With Ben Simmons likely to see an extended period of time on the bench due to injury, Dario Saric has an excellent chance to establish himself as an important piece of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ rotation.
The Philadelphia 76ers will once again need to invoke the virtue of patience this upcoming season, as the year that was viewed as the culmination of Sam Hinkie’s most-anticipated assets quickly devolved into injury-riddled disappointment — this time in the form of Ben Simmons. While there’s still some optimism for his return, the rumors seem to lean towards the reigning first overall selection spending his first season on the bench. That does, however, open up a new avenue for excitement among fans: Dario Saric.
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With Simmons essentially out of the picture for a good portion of the season at the very least, Saric will have a legitimate chance to step in and man the starting power forward position moving forward. His ability to space the floor is already an attribute that jives more seamlessly with the current build of the Sixers’ rotation, and his aptness as a secondary playmaker could allow him to take on some of the responsibility that Brett Brown was, perhaps, prepared to give to Simmons.
Saric has excelled in his development overseas with Anadolu Efes, showcasing a range of talents that likely exceed the expectations of most late-lottery selections as they prepare to debut in the NBA. In addition to that, the sheer hype and suspense surrounding his long-awaited arrival has upped expectations even more.
In limited minutes behind a jammed frontcourt rotation, it would have been difficult for Saric to live up to that aforementioned hype in his first campaign. Ben Simmons fills a similar role in a much more dynamic manner when he’s on the court, and simply would have been prioritized more from a developmental perspective from both the coaching staff and the front office than Saric. Simmons’ injury, while a negative in every manner, does give Saric the chance to jump from a role player to one of the more pivotal contributors in the rotation.
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What we saw in the Olympics was really a mixed bag in terms of Saric’s production, from his inconsistencies on offense to great discrepancies in his defensive effectiveness from time to time. That only highlights more just how important it is for him to perform at his highest level in his new role, as a stellar rookie year could set his course with the team in a much different direction long term than a season in which he plays at a subpar level with thrust into rotational prominence.
He couldn’t quite get his outside shots to fall with consistency, but was more than apt when rolling to the basket and carving out space in the paint. He became progressively more aggressive as the tournament wore on in Rio, and that’s something we could expect to see over the course of year in the NBA. He’ll need time to acclimate, and as he does, his ability to be aggressive offensively and find his shot will be a key cog in the Sixers’ offense for as long as Simmons is out of the equation.
While it’s unreasonable to expect Saric to be relied on heavily as a playmaker, his ability to handle the ball will certainly be utilized from time to time when setting up the offense. He’s a legitimate threat driving to the basket and creating opportunities elsewhere in stride, and his ability to not only shoot, but control the point of attack on some occasions — albeit not quite as much as Simmons — should help open up the offense in ways Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel were incapable of doing when they shared the frontcourt a year ago.
This is a team that has struggled to generate offense given their lack of ball movement and stark deprivation of proper spacing on the exterior — Saric helps fill both that gaps. He isn’t the same superstar potential-laden talent that Simmons could still become, but he has all the tools to fill in nicely as a very good NBA player in today’s era of play.
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Saric has a chance now so more than almost any other scenario to prove himself as somebody capable of being a legitimate cornerstone in the Sixers’ rebuild moving forward, rather than being restricted immediately to mere backup status. This is an opportunity he’s fortunate to have received, despite the misfortune that caused it, and should play in an integral role in the evolution of his professional career in the States.