Sabonis — Playmaking 4?

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

When Domas Sabonis came into the league, he was heralded for the very things Enes Kanter is good at — rebounding and post moves. However, the paint has been a difficult feeding ground for him so far. Sabonis lacks the length and hops to elevate over his defenders, and has often been reduced to camping along the baseline while Westbrook and Adams run high pick-and-rolls. Because of that, it sometimes seems like his old ‘bread and butter’ has failed him.

Still, Sabonis has defied scouting expectations and adjusted his game such that he might just be the Thunder’s most intriguing young piece. Ironically, what Kanter has recently been doing with the second unit is starting to look like Sabonis’ future. In Victor Oladipo’s absence, Kanter capitalized on his post ability to create open looks for his teammates. This is encouraging from the young Turk, but make no mistake, Kanter is not going to be your ‘playmaking 4.’

On the other hand, Sabonis has the potential to be just that.

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Sabonis may lack elite athleticism, but his shooting potential and basketball IQ are surprising for a rookie. His player ceiling should be revised, as he has the potential to be a mix of Julius Randle and Kevin Love.

Right now, Sabonis is already comfortable putting the ball on the deck while he surveys the court. Randle does a good job of keeping his head up on drives, and if Sabonis picks that up, he can be a decent drive-and-kick threat.

Meanwhile, Kevin Love is an elite three-point shooter, with enough post moves to command a double team. Sabonis already has some good post moves, and matching Love’s shooting should not be a problem. The next step, then, is to emulate Love’s passing. Love is actually an underrated passer, both from the low and high post. Like Love, Sabonis needs to learn to make good reads, and to find the open man.

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What binds all this together is his basketball IQ. Many young players rely on their athleticism to help them make up for bad decisions, but Sabonis does not have that luxury. Instead, what will give him breathing room is the the space he will receive because of his shooting. But ultimately, what makes him a viable threat to become a playmaking 4 is his understanding of the game. He does not yet have the passing, but it should come. If he can combine both these aspects of Randle and Love, Sabonis can become a nice third option for his team.

This is what makes him a good fit in the starting lineup. Adams already occupies the low post, and the team is made up of athletic slashers without much shooting. If he really develops his passing, Westbrook-Sabonis pick-and-pops can, and should, become a thing. He will be a threat both from beyond the perimeter or to return the pass to Westbrook as he darts into the paint.

This is all long-term, but if Sabonis can pick some of this up this season, even if the pick-and-pop does not work out yet, it will at least free up the paint a bit more. Finding space for himself or Adams will become so much easier for Westbrook if this can happen.