It’s Time To Shut It Down
Mar 21, 2022, 9:53 AM | Updated: 5:18 pm
(PAUL KITAGAKI JR./The Sacramento Bee)
(PAUL KITAGAKI JR./The Sacramento Bee)
You could have heard a pin drop.
A near-sellout crowd at Golden 1 Center collectively held its breath as the Sacramento Kings players and coaches surrounded two-time All-Star center Domantas Sabonis underneath the visitor’s basket.
It seemed as if a true nightmare was playing out right in front of our eyes on Sunday afternoon.
Sabonis, a player that Kings general manager Monte McNair acquired at the trade deadline for a hefty price, a player that is invaluable to the franchise as it hopes to leave its losing ways behind in the coming years, appeared to have suffered a knee injury.
Whenever you use the words “knee”, “injury”, and “center” in the same sentence, it’s a very scary situation–and this was, by all means, a very scary situation.
With just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter of Sunday’s game, Sabonis bumped knees with Phoenix forward Mikal Bridges. Following the contact, the 25-year-old went down and immediately grabbed at his left leg.
Much to the comfort of those watching, Sabonis got up and walked himself–under his own power–back to the Sacramento bench.
The center even remained in the game for one more possession, helping create a defensive stop before having to finally make his exit as he displayed clear discomfort while running down the floor.
Sabonis was seen walking–again, under his own power–to the locker room before the Kings announced that he would not return for the remainder of the game.
Sacramento head coach Alvin Gentry shared postgame on Sunday that Sabonis will have an MRI on his left knee before the team embarks on a two-week, five-game road trip.
Update: The Kings announced on Monday evening that Sabonis has suffered no structural damage and will be reevaluated in 10 days after bruising his left knee.
Sabonis’ injury comes just days after another important player on the Kings roster went down with a physical ailment, as De’Aaron Fox injured his right hand during Wednesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fox has missed the last two games and is expected to join the team on the road trip, per Gentry.
There seems to be some uncertainty surrounding Fox’s status, as Gentry told the media on Sunday that the injury isn’t one that the team is concerned with, but there was some vagueness detected in the head coach’s diagnosis.
“Short-term, it’s pain management. Long-term, he’s fine. He went out, worked out, and has done some things, but we’re fine with it and he’s fine with it,” Gentry said pregame on Sunday.
During The Nick Cattles Show on March 17th, Gentry shared that Fox had X-Ray imaging, but didn’t go into detail on the injury other than stating it would be a matter of pain management.
The 24-year-old was seen sporting a brace on his injured hand while sitting on the bench during Sacramento’s loss to Phoenix.
When it comes down to it, these are the facts:
- De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are incredibly important to this franchise
- Fox and Sabonis have proven that they can play together at a high level
- Both players simply don’t need to be playing basketball right now for a team that is all-but eliminated from postseason play
You play to win the game. I understand that completely. Winning basketball games for this franchise must be the number one priority.
It will be the top priority–just not right now. Not when your two franchise players are injured and you are in prime position for a top-five draft pick.
The time for chasing wins is over. With nine games remaining in the regular season, the Kings are six games out of the 10th-spot in the Western Conference standings.
By losing Sunday’s game against Phoenix, the Kings leapfrogged the Indiana Pacers to gain sole possession of the fifth spot in the NBA Draft Lottery standings.
Sacramento will cross its fingers for Sabonis’ MRI results. The fact that the center was able to walk himself to the locker room and even remain in the game for a possession is a great sign that there is no structural damage.
Winning games must be a priority for a franchise that has done nothing but lose for almost 20 years, but having Fox and Sabonis in the fold for 2022-23 is already a massive step in the right direction.
It’s time to protect those two and find the right talent to surround them with.
For the final nine games of the season, Sacramento should let Fox and Sabonis heal up and set their sights on the offseason. There are plenty of question marks surrounding the team, some that can be observed over the final stretch of games.
Davion Mitchell has been on a tear over the past five games, having averaged 17.8 points, 3.8 assists, and one steal per game while shooting 46-percent from the field and 44-percent from the three-point line.
With Fox sidelined, Mitchell posted career-highs in points (28), assists (nine), and made three-point field goals (five) during Sunday’s loss.
As a starter this season (10 games), Mitchell is averaging 17.5 points and five assists per game on 44-percent shooting from the field and 37-percent shooting from beyond the arc. With nine games remaining, the Kings should continue to get a long look at their rookie guard and see what role suits him best.
Sacramento could also use an extended look at Donte DiVincenzo, a player that they have longed for since the 2020 offseason, and Trey Lyles, who has been a surprise since being inserted into the starting lineup back on February 28th.
DiVincenzo will be a restricted free agent this summer, while Kings general manager Monte McNair will have the choice of picking up Lyles’ $2.6 million team option for 2022-23.
You know what you have in Fox and Sabonis. It’s time to figure out…well, everything else.
The Kings are in a prime position to grab a top-five pick in the NBA Draft this summer, as they will have a 42.1% chance of jumping into the top four and a 10.5% chance of jumping up to the number-one pick if they can retain their fifth-place spot.
A top-five draft pick would be a massive asset for this franchise, as McNair can choose to select one of the top talents available or dangle it to other teams in trade talks.
Sacramento’s schedule opens up over the final nine games, as they will face Indiana (25-57), Houston (17-54) two times, and Orlando (19-53) during the closing days of the season.
There is no reason to push an injured De’Aaron Fox or Domantas Sabonis. Let players like Mitchell, DiVincenzo, and Lyles get extended looks as an offseason of decisions approaches.
Damian Jones–an unrestricted free agent this summer–is another player to evaluate. Neemias Queta has been impressive while playing down in the G-League. The rookie may get some extended run with the big league club before the end of the season.
Decisions are coming, so now is the time to begin a thorough evaluation of every other player on the Kings roster that is not named De’Aaron Fox or Domantas Sabonis.
Protect your franchise players and shut it down.
