Domantas Sabonis is arguably one of the best big men in the NBA today. His rebounding is number one in the league in addition to him being one of the top passers around at his size. Add into that his scoring, and you've got one heck of a five.
There are two problems that plague Sabonis, unfortunately. One of them is something he can control while the other is on the Kings. The issue that's on Domantas is his defensive presence. At his size and skill, he should be an elite rim protector. He's not, and it's something he needs to do better at.
The problem that is on the Kings is the big man's backup. They went from having possibly the best secondary center in the league in Jonas Valanciunas to Dario Saric who is definitely not the best anything in the league. The Kings have to address this fast to keep their season on track.
Sabonis needs backup
Sacramento is going into an interesting season. It's the first full season of Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine playing together. It will be Dennis Schroeder's first season as the Kings' point guard. On top of that, it will be interesting to see how Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and Keon Ellis fit in.
With all of this going on, it can be easy to lose track of who is backing up the All-Star center and the team's anchor. Again, Dario Saric is a reasonably okay bench player. But he's not coming off said bench to maintain scoring or pull down rebounds on anything remotely close to Sabonis' level.
Every time Sabonis hits the bench, there will be a dip in production. It is a deficiency that will keep catching up with the Kings over and over again throughout the season. The Kings need to find a five who can hold down the fort when Sabonis is resting and be a defensive presence when needed.