Why Sabonis is excited for Duarte reunion on Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
During the NBA offseason, the Kings acquired Chris Duarte from the Indiana Pacers, hoping his potential as a scorer would bode well with their prolific offense.
Duarte, entering his third NBA season, is following in the footsteps of his close friend and former Pacers teammate Domantas Sabonis, who is excited to reunite with the 26-year-old on the Kings.
In an interview with NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper at Kings Media Day on Oct. 2, Sabonis explained why he’s thrilled to play with Duarte again and what sticks about the young talent.
“Who am I most excited about as a player? Chris Duarte,” Sabonis told Draper. “You know, I had a great year with him his rookie year in Indy. He didn’t play much last year because of injuries, but he’s a guy who can really play. I think he’ll open a lot of eyes, given the chance.”
Sabonis assisted on 43 of Duarte’s converted field goals during the 2021-22 NBA season before the All-Star center was traded to the Kings, which remained the highest figure of any Pacer during Duarte’s rookie campaign.
Duarte also averaged 13.1 points during his first year, compared to 7.9 points during his second season without Sabonis. The dip in his productivity is likely due to the minutes without the All-NBA big man, which was a trend before he faced injury.
Besides being ecstatic about having Duarte healthy and in Sacramento, Sabonis marveled at the former Pacers’ comportment, specifically recalling what he saw during their one year together in Indiana.
“[Chris’s] calm,” Sabonis told Draper. “Calm, poised. [He’d] never jump in the air, always on two feet. He’s under control. That’s crazy. For a guy that gets buckets and stuff like that, he was always under control. He wasn’t afraid of the big moments. I don’t know how many buzzer-beaters he had, but it was a lot. So, he’s definitely a guy who can get a bucket. We actually have a lot of those guys, but, doesn’t hurt to add more.”
Duarte has stood tall in late-game situations throughout his career, a desired characteristic for a Kings team that is getting reacclimated to the intense NBA playoff scene.
His ability to score also makes matters easier, with Duarte having five games of 25-plus points under his belt.
The Sabonis-Duarte pairing is threatening when available, and the Kings are eager to rejuvenate the connection.
So far, in his first two preseason games, the Kings’ new weapon has posted 14 points on 46-percent shooting.
Duarte also has impressed defensively, earning praise from coach Mike Brown for his performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at Honda Center in Anaheim.
“I thought he was really, really good on the ball in the pick-and-roll game,” Brown told reporters after Friday’s practice. “I thought his defensive effort and play was at a high level during that last game.”
Durate will continue gaining familiarity with Sacramento’s scheme, as the Kings face the Warriors on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.
Although a preseason game, Sacramento hopes their new talent will help the team light the beam for the first time in his career.
Regardless, Kings fans will have the opportunity to watch Duarte hoop for the first of many times on the home hardwood.