corralled the fourth-most rebounds in the nation (426), finished eighth in win shares (7.5), and was named to the First-team All-WCC. During Gonzaga’s three-game NCAA Tournament run, Sabonis averaged 19.3 PPG and 14.3 RPG – the highest average among players who played at least two games. On April 7, Sabonis declared for the NBA Draft, leaving Gonzaga as the program’s all-time leader in field goal percentage at 62.3 percent.
