jamaalstar21 wrote:I kind of feel like saying Doma, but I think I'm feeling contrarian because Bam got so hyped all year and Doma had his contributions diminished due to his playstyle/player type.
I've been a huge fan of both of these guys, Sabonis since his college years (I just really wanted the son of Arvydas to thrive), and Bam since I first saw him switch a pick & roll and realize what a defensive asset he was going to be.
My little pro-Domas breakdown:
- These guys have had such similar numbers and roles on similarly ranked teams, it's a bit much how wide the disparity in their popularity has become. Miami won 2 more games than Indiana. Sabonis was widely perceived as Indiana's best player (with Oladipo out) and Bam has an argument, though I think most people would have Butler in that role. On/off would indicate Sabonis being more singularly important to Indiana's success, but both players grade out well in this way.
- They were both "point centers" playing next to floor generals in Butler and Brogdon, but watching the games, I have a hard time accepting them as equal passers, despite the similar assist numbers. Sabonis' ability to find cutters, activate off-ball shooters and throw unexpected passes is so impressive. Bam's a good passer too, but I'm way more impressed by the degree of difficult passes by Sabonis and the exhibited feel for the game.
- People talk about Bam being a center, and Sabonis forced to play power forward due to his inability to protect the rim, but both these guys were pretty much 50/50 at both positions, with Domas being the one who played more center overall. For 60% of his minutes, Bam was paired with Meyers Leonard or Kelly Olynyk types as the nominal center, where Domas started next to Myles Turner and sometimes Goga.
- I've seen people say Bam is better off the dribble but I don't agree. Bam is way more explosive, so he gets all these face-up dunks and steals leading to transition dunks, but Sabonis has way better handles combined with the actual ability to regularly take pull ups. I think Bam is going to be a good shooter, but right not Sabonis can do things off the dribble that Bam doesn't have in his game. Pocket passes, step backs, one handed passes to cutters... Bam is still mostly operating off athleticism while his skills catch up.
- Nobody thinks Doma is on the same level as Bam as a defender, but he's not bad. His short arms prevent him from being a rim protector, but he's crafty and has decent feet. I'm sure he can be exploited in certain matchups, but this regular season he simply wasn't. Good feet, smart hands. The Pacers actually boasted a strong regular season defense than the Heat, despite the Heat having flashier personnel(Bam, Butler, DJJ and random 10-20 game contributions from Winslow, Iggy, Crowder, Hill) and the Pacers losing Oladipo and playing all their wing minutes to TJ Warren and Doug McDermott.
My even littler pro-Bam breakdown:
- He's a rim protector that can switch onto anyone player in the NBA. Everything he does on offense is secondary to this enormously valuable skill. Having a defender at that level who also bring offensive versatility is such a huge advantage compared to anything Sabonis has in his wheelhouse.
Someone made "point center" videos for both of them, and they're super fun to watch. I think they also highlight Bam's athleticism advantage, and Domas's size and skill advantage.
Even more littler to disagree with, but still I'd pick the other player as the one playing better. Bam's defense is just so versatile en his lack of range is easier to hide than Domas his defense. Domas is decent defensively, but there is a reason our coach often finishes games with only one of Turner or Sabonis. Against the league's elite, Domas struggles to defend every position. That is a huge minus in comparison with Bam. Too huge for me.
To me it's BAM. Extra points for his name
