Dario Saric Update and Analysis

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA;

Dario Saric

(Croatia) reacts after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Dario Saric Update and Analysis

We know he’s coming. We hope he’s coming. We await his arrival. It’s a wait as torturous as asking a child to wait for the eventual arrival of Christmas morning. So you can understand the fanbase needing some reassurances. As reported yesterday by Sports Illustrated, Dario Saric is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers next season:

After waiting patiently the past two seasons to see Saric in a 76ers uniform, fans will finally get to see their wishes fulfilled.  Saric will give a major boost to the team seeing that the Sixers have been a bottom three team in the 13-14′ season, 14-15′ season and will most likely be again by the end of this season.

Saric was voted by NBA GM’s in October as the best international player not in the NBA according to NBA.com.  This is amazing praise considering how many foreign basketball players there are. He also won that title the year before (tied with Rudy Fernandez the year before at 32% of the votes). For all the talk of Ben Simmons of LSU recently by Sixer fans, Saric is kind of like the hidden version of Simmons who the Sixers have already have in Sam Hinkie’s international stable.  Although Simmons is two years younger and more athletic, Saric  is a much better shooter right now. They are both about 6’10 according to DraftExpress.com and could both be considered as a “Point Forward” where they have the body of a big man, but they have the athleticism to enable him to run the offense occasionally like a point guard.

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This is just a glimpse of what Saric can do on the court:

Saric is having an amazing start to his 2015-16′ season. Via Basketball-Reference.com, Per 36 minutes he is averaging 19.8 points per game (PPG), 10.2 rebounds per game (RPG), 2.9 assists per game (APG), 1.2 steals per game (SPG), and 0.8 blocks per game (BPG). He is shooting 53.8% from the field, 45.5% from three-point land, and 88.2% from the free-throw line. That is efficiency at it’s best.  It’s likely to take a long adjustment period for any two of Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel to play effectively together, but with Saric’s passing and shooting, he could step right in and boost the performance of each of those three play as soon as he steps on the court. He provides spacing to allow the other big man he is playing with to operate in the post, passes well enough to get them the ball, or simply pulls the ball down and scores himself.

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If everything happens according to plan, Saric should be the Sixer’s version of Golden State Warrior Draymond Green, who is the warrior “glue guy” – the player who ties the team together.  Virtually all championship teams need one of those playerss.  Between the top prospects the team will acquire in the draft next season, free agency, the return to health of Joel Embiid and Saric finally coming over, next seasons team should be a lot better than recent years.

Is it 2016 yet?