13 months ago, the Kings took a huge gamble by getting rid of Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley to recover Domantas Sabonis from Indiana. A real gamble, reinforced by the recruitment of Kevin Huerter and the commitment of Mike Brown as coach.
Three weeks from the end of the regular season, this bet is about to be won since the Kings have a record of 43v-28d. Well established on the Western Conference podium, the franchise is about to taste the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Seventeen years of waiting, for a franchise that has experienced the lows in recent seasons .
De’Aaron Fox took his troubles patiently
Seventeen years of frustration, of which the last six have undoubtedly been the most painful with four different coaches, and above all this huge ball in the 2018 Draft: choosing Marvin Bagley III in 2nd place, instead of Luka Doncic!
So many adventures and instability that finally survived De’Aaron Fox, drafted by the franchise in 2017. Completely freed by the departure of Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, he now has the keys to the franchise, and has achieved the best season of his young career with 25.5 points, 6.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds on average. Statistics that allowed him to be All-Star for the first time.
“I wouldn’t say I can’t believe we’re here today, but I sometimes think to myself that we’ve come a long way” recognizes De’Aaron Fox. “A lot of things happened. A lot of things didn’t work out. But I always knew it would take time to win.”.
Domantas Sabonis wanted to change the face of the franchise
On the pitch, Fox has finally found his alter ego, and so it’s Domantas Sabonis, also named All-Star this season. Strong winger in Indiana, the Lithuanian proved to be a “center point” to the point of turning to 7 assists on average! Only two pivots have crossed this bar in history: Wilt Chamberlain and… Nikola Jokic. Author of 12 “triple-doubles” this season, Sabonis admits that he was the first surprised to see that Fox entrusted him with the keys to the Kings’ attack on place play, and even transition.
“I was very surprised because he’s been in this franchise forever. It’s his team. He really let me. There aren’t many franchise point guards who let their center back up the ball. He runs by my side, he puts screens on me” says Domantas Sabonis. “That’s what surprised me the most. That’s what made the transition so easy. None of us care who is who. We just want to win”.
Like many observers, Sabonis was dubious when he learned of his transfer to the Kings. Not easy to join a team that has the record for the longest series without playoffs, and whose management has never wanted to work over time. Even Kings fans had their doubts about the trade since Haliburton was a fan favorite. But his agent, Greg Lawrence, explained to him that everything could go very quickly in the NBA, and that more than 15 years ago, Sacramento was a privileged destination. At the same time, it was Golden State that did not attract anyone…
“That’s how things can change” explains Domantas Sabonis. “As a competitor, there’s nothing I love more than a challenge: helping change the future of a franchise. It was all very exciting. It added spice to my career.”.
Today, Domantas Sabonis is no longer the subject of criticism from fans, and he is even adored. Like others before him, he used comments and teasing as motivation.
“I know what I bring as a player” concludes the Lithuanian. “The Kings wanted me. They wanted to build the team around Fox and me. The goal was to change the franchise. The comments didn’t matter. What mattered was the affection the Kings had for me.”.
An “affection” which continues to grow, and which could lead to qualification for the playoffs, even with home advantage! Unexpected 13 months ago, and even at the start of the season.
