Domantas Sabonis

The 2020-21 season marked Sabonis' second straight All-Star appearance, and he managed to improve his numbers nearly across the board. In 36.0 minutes per game, the big man averaged 20.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 combined steals-plus-blocks. He also shot 53.5 percent from the field while hitting 0.8 threes per game at a passable 32.1 percent -- not bad considering he significantly increased his volume. His 73.2 percent mark from the charity stripe was fine for a big man, as well. Those numbers came together to help Sabonis rank 18th in fantasy on a per-game basis -- a significant jump from his 2019-20 rank of 42nd. At 25 years old, Sabonis still has potential to add to his game. The most obvious steps for him are a better three-point stroke and improved defense, though 1.2 steals per game is a fine number for a power foward/center. The Pacers didn't make any drastic moves during the offseason, so they'll essentially be bringing back the same team. A coaching change occurred, but it's unlikely that will bring about a drastic change in Sabonis' role as the offensive hub. There's a path for Sabonis to remain stagnant or take a small step back if Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert and TJ Warren all stay healthy and are as potent offensively as they've shown to be in the past. However, fantasy managers should feel safe that Sabonis will continue to stuff the stat sheet. Given the situation, he makes for a solid late-second or early-third-round target in most fantasy leagues.

Sabonis was named an All-Star for the first time in 2019-20, improving essentially all of his stats from the year prior. He became a full-time starter and averaged 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 72.3 percent from the free-throw line. The big man also collected 50 double-doubles and four triple-doubles across 62 appearances. While questions swirl about his fit with Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo's desire to remain with the franchise, Sabonis seems to be the focal point of the team. His role should be extremely safe heading into 2020-21, and at just 24 years old, Sabonis might be able to take some strides in his game -- especially in three-point shooting (25.4 percent on 1.1 attempts per game) and defense (just 1.3 combined steals-plus-blocks). Considering he ranked 42nd in fantasy (per-game, eight-category), he'll likely be a popular selection in the third and fourth rounds of most drafts.

Sabonis once again found himself coming off the bench for the Pacers, starting only five of the 74 games that he appeared in. He averaged 25 minutes a game, which was identical to his average from the previous season. However, he was able to increase his scoring average from 11.6 to 14.1 points per game on the strength of his 59 percent shooting from the field. His usage rate also increased from 22.1% to 23.5%. The scoring column wasn't his only area of improvement, either, since he set a new career-high by averaging 9.3 rebounds per contest. The downside is that he doesn't provide many defensive stats or three-pointers, which somewhat limits his upside. His 71.5% shooting from the charity stripe won't kill fantasy teams, but he could stand to improve in that area, as well. But with Thaddeus Young now a member of the Bulls, Sabonis could find himself starting next to Myles Turner. A potential increase in playing time gives Sabonis the ability to approach a double-double on a nightly basis while shooting a great percentage from the field and passing the ball well for a big man (4.2 assists per 36 minutes last season). If Sabonis can crack the 30-minute mark, he'll be one of the more valuable big men in fantasy.

Sabonis was dealt to Indiana in the Paul George trade and was forced to transition into a reserve role after spending much of his rookie year with the Thunder as a starter. However, his status as a bench player didn't matter much and he ended up averaging 24.5 minutes per game, up from 20.1 minutes a year prior. That translated to career highs across the board, finishing with 11.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He also shot a very respectable 51.4 percent from the field and had the ability to knock down a three-pointer (35.1%) when left open. Looking forward to the upcoming campaign, the Pacers let both Al Jefferson and Trevor Booker walk, but then picked up Kyle O'Quinn during free agency. After Sabonis spent most of last season playing center, O'Quinn's addition could prompt Indiana to use him more at power forward. Either way, Sabonis is still just 22 years old and has plenty of upside, so the Pacers should make every effort to give him plenty of run off the bench. His production from last season is likely a good baseline for Sabonis' projected value, but that likely limits his utility to those in deeper leagues looking for help in the points and rebound categories.

Sabonis, a rookie during the 2016-17 campaign, was dealt from the Thunder (along with Victor Oladipo) to the Pacers in the summer of 2017 in the trade that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City. Sabonis had an underwhelming debut season, though garnered a solid 20.1 minutes per game. In those minutes, the 6-foot-11 forward/center posted 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 51-for-159 (32.1 percent) from deep. Though he was more of a traditional big in college -- taking mid-range face-up jumpers and executing post moves with patience, strength a good footwork – the Thunder seemed to believe it was better for him to develop three-point range, despite taking just 14 threes during his two seasons at Gonzaga. It’s tough to predict if Indiana will feel the same way about his game, though it’s doubtful they’ll want him to stop shooting threes all together. Regardless, Sabonis projects to be a reserve frontcourt player behind the likes of Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young, as well as possibly Al Jefferson and Bojan Bogdanovic. For that reason, it’s far from a guarantee that Sabonis will match his workload from last season, making him a risky pickup in any Fantasy format and ultimately someone who can probably be ignored.

The son of international great and former Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas rose up draft boards as the evaluation process unfolded this spring, ultimately going 11th overall to the Thunder, who acquired the pick from the Magic in the Serge Ibaka deal. Sabonis' floor compares favorably to that of some of the other big men in the late lottery and middle of the first round, without carrying the same kind of bust potential. Sabonis' numbers as a sophomore at Gonzaga were outstanding, as he averaged 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 76.9 percent from the line. Since he lacks a lengthy wingspan and hasn't shown much shot-blocking ability, Sabonis doesn't figure to see much time at center in the NBA, which is just as well for the Thunder with Steven Adams and Enes Kanter around to fill the minutes at that position. If his playing time patterns in the preseason are any indication, the Thunder could end up utilizing Sabonis as their starting power forward, but with veterans Ersan Ilyasova and Joffrey Lauvergne in the fold, it's likely that he won't benefit from an enhanced workload most nights. Moreover, he's unlikely to see much usage offensively while he shares the floor with Adams, Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo. While Sabonis' ceiling for his rookie year production may be a bit limited, he still offers some intriguing long-term potential, particularly if he's able to develop into a reliable three-point shooter at the NBA level. That's certainly within the realm of possibility given his blood lines, and the fact that he's already shown some aptitude from the free-throw line and mid-range.