Ink on Indy
Fansided

Indiana Pacers: New Mock Draft Has Team Taking Domantas Sabonis

By Kyle Nishida

Mar 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11) is defended by Syracuse Orange center DaJuan Coleman (32) and forward Tyler Roberson (right) in a semifinal game in the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11) is defended by Syracuse Orange center DaJuan Coleman (32) and forward Tyler Roberson (right) in a semifinal game in the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

With less than two weeks until the 2016 NBA Draft, NBA writers are hurrying to get their latest mock drafts published. Recently, one writer had the Indiana Pacers selecting Domantas Sabonis with the 20th pick overall.

CBS Sports’ Sam Vecenie thinks Sabonis is a possible draft option for the Pacers, which is a bit odd. Up until this point, Sabonis’ name has been commonly seen within the Top 15 of most NBA mock draft. Vecenie’s mock draft is one of the rare mock drafts that has Sabonis falling outside the Top 15.

Sabonis played two years at Gonzaga University before deciding to turn pro after his sophomore season.  After being a key role player off the bench during his freshmen year, Sabonis started 31 games as a sophomore. He averaged 17.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 0.9 blocks per game in his final season with the Bulldogs.

Sabonis’ potential and college statistics suggest he is a lottery pick, which is why it was strange that Vecenie had the Pacers, a playoff team, drafting with the 20th pick overall.

More from Ink on Indy

In his June 7th mock draft, Vecenie wrote about why Sabonis would fall to the Pacers after he predicting the Utah Jazz would take Sabonis 12th overall a week prior.

"“Sabonis drops a bit from the last mock draft, but realistically his range is anywhere from 12 to 23 or so. He’d be a boon for a Pacers frontcourt that started a wide variety of players last season, including Myles Turner, Lavoy Allen and Jordan Hill at points, and Ian Mahinmi for most of the season. The son of hall of famer Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas is a smart player who rebounds highly effectively and also has great touch around the basket. The key for him will be adding a competent jumper.”"

To be fair, Vecenie was not the only one who thought Sabonis would go to the Pacers. Two weeks ago, ESPN’s Chad Ford had him going to the Pacers too. However, it seems Ford is coming off of that opinion after viewing one of Sabonis’ recent workouts.

Both Vecenie and Ford bring up an important point about Sabonis. While he is an excellent finisher around the rim, he does not have a reliable jump shot yet. In today’s NBA, big men who cannot shoot from the perimeter do not get a lot of playing time.

At the same time, Sabonis is not an elite defender. His 230-pound, 6-10 frame was built to guard traditional post players. However, more and more NBA teams are using smaller, but more athletic power forward. Sabonis has struggled to guard those types of players in college because he is not very athletic. He needs to improve his quickness if he wants to garner a lot of playing time.

Fortunately for Sabonis, he is an excellent rebounder. His size and length work in his favor a lot in rebounding situations. Sabonis also works hard and plays with a lot of intensity on the court. Those aspects alone will force coaches to play him.

The Indiana Pacers could use Sabonis’ inside scoring and rebounding abilities. However, his inconsistent jump shot will be a point of concern for them. His defensive weaknesses are not a huge problem because Nate McMillan is an excellent defensive coach.

Next: Pacers Should Move George Hill to Shooting Guard

The Indiana Pacers have not invited Domantas Sabonis to a pre-draft workout because they probably do not think he will be available for them to take. However, if he somehow fell to them, the Pacers should use the 20th overall pick on him.

Home/Indiana Pacers