Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis has the Game and the Pedigree

You know you are getting old when you see the sons of players you grew up watching take the court in college.

That is how Gonzaga power forward Domantas Sabonis is making hoop heads feel who are watching him terrorize the West Coast Conference.

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See, people like myself remember when his father Arvydas Sabonis was a highly sought after player during the 80’s.

We remember when Arvydas finally came to the NBA linking up with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996, a full decade after being drafted by the Blazers in 1986. We also remember that his athleticism was diminished by the time he hit the league due to injuries, robbing basketball fans of the opportunity to see him play during his prime.

Arvydas Sabonis was a great passer from the post, a magician with some of the dimes he would drop on his opponents at 7-foot-3.

Being drafted in 1986 was out of necessity for Portland because in that era teams had to contend with centers such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parrish, Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and then David Robinson and Shaquille O’neal when they hit the league.

Arvydas was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and to this day, fans of the NBA wonder what kind of damage Arvydas Sabonis could have done if he had spent his prime years playing in the U.S..

But we don’t have to wonder what his son Domantas Sabonis is going to do in the NBA because it is going to be on full display as soon as he is drafted into the league.

Jan 29, 2015; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11) goes up for the dunk against Portland Pilots guard Bobby Sharp (11) during the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs won 64-46. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Domantas Sabonis for those who don’t know is one of the best power forwards in the college game.

Last season he was a major cog in helping the Zags’ get to the Elite Eight where they lost to the eventual National Champion Duke Blue Devils.

Domantas had a strong freshman campaign averaging 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds on 66.8% shooting from the floor.

At 6-foot-10, 231 pounds, he has a lot of the skillset that you saw from his father. He has sound footwork in the block which he is able to use to get buckets inside as well as being a decent interior passer.

The thing that separates him from his father is that he runs the floor like a gazelle which enables him to be an excellent finisher on the break. He is also able to use his speed to defend players out on the perimeter.

The issue with Domantas Sabonis game is that he does not have range beyond 15-feet which in this day and age of the NBA is seen as a sin.

He has no way of stretching the floor for anyone offensively which also means that there is no variation to what he can do on plays where he sets a pick.

He might be able to set a pick and cut to the basket, but there is no pick-and-fade possibilities with his game.

Hopefully during the college off season, Domantas Sabonis developed a shooting stroke with some range on it because on the next level he will be asked to have some way of stretching the floor from the four-spot.

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When it comes down to it, Sabonis could develop into a strong defender on the pro level similar to Andrei Kirilenko which will get you a double-digit NBA career and a few NBA contracts.

The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that he is going to be a first round draft pick when he declares for the NBA Draft barring any setbacks.

He is seen as a Top 10 pick according to NBADraft.net, and seen as the 22nd best pro prospect by Draft Express.

Domantas Sabonis is part of a Gonzaga frontcourt that also has NBA prospects Kyle Wiltjer and Przemek Karnowski. They easily comprise one of the best frontlines in the college games that you will see in 2015-16.

It would be nice to see some growth in Domantas Sabonis game. Maybe that growth can get Gonzaga over the hump and into the Final Four.

Next: Coach K Has Mastered Recruiting in the One-And Done Era

2016 NBA Draft Radar: Gonzaga’s Domantas Sabonis has the Game and the Pedigree

By James Fitzgerald | Sep 28, 2015

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