The Philadelphia 76ers recently signed stashed Euro player Dario Saric to a rookie deal, and he will likely be a fan favorite.
“Dario Saric. The Croatian Sensation. If he is not already your favorite player on the Philadelphia 76ers, he might be in the near future. There are a few different reasons why Saric will get a lot of love in Philly.”
After observing Saric a couple of things are apparent. One is the comparison to Boris Diaw as a big that can pass. Seems fair:
The additional valid comparison is to Dejan Bodiroga for his up-and-under, ball fake, step through type game. Great footwork. Again fair:
Saric has a vital trait that can’t be taught: size. At 6-10 it is very rare to find such a skilled player with the ball and off the ball. He leads the break and could likely fit in well with the motors of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, etc.
Winning Offensive basketball is fusing 2gether "freedom of play" w/ the components of space, width, movement, speed and team play. Unified!
— Gordon Chiesa (@gchiesaohmy) August 4, 2016
What is “feel” for the game? Because Saric has this. Feel, as I see it, is a player’s ability to patrol both ends of the floor with a calm intensity. More specifically, in terms of Saric, it is his ability to jump stop and ball fake without travelling while anchoring a pivot to his advantage.
Savvy, attacking drivers "get into" the help defender's moving body, w/ a natural body lean. Initiating contact generates fouls and anger!
— Gordon Chiesa (@gchiesaohmy) August 5, 2016
He likes contact but he is not reckless. He likes finesse plays, but he is powerful and not soft. Saric uses his momentum to be efficient and avoid turnovers. In some ways, if you picture a player’s worst flaws, like leaving their feet with no one to pass to, or dragging their pivot, or even playing without a pivot; this is never the case with Saric.
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Saric can pass and post up. All good passers also have the potential to be good defenders because it takes vision. Oh and yes, he can crash the glass. His upside is off the charts because that is what happens when size and skill meet IQ. In terms of spot up shooting, including the dead corner, he’s money.
On the other side of the ledger are clear concerns, as there are for any young player. He will for one, have the added pressure to fulfill the Croatian legacy of great players.
Two, is his foot speed and athleticism, somewhat important in the NBA. He is not slow nor is he nonathletic by any means. It just needs to improve.
Related Story: Can Saric Lead Second Unit?
Finally, Saric will need to widen his ability to jump shoot, especially from deep. From spotting up, he’s more than okay. But in catch and shoots, and off of screen situations, as well as off the dribble; progress must be made.
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Defensively, like most rookies, the learning curve is vast, so it’s not really that fair to call it a huge weakness just yet. Unless he shows zero signs of guarding people both physically and conceptually, like some Sixers currently show.