Top NBA Draft Prospect Models His Game After Kings' Sabonis

The NBA Draft is quickly approaching with less than two months until 60 names are announced as the league's next generation. Many of these draft prospects have grown up with dreams of sharing the court with some of their favorite players and the best in the world. Izan Almansa, an 18-year-old from Spain, is just months away from competing in the same league as two of his favorites.

Almansa sat down with HoopsHype to talk about his journey to the NBA and what players he has watched and tried to model his game after:

"Right now, I watch a lot of Domantas Sabonis to take a lot of things from his game," Almansa said. "I like to watch Al Horford too. Yeah, those are like the two guys who can play outside and inside the paint well, and they can initiate the offense. They can do a little bit of everything and that’s what I look up to."

Almansa is a 6-foot-10 big man who spent the last season with G League Ignite and is currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. When many up-and-coming prospects answer the question about who they model their game after, Sabonis is certainly not a common answer, but it is not surprising either.

Sabonis is coming off a historic season, leading the league in double-doubles, triple-doubles, and rebounds, while setting the record for most consecutive double-doubles since the ABA/NBA merger. If Almansa's stock continues to rise, he could be a potential target for the Sacramento Kings, who will likely hold the 13th pick in the draft barring a lottery shake-up.

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