Has the Anticipation of Dario Saric‘s arrival created unrealistic expectations?
In a word? No. As to the headline question of is Saric worth the wait? Yes, definitely
We have been linked to the Croatian professional basketball forward from the Turkish Basketball Super League team of Anadolu Efes since we traded Elfrid Payton to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft. Even then, we coveted Saric, but by drafting elsewhere and then trading for him, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to undo the Andrew Bynum trade and recoup the rights to the second first round protected draft pick with was in the possession of the Magic.
The incentive to undo all traces of the Moutrie and Bynum transactions was a top priority of Sam Hinkie, and the dealing of Payton was the coup de grace. But in the end, it’s the player who will arrive to the Sixers which determines whether the pick was worth it. And in neither 2014 draft selection ofJoel Embiid nor Dario Saric, have the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers witnessed anything from the basketball court.
Well Philadelphia, that’s changed.
Dario Saric, source said, told his teammates he intends to leave Europe for Sixers this offseason.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) April 24, 2016
Why haven’t Sixers fans followed his play more closely?
In the two year wait, we’ve followed the drama of the recovering Joel Embiid – both progression and regression – culminating with his pair of trips to Aspetar Sports Clinic in Qatar. And through it all, we’ve found ourselves bonded to the infectious personality of the young Cameroon center whose love of life and promise of basketball elitism continue to trickle into our own via social media, thanks to the efforts of such Philly sports writers as Keith Pompey, Tom Moore, Derek Bodner, Max Rappaport, and even Brian Seltzer.
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You see, the efforts of Saric have happened nearly halfway around the globe. Despite the best efforts of Philly sports writers to continue to summarize Saric’s play, and our own periodic updates of his international performance, it’s difficult to keep one eye on the overseas box scores and statistics when there is so much drama and changes happening right here with the Philadelphia 76ers.
What is he bringing to the Sixers?
With any change, there is a freshness, a newness, which gives rise to optimism. That best describes what Saric will deliver. You see, Saric is a 6’10” versatile forward. That’s either the power forward or small forward. Perhaps we should let the words of head coach Brett Brown describe the Sixers plans for the young Croatian:
Brown said the #Sixers will use Dario Saric as "a four-three, three-four."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) April 14, 2016
It’s that flexibility that fits so incredibly well with the Sixers scheme. Saric is a physical player, which has been honed by years of playing in the European league. But on top of his “tank-like” fortitude, he boasts a true cannon of an arm. In fact, one of the earliest traits from the young man is his nearly pinpoint half-court passing to push the ball on fast breaks. And while he can pass the ball with deadly accuracy, he’s become very adept at shooting from range – hitting over 40% of his three pointers this past season.
In fact, if you truly want to understand the scheme of Sam Hinkie, you simply need to look at the potential of having Noel, Embiid, and Saric on the court simultaneously to understand that the selections were NOT about tanking at all, but rather about taking the design of the San Antonio Spurs, and one upping them by combining three very young men in the front court who can give a smothering defense, immediately transition into a fast break, push the ball down court, and reload back to the smothering defense.
Now, I know the debate of whether Ben Simmon or Brandon Ingram should be drafted continues to rage, but it you combine those skills with that of emerging from the draft prospect in Ben Simmons at point guard, you’ve just placed the Sixers onto a trajectory which is difficult to imagine their true upside. We’d touched base on that in an article recently of how this team could merge the talents of Simmons and Saric together.
Others project Saric into a 20+ minutes sixth man role, who may have a learning curve to acclimate to the USA style of basketball, but who will contribute to many highlight reels with his shooting and passing abilities.
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In any case, some players were made to play in Philadelphia, and Saric appears to be that guy. He’s a work horse – he will stand toe to toe with larger and older players and he keeps coming back for more. He is crisp and efficient, a player who is truly at home in the “space, pace, pass” world that is preached daily by head coach Brett Brown and assistant head coach Mike D’Antoni. But most of all, he is coming to Philly at a time when the team needs to circle the wagons.
Loyalty runs both ways. For two years the Sixers have continued to communicate, to contact, to continue to express interest in his game and life. Now that loyalty pays dividends as Saric is true to his word of coming to Philadelphia to stand alongside Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, Carl Landry and Jahlil Okafor to become a very good front court core in the NBA. It may take time to truly develop the play of Saric. But we can rest easy soon. It’s been a very long wait, but it will prove to be worth it.