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21.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists: these statistics are demonstrated this year by a 24-year-old Lithuanian, who leads the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference and is currently in fourth place.
D. Sabonis has already improved his career performance record three times this season (he now reaches 36 points), has exceeded the 30-point limit four times and has accumulated triple-doubles three times.
Photo by Scanpix / Domantas Sabonis
This has not gone unnoticed by fans, other basketball players, and the media.
In the results of the “All Stars” elections announced Thursday night, the name of D. Sabonis appeared in all three decades.
The Lithuanian ranked eighth among the Eastern Conference forwards in fan voting, other basketball players awarded him ninth place, and media representatives rated Lithuania even fourth; in this vote he was only behind Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpas.
On the same night, TNT stars Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson also commented positively on D. Sabonis’ opportunities to play in the All-Star Game; all four added Lithuania to the Eastern Conference reserve list for the All-Star Party.
But not all the media believe that the Pacers wizard deserves to play in the All-Star Game.
John Hollinger, author of The Athletic, said he would “lose his temper if Sabonis were chosen for the All-Star Meeting.”
A respected NBA analyst who developed the Player Efficiency Index (PER) formula, he worked for ESPN for many years and in 2012-2019. He even ran the Memphis Grizzlies organization during his tenure as vice president of basketball operations.
A few days before the announcement of the replacement All-Star basketball players, J. Hollinger evaluated the opportunities for all players to play in the event in Atlanta on March 7 and selected the most valuable basketball players in his opinion.
An American does not see Saboni among them. On the contrary, he broke the Lithuanian candidacy, highlighting his weaknesses and stating that Domas was not even the best player in the front row of his team.
“Don’t get me started with Sabonis. His candidacy for the All-Star game, frankly, is strange. The Pacers play a lot better this year when he’s not on the field; when on the floor, they lose 2.5 points for every 100 attacks. When Sabonis sits on a bench, the Pacers crush their opponents by up to 12.5 points in 100 attacks. On offense, he doesn’t play as well as he did a year ago, missing many more easy shots from under the basket, and on defense, opponents openly chase him. The only argument that helps him is that the Pacers have won more than they have lost (15 wins and 14 losses – Past ed.), But that’s why we should bring another player to the All-Star game. Sabonis isn’t even the best player on the Pacers. Myles Turner’s bid for the defensive pillar is much stronger, “Hollinger wrote in The Athletic text.
Sabonis isn’t even the best player on the Pacers.
His sharp comments caused a lot of confusion among Pacers fans on Twitter, but the former NBA team leader also received support.
Last year, journalist Nate Duncan, who called Sabonis “the worst participant in the All-Star Match”, did not miss the opportunity to speak this time, stating after “the Hollinger recording that” someone has to tell this truth. .
Excluding one Lithuanian, J. Hollinger selected the Eastern Conference Seven Reserves: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo (both Miami Heat), Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown (both Boston Celtics), James Harden (Brooklyn Nets), Chris Middleton ( Milwaukee Bucks) and Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers).
“Scanpix” nuotr./Jimmy Butleris ir Bamas Adebayo
Among the more realistic candidates to replace one of these players, the analyst also named Nikol Vučevičius (Orlando Magic), Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks) and Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls).
Whether D. Sabonis will play in the All-Star Game will be announced next Tuesday, when the head coaches for the Eastern Conference teams will be revealed.
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