Philadelphia 76ers: Dario Saric Gives Ben Simmons More Freedom

Dario Saric‘s own positional flexibility could give Ben Simmons much more freedom to develop as the Philadelphia 76ers’ focal point down the road.

As Dario Saric continues to impress in the Olympics, it’s becoming increasingly evident to Philadelphia 76ers fans just how important the team’s upcoming rookie could be as they continue their rebuild.

The Philadelphia 76ers have moved on from the Sam Hinkie era, and are looking to finally begin molding the pieces they have around the talent the accumulated this offseason. Ben Simmons is set to be the team’s focal point for year’s to come, but Saric could very well be the piece that maximizes his rotational fit.

The Sixers’ offensive setup is going to change drastically this upcoming season and continue to do so as the roster evolves and talent develops over the course of the next several seasons. Ben Simmons provides a ball dominant facilitator with passing skills Brett Brown has never been able to work with, while possessing a level of physical dominance that could make him an offensive cornerstone regardless of the flaws in his game.

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The Sixers offense is going to run through Ben, and has an additional playmaking dynamic in the addition of Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless that is only going to improve the fluidity of the offense to a greater extent.

Saric still doesn’t have a determined role to fill quite yet, but he has all the skills needed to fit quite nicely into the rotation that is being constructed around him. While he does match some of Simmons’ talents in a few facets, the way in which he approaches the game on both ends is still substantially different, and he is more developed in areas that have been consistently proven as Simmons’ weakest areas.

In terms of positional flexibility, Saric can slide in at either forward spot alongside Simmons, and vice versa. Especially once the frontcourt is thinned out a bit, he gives two players who can man heavy minutes while retaining ample facilitation skills at the forward spots and a level of floor spacing that isn’t often offered in combination. Saric is a better shooter than Simmons, giving the reigning first overall pick a viable spot-up option on the perimeter, while his vast array of post skills could allow Simmons to feed the ball down low without stopping the flow of the game entirely.

Saric is a phenomenal passer off the low block and somebody who can attack the basket off the dribble and locate teammates in his own right when asked to. They’ll be able to act as a checks and balance system of sorts, with both being capable of taking part of the playmaking load off the other in the frontcourt and providing somewhat complimentary skill sets despite the overlap.

Neither player will be forced to overexert themselves early on or be cornered into uncomfortable positions in terms of being asked to do too much with the ball in their hands, as they’ll be able to divvy up their roles accordingly.

In theory, Saric can function as the piece that sets Simmons up for maximum success at the next level. He’ll allow Simmons to work his way into the league without being relied upon too much as a rookie, and will reap some of the same benefits in return. Saric can allow the Sixers to ease Simmons into a premier role without asking the former LSU stud to take on too heavy of a burden, whether it be alongside him in the rotation or accompanying him as a plug-in off the bench.

Saric is, in a way, the off-ball version of Simmons and can be utilized as such come next season. He can accomplish several of the same tasks when asked to do so, but works his best when creating space off the ball and doing so in stride as a secondary option, whereas Simmons will make his mark as the primary ball handler at one point or another during his tenure with Philadelphia.

There are a lot of moving pieces and constant changes within the Sixers organization at the moment, but Saric’s potential importance to the unit seems unquestioned. Whether or not he’s able to carve out the playing time many would like to see is still in question, but given just how much he could help, and given that he has made tremendous strides overseas, I would be shocked if he didn’t establish himself as a substantial cog in some fashion.

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Ben Simmons is set to be the face of the franchise for years to come, but Dario Saric is truly somebody capable making things easier for Simmons on the court, especially as he begins to acclimate himself to the change of pace that comes with a transition to the NBA. There’s reason to believe that we could see a lot of Simmons and Saric sharing the court over the next few campaigns.