Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox happy to have found each other

Formed during last season, in February, when the Kings tried a gamble to save their season, the duo De’Aaron Fox – Domantas Sabonis started its partnership more concretely this season.

At the center of a team reshuffled around them during the summer, both on the bench and in the ranks of the workforce, the new tandem of the Sacramento franchise was indeed able to benefit from its first joint “training camp”. at the start of the school year, in order to work in more detail on its association, to best guide this team towards, everyone hopes for it in Sacramento, its first playoffs since 2006.

After almost a month and a half of competition in this 2022/23 fiscal year, things are on the right track, since the Kings are currently in 6th place in the Western Conference, with 10 wins for 9 losses.

Under the impetus of his duo “Swipa – Domas” who take great pleasure, match after match, in perfecting their partnership, while the two men are approaching forty matches played (33 matches precisely). ” Simply the way he enjoys distributing the ball, and seeing his teammates have a blast » thus appreciated the leader of the Kings about his friend. ” When the ball is moving well [entre les deux stars]all the other guys are going to say to themselves: ‘Ok, this is serious, here we go’ added the Lithuanian, who always wants to set an example for his teammates.

” I spent time with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in Denver. They are on this same level [de cohésion] even dared their teammate Trey Lyles.

Two profiles that complement each other

On the field, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis obviously form a lethal duo in attack, on “pick-and-roll”. The first is one of the hardest hitting players towards the circle in the league, with an improvement in outside shooting (38.3% on 5.2 shots this season), while the second is a metronome at the low post and at mid-range.

Their two-man game is the center of the Kings’ attack, and they make a point of finding each other as much as possible, while the defenses must “choose their poison” between their respective qualities.

” When we were defending against him [quand il était à Indiana]we made sure that the leader starts the pick-and-roll on the left, because we didn’t want ‘Domas’ to roll on the left “recalls for example the leader of the Kings, who is working, now that the former Pacers is his teammate, to feed him balloons on his left hand. ” But I’m left-handed too. So I reminded him that the defenses often pushed me to go to the right. Which isn’t a problem for me, because he can then drive on the left, and that’s very dangerous. »

For the one who installs the screens, the Lithuanian is defined above all as the right arm of the former Kentucky.

” [Les défenses] sometimes pass over [l’écran], sometimes below, sometimes they choose the ‘blitz’. So I just have to adapt to him. Most of the time I keep the position [de l’écran] for a small additional amount of time, to give him time and space to operate when he exits the screen “he details as well. ” I often repeat to him: ‘I put a screen on you to free you, then you do what you have to do. If you need help, I’ll make myself available. »

But the two teammates also share common traits that bring them closer to the boards, especially in their family life. ” These are more intimate subjects but which we like to discuss. Topics that help get to know each other more than people can imagine confided to De’Aaron Fox.

” We want to show that we can win, on a regular basis. This is the most important, I think. Show that we can put this franchise back on the map. then concluded Domantas Sabonis.