One NBA writer voted Sacramento Kings' Domantas Sabonis for multiple accolades
By Matt John
A few weeks back, many were puzzled by the fact that Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis received a vote for two separate award races: Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. After the NBA released the voting results for the 2023-24 season, we now know why.
Now that the NBA has revealed which players won what awards and whatnot, they have now also who voted for Sabonis for those awards. More than that, he also voted Sabonis in for more awards than MVP and DPOY.
Writer Ignacio Garcia of MARCA voted for Sabonis in four separate award ballots. He voted Sabonis for first-team All-NBA. He voted Sabonis for first-team All-Defense. He voted Sabonis No. 3 for Defensive Player of the Year. Finally, he voted Sabonis No. 4 for Most Valuable Player.
Sabonis made third-team All-NBA but didn't receive much love, if any, in the other award ballots. Evidently, Sabonis' play has resonated with Garcia. While voters and fans may disagree with his assessment of the Kings center, the fact remains that Sabonis had another spectacular season with the Kings.
Domantas Sabonis Had Another Excellent All-Around Performance for the Sacramento Kings
The votes that Sabonis received in each award ballot ranged from valid to questionable to downright laughable. However, there's no questioning how good he was in his second full season with the Kings.
Sabonis still ranks among the league's very low-post threats. He almost eclipsed the 60% mark from the field. On top of that, he led the league in rebounds - a career-high 13.7 a game - and averaged a career-high 8.2 assists a game. Oddly enough, his stats earned him another All-NBA appearance but not an All-Star appearance.
Knowing the votes he received also works against Sabonis, as the Kings missed the NBA Playoffs. That's not a good look for him, but on the plus side, the Kings didn't have much of a dropoff from last season, and he'll have the chance to prove himself worthy of the love he received in the award races.
Even if no one in their right mind would ever vote for him for any awards pertaining to exclusively defense.