Dario Saric will eventually arrive to the Philadelphia 76ers in the most unconventional of ways. But the timing couldn’t be better. 2016 will be a big year for the team.
In the realm of make believe, the Philadelphia 76ers certainly have one foot through that door. The team is struggling to find success today, but the belief is that the team will develop into a true champion. For the record, I share that belief.
One of the events that are integral in that metamorphosis is the arrival of international basketball star Dario Saric. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA draft in the twelfth selection, but was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for the Sixers pick at ten, point guard Elfrid Payton. Since that time, Elfrid Payton has developed into the starting point guard for the Orlando Magic. His average of eleven points per game coupled with 5.9 assists per game would look good in a Sixers jersey right now.
So far, the Sixers have not seen a benefit to acquiring Saric. But there were other assets exchanged as well. The Sixers recovered a 2017 conditional first round pick previous dealt as part of the Dwight Howard deal, and the obtained a 2015 second round pick. With that pick, the Sixers drafted Guillermo Hernangomez and traded him to the New York Knicks for the Knicks second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.
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So the Sixers have not exactly seen nothing from the trade. Sam Hinkie is a master of liquidating today’s assets into tomorrow’s potential. Tomorrow’s potential is all about Dario Saric. So let’s see how this year has been shaping up for him.
Considering all the moves, it’s clear that the team has been working towards 2016 in so many ways, with so many trades. From a team in the basement this season, the return of Saric, the healing of Joel Embiid, and the haul of as many as four first round NBA draft picks has the Philadelphia 76ers in a unique oppotunity to create one of the best one season improvements in the NBA. I’ve got company in that thought process as well.
Colangelo sees trade possibilities with Sixers' many assets that could hasten turnaround https://t.co/zfGjdT2bFP pic.twitter.com/bJc1mH2JB9
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 13, 2016
Next: Key To 2016
The Key To 2016
The key will be the players they bring onto the roster in 2016. One of those names that is being counted on is Dario Saric. So far, Saric has played in 24 games this new season. He’s been averaging 21.5 minutes per game, but has been playing virtually all front court positions for his team Anadolu Efes. So far he’s started ten games at the power forward position, six games at the center position, and started once and come off the bench seven times as small forward. So far this year, Efes is 16 wins to just eight losses.
So what does his production look like?
At the center position he has started six games so far, averaged 24.5 minutes per game, averaging 13 points per game on 44.6% shooting from the floor. He rebounded seven per game, had 2.7 assists per game, and generated .3 steals and .3 blocks per game. His teams record with his playing center was 4-2.
When he moves to power forward, he has started in ten games and been averaging 23.4 minutes per game with 15.8 points. His shooting accuracy jumps to 56.82%, and he maintains a fairly impressive 5.9 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game, and 1.1 steals . Anadolu Efes record has been 7-3 with him at power forward.
When he plays at the small forward position, his numbers erode. But he’s played seven games off the bench and only started once. In those eight games, he’ averaging 8.25 points per game on 42.55% shooting from the floor. His rebounds fall to 4.1 per game, and he generates 1 assist per game. Efes record has been 5-3 with him in the small forward position.
Saric continues to impress where-ever he plays with his ball movement and dribbling finesse.
Next: The Fit
The Fit
Right now the Sixers are looking at a gluttony of centers, and a patient but uphill battle to retrain centers to function like power forwards. But that will create a new set of problems. Right now, the team will likely work at converting Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid to a functional power forward role. That will give the team a solid offense at the post from Jahlil Okafor, and keep big bodies on the floor to defend. As long as they are athletically conditioned to meet the demands of the more demanding defensive roles.
Still, that places more burden on the wings, both small forwards and shooting guards, to hit from long range. As of right now, of all three positions, small forward is the weakest position Saric has played. Yet in the Sixers grand scheme, right now it appears as though small forward will be the place for Saric to slot into. That’s my best guess at this moment, and I wrote an article about that 2016 starting roster two weeks ago.
In that scheme I see the Sixers slotting Joel Embiid into the power forward role, and moving Saric to the small forward slot. Can it work?
It could and should. Keep in mind that Saric plays all the way up to center with Efes right now. Moving onto the Sixers lineup would be a more focused role (hopefully) for Saric. The key ingredient to it all is fit. Does Saric have a long range shot? His 38.3 % shooting from beyond the arc would give him the lead in shooting accuracy for treys. That’s better than even Hollis Thompsons‘s long range shot.
The part of Saric’s game that I like best is that he does so many things well. Check out the highlight video of his play from last year.
He can work a fast break. He can set up at the corner and sink a trey. He can defend the basket and turn and sink a fade-away jumper. If the team has a good mid range shooter (and Embiid appears to be very good), Saric can threaten both deep and mid range. His long range shot is developing nicely overseas. That has made a tremendous difference for him in becoming a more complete offensive player. Saric was in a groove in December, hitting 52.3 percent of his treys during that run, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue to hit at that clip. Since December 2015, he’s been actually hitting on 40% of his treys.
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His game could be most aptly compared to fellow Croatian Tony Kukoc. Kukoc played a small forward role in the NBA, including two seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers. Kukoc was 6’11”, Saric is 6’10”. Kukoc weighed in at 235 pounds, Saric weighs in at 229 pounds. Both have Croatian heritage. Both have a reputation for great passing skills and versatility. Both Kukoc and Saric were drafted by an NBA team, but opted to play in the European league for three years. Kukoc played for the Chicago Bulls during their three national championship run.
With the similarities, we can hope that same story can be told about Dario Saric as a Sixer in twenty years.