Philadelphia 76ers: The Croat And The Goat

The Philadelphia 76ers 2016-2017 Season ride on the shoulders of two 2014 selected players: The Goat and The Croat

The Philadelphia 76ers were set up perfectly for this season. Perhaps it was too much to hope for, enjoying the 2016 NBA Draft top selection Ben Simmons, as well as the miraculous debut of two-year-redshirted rookies Joel Embiid and Dario Saric. As fates would play it out, it was too much positive karma too quickly.

And so, in a freakish accident, Ben Simmons fractured his foot and will be out of action for an estimated three months.  A team hoping to get a jump start on a rebuild process that is still years in the making was dealt another lesson in patience, humility, and trust.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers’ fans are ratcheting down expectations for the season.  But do not confuse this team as one without hope, optimism or stars.  You see, there are two young basketball stars marking their rookie debut for this team.  Each has come from a different corner of the globe to play professional basketball for the Philadelphia 76ers. Each has had a unique two-year journey to get here: one arrived but had to navigate rehabilitation of a very difficult injury, the other had to fight for time in the Euroleague’s fiecely competitive Turkish league on Anadolu Efes.   Both have finally debuted before the home crowd.

The 2016-2017 season of the Philadelphia 76ers is in the hands of two rookies: Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.

Or as they are referred to on some social media: The Croat And The Goat.

Catchy name. But this team is trying to better three years of disappointing records. Whatever the motivation, what changes can we hope for from two first year players?

Positive Momentum

The substance of the 2016-2017 season for the Philadelphia 76ers is important. But equally important is the perception. This team is trying to set the ship aright.  A quick start that falters later in the season could be counter productive.

In short, it’s not where the team ends up, but how it gets there this year.  And so, to end up on the radar of quality free agents next season, the team needs to end the year on an upswing.  Because of the need to improve over the course of the season, placing the team’s fortunes into the hands of the two rookies is the right move.  The goal is to improve gradually, over time, and to close out the season at or nearly at .500 basketball in the final weeks of play.

But to improve, the team must entrust the future to today’s “potential”.  The right choice can make all the difference in the world. But the wrong choice? It not only derails the team’s outlook, but calls into question the decision making process of the team’s front office.  Is everyone on the same page? Do they recognize elite talent, or simply ride a wave of public consensus.

In Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, you have two NBA rookies who have matured in the past two years and whose perspective about NBA play is not to earn a headline, but to earn a championship. And so, let’s look at who each of these two cornerstones have become on their way to the NBA.

The Croat

Dario Saric is a tough young man from Croatia who stands 6-foot-10 and weighs in at 225 pounds. He was originally drafted by the Orlando Magic as the twelfth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Moments later, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for point guard Elfrid Payton. Along with Saric, team president Sam Hinkie also walked away with a pick that would eventually lead to Richaun Holmes, and a restricted first round pick formerly dealt by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dario Saric is a special type of player.  Family is very important in the Croatian culture, and Saric is the son of Predrag and Vesalinka Šarić.  From father to son, a love of the game, the ability to play, and the honor to make it memorable.  This is the heritage of the greats of the game. Predrag, born in November 29, 1959, is considered a national basketball hero whose shooting is still atop the all time scorers of Košarkaški klub Šibenikand.   And his wife, Veselinka, herself quite experienced in basketball with Sibenik club Elemes, whose career  was shadowed by best European basketball player of her time,  Danira Nakic.

This is the Saric heritage.  This is the family of Dario Saric.  He comes from a family of basketball, a son of two basketball players.  Family ties like that bring out the best in his game.  And for his team?

This was never about the money. It is about destiny. It is about placing the Saric name into the annals of the National Basketball Association to mark the accomplishments of all Sarics.  This is about forging a path from the future back to the past. It’s a lifelong commitment of Dario to the nuances of the game. He’s arrived.

The Goat

Thousands of miles away, in the country of Cameroon, another future Philadelphia 76er was taking a far different track. Joel Embiid did not enjoy a strong family background in the sport of basketball. In fact, even his town was a soccer village of Yaounde. Meanwhile, his father Thomas, a former handball player, had raised his two kids on a comfortable military salary. Young Joel took to soccer, enjoying the rhythms of the game. “I should have been a goalkeeper,” Embiid said, upon arriving at Kansas. “But I was a midfielder.”

Eventually, it was a video tape of Nigerian center Hakeem Olajuwon that truly hooked Joel Embiid into basketball. It transformed the game of basketball into Embiid’s calling. Joel’s coach, Guy Moudio, had received it from a friend. He had never instructed players to watch tape before, but Embiid was growing desperate for any piece of information he could find on his new sport.

“Here Jo Jo, you might like this.” Moudio told his player while handing it to him.

Unfortunately, the tape didn’t come with a synapse, training guide, or even a “how to” book.   From that point on, Joel Embiid has studied and replicated video, coach’s instructions, and learned from his mistakes quickly.  He too was selected in the 2014 NBA draft, but at the third spot. Thought to be the best pure talent in that draft, his back and foot injuries waived off NBA teams, save the Philadelphia 76ers.  And so, the perilous two year climb back from a fractured foot began, both domestically and internationally.

Embiid fought the disclaimers, disbelievers, and disappointment. He’s a fighter, converting negative comments into positive motivation.

So far, it’s working.

Optimize Teammate Roles

Here in this moment, the Philadelphia 76ers are 1-4 in the preseason, and with their current trajectory, could likely end up 1-6. That’s not a detraction from either the Croat or the Goat, but is due to the state of the team’s health, and challenge at the point guard position.

However, projected starting point guard Jerryd Bayless is out with a wrist injury.  Meanwhile Ben Simmons is rehabbing for the next several months.  As a result, one such player who could emerge is point guard Sergio Rodriguez.

"“He’s really helpful,” said Embiid, readying for an October 11th preseason game in Memphis. “When we play, he always talks to me and tells me where I need to be and how to get position. It’s big. He’s been in the game for a long time, so he kind of knows. He has played with good big men and he just knows the game.”"

But this is a game of five players on the basketball court, not two on five. Therefore, it is the skill of the Goat and the Croat which will force opponents to account for them. Eventually, that lean towards the post and perimeter will give plenty of clean looks for Robert Covington, Gerald Henderson, Sergio Rodriguez, and others who line up for the 76ers.

Next: Holmes Will Be The Philadelphia 76ers Future Small-Ball Center

However you might see it, the contribution of The Goat and The Croat will not charge the Philadelphia 76ers on a winning streak right out of the gate. It will be a gradual ascent, eventually churning out wins as the season progresses. But that’s okay. They will be building the team around them. When Ben Simmons returns, it will be to a team already on their way.