While scrolling Twitter this morning I came across a pretty incredible story. Jordan Clarkson notched a triple double for the Utah Jazz on Monday, ending a Jazz triple-double drought. No Jazz player had notched a triple-double in the regular season since 2008! Two Thousand and Eight! Over 15 years!
JORDAN CLARKSON HAS DONE IT!!
One of the longest-running NBA droughts is officially over.
For the first time since February 13th, 2008: a Utah Jazz player has recorded a regular season triple-double. pic.twitter.com/spZ8Z3OUGU
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 2, 2024
Meanwhile, here in Sacramento, we have a triple-double machine named Domantas Sabonis. Domas notched a triple double in Sunday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, finishing with 13 points, 21 rebounds, and 12 assists. Mirann highlighted it in her recap, of course, but outside of Sacramento it wasn’t much more than a brief blip on the radar. It was Sabonis’ 6th triple double of this season! It was his 20th triple double since joining the Kings less than 2 years ago. Sabonis just regularly stacks up stats and helps the Kings win.
Sabonis is currently tied with Luka Doncic for second-most triple doubles this season, while Nikola Jokic leads the league with an absurd 11 triple-doubles already this year.
I don’t really have a large point other than to remind ourselves how good Sabonis is, how much he helps the Kings, and how lucky we are to root for him on a nightly basis.
Probably the most consistent effort of any NBA player and a great screener that brought a unselfish playing attitude that has helped changed the culture !
JK JK, I love them both!
Sabonis is so low key that it’s easy to forget how incredible he is. Halli has been great for Indy, but if we hadn’t made that trade, we will still be wondering how many years it would be until we made the playoffs.
Gotta keep Ox feeling the love!
Wow that ox is nearly as big as Domas!
Ref, call a foul on that old Celtic. He’s got a hand on Ox’s back!
i hope that someone shares this article with Domas. people never get their flowers while they can still smell em
Good time for a little recognition! Monk was named Malik of Maliks for the Grizzlies game and I was thinking how sad it is that Domas couldn’t get that title after a 21 freaking rebound triple double! It just shows how much we take his performance for granted. He out-rebounded the next 4 Kings combined and out-rebounded the top 3 Grizzlies. The man is just a beast.
He’s also won awards from Army.
Overrated, Hali is way better. Only an All-Star because of lack of good centers out there and importance of center is way less than ever. His on/off plus minus stats aren’t that good or elite, he’s nowhere near the top of any advanced metrics. The weak defense and average offense is obvious to the eyeball test. Really good rebounder and great passer but that doesn’t mean he’s a great player or All-Star. He needs to score more and step the D up a bit and I’ll be on-board for him as an All-Star. I love this team and I’m totally happy supporting him as our guy but I keep it real over sentimentality. He’s not elite and the team needs to find a bonafide second star or some more really good players that can defend.
Sabonis currently leads the team in box plus/minus at 5.6. Fox is next at 5.2.
Sabonis also leads the team in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player, a WAR-like number) at 2.1. Fox is next at 1.6.
Sabonis currently has a net rating of +13, which also leads the team.
A review of these stats and others can be found at BasketballReference.com: https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAC/2024.html
Understanding your desire to “keep it real over sentimentality,” the stats noted above are correct and are without bias.
I totally agree. NBA basketball is a buisnes and that’s the way it is and continues to be. My favorite player is Monk but he could be traded this year. I hope not because he loves playing in Sacramento but if he does then so be it. It’s what’s good for the franchise not the player.
Hali is no better. They both are great but if it weren’t for Sabonis we would not be in the playoffs. To have both Hali and Fox playing along side is counter productive. Monty made the right trade. Period!
I agree with this. Fox wouldn’t be scoring 30 per game and Hali wouldn’t be dishing 12 assists per night. They were not an optimal fit together. It reminds me when we traded Corliss Williamson for Doug Christie. Not only did we get a hustle guy and great defender, but it opened up the SF position for Peja. Sometimes trades can be good for both teams. Case in point the recent trade between the Raptors and Knicks. Both teams will be better because they will have better balance (and no way were the Kings going to get what the Knicks got from Toronto. They simply didn’t have those assets).
I eagerly await your piece about how Ja Morant and DeJounte Murray are infinitely superior to Fox, and how Malik Monk is strictly a typical rotation guy because he doesn’t start.
EAGERLY.
So, just “really good” and not great? Okie dokie.
https://www.nba.com/stats/players/advanced-leaders
Sabonis is 10th in the NBA’s Player Impact Estimate.
Player Impact Estimate aka PIE, is a metric to gauge a player’s all-around contribution to the game. Almost all statistical categories in the box score are involved in the PIE formula. PIE answers what % of the events in a game each player contributed.
You had me at pie, Greg.
I do NOT take pie for granted. Especially Papaya Pie.
and it’s not even March 14th!
For me, when I watch hoop, I want to see intensity. No chest thumping, whooping, flexing intensity – after a play, always – but game playing intensity. Domas works his butt off, plays every play, and seems to never let up. He is a leader. He is a winner. Sac is lucky to have him.
I don’t really understand the negativity of this post. First, the only adjective Greg used in relation to Domas was the word “good”, not “elite”, though I’m not sure what exactly qualifies as elite to you. He was third team all-NBA last year, which seemed like an appropriate placement. I wouldn’t call him a superstar but the word “elite” most certainly applies to him.
I’m genuinely confused by this comment: the team needs to find a bonafide second star. Are you saying that Sabonis is a star and that the number 5 scorer in the NBA is not our second star? Or are you saying that Fox is a star and that Sabonis is just an ordinary player?
While I can agree that we need more defensive-minded players, I just don’t get being negative in response to a post that marvels at the incredible stats Domas has posted. It’s okay to take a moment to celebrate the person who (in my opinion) will likely end up being the best center to put on a Sacramento Kings jersey. Dude transformed us from perennial loser to playoff contender.
Two notes:
“importance of center way less than ever” – interesting perspective but I can’t see how that is true. It is way more important than five years ago, and certainly ten. Embiid and Jokic are the two most imposing players in the NBA, and the entire league is getting bigger. The number one team in the west is starting two centers in Towns & Gobert, and the Bucks effectively do the same with Brooks & Giannis
“lack of good centers” – I can’t remember the last time each team in the league had a quality starting center, it is more talent laden at center than any era since the eighties.
Top tier MVP quality:
Jokic
Embiid
Elite:
Davis, Sabonis, Adebayo
Plus starters:
Towns
Gobert
Porzingis
Future all-star/all NBA:
Wemby
Holmgren
Sengun
then a bunch of productive, competent players around the same productivity, who have different strengths and weaknesses, but all good:
Lopez
Vooch
Turner
Mobley
Allen
Valencuinas
Claxton
Ayton
Nurkic
Capella
Poeltl
Zubac
Carter Jr.
Reid
strong young talent:
Kessler
Duren
Williams
Okongwu
Lively
and three strong players in Adams, Robinson, and Williams lll who are all out for the year.
I did not list those in order, but what is the bottom of the “competent” tier? Poeltl? Zubac? that would make them the 25th best center in the NBA?
Who was the 25th best center in the league in 2012? Omer Asik? Chris Kaman? Byron Mullens?
In 1999? Dickey Simpkins? Vitaly Potapenko? Tony Battie? What?
I was also confused (easy to do, I know) by the comment that Sabonis was only an all-star due to the lack of good centers. First, the NBA no longer requires that centers be named to AS teams, so this is not a Jamal Magloire situation. And if the argument is that Sabonis is a rare bird and benefits from that, then this would make the Kings even more fortunate to have him. But again, I am easily confused.
You wrote confused twice. And that makes three of us confused.
Another triple-double!
Idk about “easily” confused. It sure seems like you figured out pants these last few years.
It started getting drafty.
Underrated. I would not be watching Kings games this year or the last had not Domas almost singlehandedly transformed the Kings into a winner. He is the glue that holds the team together- starting with assists. Without him the Kings would never sniff a.500 season.
I agree that hali is better. It’s a fact that sabonis is for sure an All Star lol. I think he is elite in his role on this team. To be considered a top 3 or 5 big man he needs to show up in the playoffs and win.
Appreciate you, Sabonis!
Someday he will have his jersey up in the G1C rafters, alongside Fox.
I love and appreciate Vlade, and DeMarcus was a huge talent, but Domas will be at the top of Sac Kings centers when it’s all said and done. Placing a credit card bet of $20 on it.
(and uh, shoutout to Duane Causwell. Yeah!)
I agree. He will be an all time great for Sacramento.
Definitely going to be on the Mt. Rushmore of all-time Sacramento era Centers along with Vlade, Tank Thompson, and probably Olden Polynice.
Needs an extra spot for George Jefferson đŸ˜‰
HOF for his footwork!
What an Icon.
Top 10 Male Sitcom character ever? He should be. Might be top 5.
George Jefferson
Archie Bunker
Sam Malone
Michael Scott
Bob Newhart
Runner up’s I suppose could be George Costanza and Jack Tripper.
Your blatant disregard for leaving out Giorgios Papagiannis is very perturbing.
reminder: 2016 NBA draft.
Kings trade #8 for 13 and 28.
Domantas Sabonis at #11
Giorgios Papgiannis at #13, Skal Labessiere at #28 (and Malachi Richardson at #22)
Sabonis dominates against smaller opponents. A lot of times struggle against guys that’s bigger, including unknown bench players. On D, the team struggles when it’s against long athletic wing players with him at the 5. That’s the bad. The good is! Sabonis is a top 5 big man, the second best passing big man, the best rebounding big man, the best big man at setting screens.
Sabonis is going to help the Sacramento Kings win a lot of games until he is 31, I hope he takes the al Horford route after that. Let’s enjoy big fella. Let’s enjoy the wins. We are not a championship team without the 4 and back up 3 being fixed. We are a playoff team for the next 5 years with sabonis. I will still love to see him at the 4 if we ever can find our brook Lopez. Happy to say I got his jersey for Christmas.
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