With the anticipation surrounding the All-Star event reaching an all-time high, Jason Williams recently reflected on the player selection. In the latest episode of The OGs, White Chocolate caught the attention for claiming Domantas Sabonis deserved a spot in the game. The 48-year-old candidly backed the Sacramento Kings star before sharing the reasons behind his viewpoint.
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Initially, the 2006 champion showcased his dislikeness towards the word “snub” as he compared it to “garbage time”.
“Them dudes ain’t garbage bro. Them dudes are 400 of the best basketball players in the world. Some guys out there are trying to earn a check or maybe earn a living for next year. So the snub thing, I don’t like that,” the former point guard added.
Then, the 6ft 1″ icon shed light on the immense level of competition, highlighting, “Who do you take off? Because them dudes probably deserved it too”.
Williams backed the Kings center by sharing his numbers from this season,
“Sabonis to me should for sure be an All-Star. 34 double-doubles this year out of 40-50 games. That’s crazy. But who am I? I’m glad I don’t have a vote”.
Despite offering a nuanced perspective, the words of the former Kings guard put into focus the contributions of the 27-year-old. In 54 games, the 6ft 10″ star has recorded 50 double-doubles and 18 triple-doubles. Averaging 20.1 points per game, 13.2 rebounds per game, and 8.3 assists per game, the Oregon-born remains a leading figure in the league.
At the same time, the scenario emphasized the competitiveness of the NBA. A total of six other players are also averaging 20+ points per game and 10+ rebounds this season. Amongst them, four have been selected as starters, one as a reserve while one other failed to make the team. Therefore, the current criteria involve more than just individual brilliance as Sabonis awaits his fourth selection.
A glimpse into the development of Domantas Sabonis
The 3x All-Star has been undergoing a transformation since the beginning of the previous campaign. Featuring 79 games, the 2016 draft pick averaged a career-high 12.3 rebounds per game while scoring 19.1 points per game in the regular season. As a result, he became integral to the franchise’s qualification to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
This season, the center has been able to build on that as he leads the NBA in several stats. His double-double and triple-double record in this campaign has ranked him at the top of the list in both of those categories. On top of that, Sabonis is currently averaging a career-high field goal percentage of 62.2% while achieving a similar feat in assists (8.3) and rebounds (13.2).
Thus, his exclusion from the All-Star event shocked the majority of the NBA world with his teammate De’Aaron Fox being one of them. “I think in every MVP tracker he is in the top 10. So, if you look at all those, I think he is the only guy in the top 10 of an MVP tracker that’s not an All-Star. So, that’s definitely more surprising,” he earlier revealed.
Therefore, the concerns raised by Williams remained justified to a large extent. Sabonis’ exceptional contributions to his team in aiding them remain on a 31-23 run probably deserved acknowledgement in the form of an All-Star selection. Yet, going forward, the exclusion could serve as a source of motivation for Sabonis.
