Kings coach Mike Brown was already having trouble finding a reliable backup for Domantas Sabonis at the center position, but now he could have a bigger problem.
Brown has experimented with Richaun Holmes, Chimezie Metu, Alex Len and Neemias Queta as backup centers. No one has been able to solidify himself in that role, but now Brown may need someone to start in place of Sabonis, who was having a December to remember before he was injured in Friday’s 125-111 loss to the Washington Wizards.
The Kings have yet to make a formal announcement, but league sources told The Sacramento Bee X-rays confirmed the two-time All-Star suffered an injury to his right hand. Sources said Sabonis would undergo further testing while the team evaluated medical opinions and treatment options over the holiday weekend.
The nature and extent of the injury could be revealed as soon as Monday as the Kings (17-14) prepare to face the Denver Nuggets (20-11) in a back-to-back Tuesday and Wednesday at Golden 1 Center. It is not yet known how much time Sabonis will miss – if any – with sources saying that could depend on pain tolerance or the need to address a more serious injury.
Brown explained what he is looking for when asked about the backup center spot following Friday’s loss to the Wizards. At the time, Brown was describing what the Kings would need from a backup big man logging eight to 10 minutes per game, but now he might have to find a way to fill 48 minutes using some combination of Holmes, Metu, Len and Queta. The Kings could also turn to the free-agent market to sign a player on a 10-day contract beginning Jan. 5.
“I’m going to keep searching,” Brown said. “Nobody has really held onto that spot and played at a high level in that spot, and I’m not looking for points or anything. I’m just looking at playing the right way, not fouling, trying to do what you need to do defensively, rebounding, just simple, basic things, and if you’re able to score and be a vertical threat at the rim, great.
“But we need to be able to spell Domas without our backup center picking up two, three fouls in a six-minute span. Without our backup center getting us hurt in pick-and-roll defense. Our backup center can’t have a matchup against another backup to where we have to think about starting to double-team him. Those things can’t happen at the backup center spot. And he’s got to, obviously, play hard, because the stretch isn’t that long. There’s no reason or need to float or coast during that time, so I’m going to keep searching until I can find that.”
Brown will have to ask for more from his reserves if Sabonis is out. The timing is certainly not ideal with two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic coming to town for two nights. The Kings are in the middle of a six-game homestand during a stretch in which they will play 15 of 19 at home. They opened the homestand with a chance to move eight to 10 games over .500 as they seek to end an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought. So far, they’ve lost winnable games to the Charlotte Hornets and Wizards, and now they may have lost Sabonis.
Sabonis has made a strong case for this third All-Star selection, averaging 20.3 points, 15.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 65.9% from the field and 58.3% from 3-point range. He has posted 10 consecutive double-doubles, including back-to-back triple-doubles in his last two games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Wizards.
No one can match Sabonis’ presence or production, and no one can replicate his role as a facilitator, but someone will have to step in if he is sidelined for any period of time. Here’s a look at the team’s options if Sabonis is out of the lineup.
Neemias Queta
Queta, a 2021 second-round draft pick, is in his second season as a two-way player with the Kings. He is probably the least prepared to step in as Sacramento’s starting center, but he is the player Brown has experimented with most recently in the backup role.
Queta has appeared in only four games this season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest. He had 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with three rebounds in Wednesday’s win over the Lakers, but in his other three appearances he has a total of two points and six rebounds. Queta’s per-36 numbers reveal both his potential and his problem, as he is averaging 17.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 10.1 personal fouls.
Queta has appeared in 19 NBA games over two seasons, logging a total of 145 minutes.
Richaun Holmes
Holmes came to Sacramento to fill a backup role in 2019-20, but he quickly earned the starting job after outplaying free-agent signee Dewayne Dedmon.
Holmes started 136 games over two-plus seasons in Sacramento before the Kings acquired Sabonis last February. He has started 160 of 393 games over eight NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Kings.
Holmes averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks at his peak in 2020-21. This season, he is averaging just 8.6 minutes per game with per-36 averages of 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 0.2 blocks.
Holmes finished with 15 points and five rebounds in a game against the Golden State Warriors while serving as Sabonis’ primary backup in October, but he fell out of the rotation in early November.
Chimezie Metu
Metu served as Sacramento’s backup center for more than a month after Holmes fell out of the rotation.
Metu had some nice moments in that role, including double-figure scoring in wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. Metu abruptly lost his spot in the rotation during the team’s recent six-game road trip after Queta was called up from the G League.
Metu has appeared in 168 games over five seasons in the NBA with 26 starts. He started 20 games for Sacramento last season, averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds. Metu shot 30.6% on 3.1 3-point attempts per game. That isn’t great, but he would provide more floor spacing than Brown’s other available options.
Alex Len
Another possibility is Len. He has appeared in only eight games while logging a total of 25 minutes this season, but he has started 235 of 578 games over 10 seasons in the NBA.
Len has posted per-36 averages of 15.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in limited duty this season. He had his best game in a Nov. 30 win over the Indiana Pacers, finishing with four points, five rebounds and one assist in five minutes.
Len had his best season with the Atlanta Hawks in 2018-19. He appeared in 77 games, including 31 starts, averaging a career-high 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds.
