NBA India Games 2019: 3 Indiana Pacers players to watch out for
The Indiana Pacers are set to face off against the Sacramento Kings at the NCSI Dome, Mumbai on October 4th and 5th, in what will be the first ever NBA games in India. The pre-season clashes between these two young, talented squads is gathering serious momentum as the country eagerly awaits quality basketball from out West.
Although the Pacers will miss their All-Star Victor Oladipo, who continues rehab from the gruesome knee injury sustained in January, they have ample talent to put on a show for the excited Indian fans.
Led by head coach Nate McMillan, Indiana will be aiming to earn positive results with training camp set to start this week and the regular season less than a month away. Without further ado, let's take a look at three Pacers players most likely to stuff the highlight reels through the two featured games and leave us all wanting more:
#3 Domantas Sabonis
After being drafted as the 11th overall pick in 2016 by the Orlando Magic, Domantas Sabonis has shown noticeable player growth with each passing year. His major breakthrough came when in a Pacers uniform and the 23-year-old hasn't shown any signs of stopping since then.
Just this past season, Sabonis posted impressive averages of 14.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, on a staggering conversion rate of 59% from the field. In the absence of Pacers' go-to man Oladipo, Sabonis took charge of the offense, exhibiting uncharacteristic resilience and poise, leading his team into the postseason as a respectable fifth seed in the East.
His most recent showing in the FIBA World Cup for the Lithuanian national team also proved the 6-foot-11 power forward is unafraid to take hold of the leadership role in crunch situations when called upon.