The Sacramento Kings are fighting for a spot in the play-in games. After trading away De’Aaron Fox before the deadline, they acquired Zach Lavine to try and stay playoff-relevant. The path may have gotten just a little harder. Over the weekend, Domantas Sabonis left early in the first quarter with a non-contact injury. He limped off the court and did not return. On Monday morning, the team announced he will be sidelined indefinitely with a hamstring strain.
Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis Out Indefinitely
An MRI over the weekend confirmed that Domantas Sabonis has a Grade 1 hamstring strain. There is no timetable for his return, and the Sacramento Kings will reevaluate in a week. Injuries like this take time to heal, and there isn’t much a player can do except rest. However long he is out, the Kings will have big shoes to fill. Sabonis is averaging 19.5 points and a league-leading 14.1 rebounds per game. The team signed center Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract to take the roster spot.
The Sacramento Kings still have plenty of talent on the roster, but this is a huge blow. While many teams run through their point guards, the Kings often run their offense through their center. His passing ability makes him dangerous. He can find shooters and cutters to get easy baskets. The hope is that the strain is not serious and with a week of rest, he can begin to ramp up and make it back on the court soon.
Outlook For The Rest Of The Season
The Sacramento Kings are in the thick of the playoff race. They are ninth in the Western Conference and on a three-game winning streak. However, when you look at the standings, they are only a half-game back from the Los Angeles Clippers, who are sixth. They could avoid the play-in games if they could go on a run. It isn’t going to be easy. They have one of the toughest remaining schedules, having to play some of the best teams in the NBA over the next two months.
There will be more pressure on the duo of Demar DeRozan and Zach Lavine to carry the scoring and playmaking duties. Some other pieces they acquired at the deadline have already shown their worth. Jonas Valanciunas and Jake LaRavia were acquired at the deadline and have already started making an impact. In the game against the Rockets, Valanciunas came in relief and helped the Kings get a key road win. He will likely be more important over the next few weeks.
Final Thoughts
Injuries at this time of year are always tough to deal with. The Sacramento Kings will have to come together under interim head coach Doug Christie if they are going to make the playoffs. Hopefully, they can hold down the fort until Sabonis is healthy.
