So the Pacers just lost to the Hawks, which, in a single moment, has reduced their status from “fringe contender” to “just another East playoff team”, but out of all the people you could blame for the loss, Domantas Sabonis is not one of them. Instead, you should pin the loss on one of the following players:
T.J. Warren AKA B.J. Giver: 17 points, 5-of-14 shooting
Aaron Holiday AKA Worst Holiday in the NBA: 16 points, 5-of-19 shooting
Myles Turner AKA Evan Turner: 14 points, 2-of-8 shooting
Jeremy Lamb AKA Germy Ham: 12 points, 3-of-10 shooting
Compared to those guys, Sabonis was a beacon of offensive efficiency, going 11-of-15 for 25 points, not to mention his eleven rebounds and four assists. It was a performance that would make the power forwards of old smile and nod their heads approvingly. But when your only help is Justin Holiday, even a winner like Sabonis won’t be able to drag his team to a win.
Since the Pacers should probably be thinking about blowing it up now, I think trading Sabonis to the Bucks for Thon Maker works out in the ESPN Trade Machine. As long as you hack it so that Maker is still on the Bucks.