Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis is expected to be out for at least the next 10 days, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania. Shams reports the injury as a right ankle sprain.
This is an encouraging update in some regards, as the injury in the third quarter of Monday’s game looked serious enough that it could have threatened the remainder of the season for Sabonis. On the other hand, 10 days put Sabonis out until the end of March, with only a handful of games remaining in April. “At least 10 days” also means it could take longer to return. Ankle injuries can linger, although Sabonis is tough as nails and we know he’s capable of playing through injuries.
This injury comes at a brutal time for the Kings, as they cling to the 9th seed in the West and are entering a difficult part of their schedule. The Kings will face the Cavaliers, Bucks, Celtics, and Thunder, among others, during the next 10 days. Those would have been hard wins even with Sabonis.
Jonas Valanciunas will be needed in Sabonis’ absence. He’s stepped up and played well this season, both off the bench and when starting for an injured Sabonis. Unfortunately the Kings are still just 3-6 this season in games without Domas.
Get well soon, Domas.
This just sucks. A nail in the coffin of an otherwise shit season.
I wish Sabonis a quick recovery. I love watching the guy play and sadly this team just isn’t as fun without him.
Not to worry! We just signed a 6’4″ guy to a 10-day that’ll more than make up for Domas’ absence!
He’s played 58 games, there are 15 games left in the regular season.
That’s 7 games needed to reach 65 games so that he can be snubbed from All-NBA status by Alperin Sengun or Jaren Jackson, Jr. or Ivica Zubac or Karl Anthony-Townes or Rudy Gobert or Bam Adebayo or Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen.
Not that I care much about these individual awards, but they have to get rid of that 65 game rule.
I can see a not-fully healed Domas (or fill in name) try to rush back to make the cut-off amount of games, only to aggravate his injury.
I’d rather he sit out and recover fully.
I really don’t see Domas as the kind of guy who’d rush back for a chance at individual honors. If anything, he’d do it to try to help the team.
Not a great idea no matter the reasoning, but this sort of feels like a mischaracterization of who Domas is.
I don’t think he’d risk his long term health, but I absolutely think individual awards matter to Domas. I think the All-Star snubs bother him (rightfully so), and All NBA was a chance to get properly recognized.
Domas is also just a guy who plays through anything he can.
It’s a rule with good intentions, but implemented poorly. I get discouraging players from taking 30 rest days per year, and I certainly would not be enjoying the discussion right now of whether Wemby had played enough games for DPOY, but they set the bar a tad high, I think.
I think the rule is perfect. 17 games is a lot to miss(1 in 5 games). Could make the limit 60 games and it would also be okay, I guess, but missing 22 games is over 1 in 4. I think that’s probably too much.
As for Domas this year, I don’t think the game he hurt his ankle counts. Isn’t there a 20 minute minimum or something?
I could not disagree more, I love that these dudes have to play in 65 game to get awards and honors. Availability is best ability
Get well soon, Domas.
At least 10 days. Will be re-evaluated at that point. I don’t see him playing many more games. At least his hamstring will be better by then!
The best thing I ever did for a bad case of plantar fasciitis was to severely sprain the ankle because it forced me to rest, and recover an crutches. I highly recommend that course of treatment.
Even if Domas rushes back, he will get a nice long rest after the play-in!
I’m being a cynic, but there’s the excuse for the season going down the drain, and for not doing much in the offseason. I expect the team to spiral (they already were). The team and its mouthpieces will cherry pick the team’s record with “Christie as coach and Domas healthy” and project that into next season, as an excuse to either not do much, or make lateral moves (move our no-defense iso guards for other no-defense iso guards!) We’ll be right back here next March, possibly with an added Domas trade demand.
And no LaRavia…
And possibly no Lyles.
I saw a trade idea online of Demar for Andrew Nembhard and filler…I’d take it
There are many reasons/excuses to be used for this season. Coaching turmoil before the season even started, firing Brown due to poor record, Fox and his situation, bringing in an interim coach 30 games in to the season, trading Fox, incorporating Lavine and then new bench pieces, Domas and Monk injuries, and then Domas being injured again.
It’s all sitting right there for the team to use. With the current roster, I think a more “swiss army knife” type of player that is a good defender would do wonders in replacing DDR in the starting role. I don’t see that happening, but I think it would help the other 4 starters a lot (think LaRavia but more consistent).
Sure, but the team is going to want to use excuses that aren’t a direct result of their actions, and most of those were exactly that.
They can spin those too! “See Fox, wanted didn’t want to be here. That’s not our fault!” Its just the same crap every year with this organization.
Disappointed…coming to my last home game of the season against Chicago and was really looking forward to seeing Domantas Dominate!
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