Touchdown against the Wizards, Domantas Sabonis fractured his right thumb. The most natural and safest solution to cure was obviously the operation. It was discussed for several days on the side of the Sacramento franchise.
Except that going to the pool table also meant staying between four and six weeks in the infirmary. A period far too long for the player, who decided to skip the operation and play despite the pain and injury.
“The summer has been long, expectations are high and everyone has worked,” reminds the Lithuanian for The Athletic. “So missing a lot of games didn’t seem like the right thing to do. I don’t like sitting on the bench, especially in civilian clothes. I’m wasting my time there. If I can play despite that, at least I have to try. »
The Western Conference is incredibly dense and the Kings (18 wins and 15 losses) are in sixth place, as far from first place as the Pelicans from the twelfth Thunder (3.5 successes apart). Playing up to six weeks without Domantas Sabonis, which represents around twenty matches, was therefore to weaken and take the risk of losing a lot of matches and falling in the standings.
“He wants to win and didn’t come for the future, but to win games now”
Domantas Sabonis’ luck is to be hit in the right hand when he is left-handed. He only missed the game after his injury, against Denver, when the medical staff tried to reduce the swelling in his hand.
For his return, still against the Nuggets, he showed no sign of weakness as he posted 31 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
“He has a broken thumb and he plays despite the pain against Nikola Jokic…”admires De’Aaron Fox. “He is there, he is fighting. He goes to the rebound knowing that his hand is going to be hit, hit. It shows its toughness. He wants to win and did not come for the future, but to win matches now. »
Is this really a lasting solution? Will Domantas Sabonis be able to maintain his superb level of play (20.9 points, 15.5 rebounds 7.3 average assists over the last eleven games) despite his injury?
” I try not to think about it “, announces the former Pacers. “The medical staff did a remarkable job. People constantly ask me questions on my thumb, but I answer: ‘Stop asking me’. »
| Domantas Sabonis | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2016-17 | OKAY | 81 | 20 | 39.9 | 32.1 | 65.7 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 5.9 |
| 2017-18 | IND | 74 | 25 | 51.4 | 35.1 | 75.0 | 2.2 | 5.5 | 7.7 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 11.6 |
| 2018-19 | IND | 74 | 25 | 59.0 | 52.9 | 71.5 | 2.5 | 6.8 | 9.3 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 14.1 |
| 2019-20 | IND | 62 | 35 | 54.0 | 25.4 | 72.3 | 3.1 | 9.4 | 12.4 | 5.0 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 18.5 |
| 2020-21 | IND | 62 | 36 | 53.5 | 32.1 | 73.2 | 2.4 | 9.6 | 12.0 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 20.3 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 62 | 35 | 57.3 | 31.2 | 74.1 | 3.2 | 8.9 | 12.1 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 18.9 |
| 2021-22 * | IND | 47 | 35 | 58.0 | 32.4 | 74.0 | 3.3 | 8.8 | 12.1 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 18.9 |
| 2021-22 * | BAG | 15 | 34 | 55.4 | 23.5 | 74.3 | 3.1 | 9.3 | 12.3 | 5.8 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 18.9 |
| 2022-23 | BAG | 31 | 34 | 61.2 | 38.9 | 74.6 | 2.9 | 9.5 | 12.4 | 6.7 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 17.9 |
| Total | 446 | 29 | 53.9 | 32.3 | 73.0 | 2.3 | 7.1 | 9.4 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 14.6 | |
