Now that the Sacramento Kings 2024-25 NBA Season is behind us, it is time to take stock of the players we have on the roster heading into next season. To do this, we need to discuss how they looked this year and how they can build on it in the future. So, over the next couple of days, we are going to go over each key returning player for next year and assign them a grade for their production in 2024-25.
Now, without further ado, let the grading begin.
Domantas Sabonis 2024-25 Season
As many of you are painfully aware, this season did not go as planned for the Kings. However, Domantas Sabonis continued to prove why he was the team's best player.
On the season, he finished with the 37th-best Estimated Plus-Minus output in the entire NBA (per Dunks & Threes), which is right around where he was in 2023-24 (34th). He also finished with the highest on/off rating (+5.6 per 100 possessions) of anyone on the team who played at least 100 minutes.
His scoring rate (20 points per 75) and true shooting percentage (65.6%) were both slightly better than what he did last year. Sabonis also shot better around the rim and from downtown than in 2023-24. Speaking of 3-point percentage, Sabonis took steps toward becoming a credible stretch big. Of the 284 players who took at least 100 threes this season, Sabonis finished 22nd in 3-point percentage (41.7%).
Sabonis also lived up to his moniker as Mr. Double-Double. This season, Sabonis notched 61 double-doubles, making it the third straight year he's had over 60 of these types of games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Sabonis is only the sixth player since the ABA-NBA merger to pull this off.
Sabonis' usual problems are still there, though. His lack of rim protection (6th percentile block rate among bigs, per Cleaning the Glass) at the center spot makes it hard for the Kings to be a good defensive team when he is on the floor. The Kings finished 23rd in defensive rating this year, with Sabonis being third on the team in total minutes.
Also, while Sabonis made strides toward being a better floor spacer, he still is no Brook Lopez. Even with his impressive percentage, he was only in the 12th percentile in 3-point attempts per 75. Sabonis also lost a piece of his iron man badge, missing double-digit games (12) for the first time in his three full seasons with the Kings.