Anyone who follows the NBA knows that Domantas Sabonis is the top rebounder in the league. Yet, the Sacramento Kings are somehow one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. It's a contradiction that boggles the mind, and something Sacramento needs to fix if they want the Play-In.
When it comes to rebounds, Sabonis is the bee's knees. He's been the NBA's leading rebounder for three straight seasons, one half of his standard season double-double average. He's well on his way towards another rebounding title in 2025-2026, as long as he stays remotely healthy.
So far, Sabonis is averaging 14.2 rebounds per game, and he's only played six games so far. The next closest players are Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, each at 12.9 per game. Keep in mind that both Jokic and Giannis have played eight games.
Everyone else near the top of the list for rebounding this season has played eight, nine, or ten games in one case. Sabonis is still absolutely wrecking them at cleaning the glass. That makes it even more confusing that the Kings are close to the NBA's worst rebounding team.
The Kings need to figure out how to rebound and fast
As it stands right now, the Kings as a team are averaging 39.7 rebounds per game, which puts them almost dead last in the NBA. The only team worse is the Brooklyn Nets at 39.1. The Kings were actually last unless the Nets somehow found a way to take things down a notch recently.
It's not like other Kings don't rebound. Russell Westbrook is known for his rebounding, which is how he collected so many triple-doubles and double-doubles. In the Kings' win over the Warriors, Russ had 16 rebounds. Frankly, the whole team did well, pulling down a total of 47.
What's interesting is that Sabonis was out with an injury, meaning he wasn't there to pick up his standard 14.2. The issue might actually be Sabonis. Other members of the Kings' roster give him a lot of room to rebound, and don't always chase them down. They are essentially deferring to him.
That only works if Domantas collects every single rebound, which he simply can't. The Kings cannot expect Sabonis and Westbrook to do all the heavy lifting in this area. They need to get in there and mix it up. Why? Because their opponents are getting those rebounds and turning them into wins.