The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Dario Saric, The Croation Sensation 2.0

By Trevor Brancato

Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) reacts to his three pointer against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) reacts to his three pointer against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Although inconsistent at times, Dario Saric has proven to be a key component of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ recent hot streak.

Much of the rookie hype involving the 76ers this year focuses on two big names—Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Unfortunately, Simmons went down early in training camp with a Jones fracture in his right foot. No matter. Philly fans were able to find peace of mind in the long awaited debut of Embiid.

This debut that was two years in the making, and what a lovely distraction that has been. Embiid leads all rookies in virtually every category. He performed as a veteran of many years, despite playing in his first year.  He not only belongs in this league, but he remains a force to be reckoned with. The one caveat? He must stay healthy.

As the fans awaited the arrival of Embiid, hopes changed to hype.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Sixers have arguably the second best rookie in the league right now, as well. While his name does begin with an “S”, it’s not Simmons. Dario Saric has proven to be among the top of this year’s rookie class. While he is not consistent, he has been doing so rather quietly. I’m not sure that Dario would want it any other way.

The Deal That Began The Process

In 2014, the same draft class that brought Embiid to Philadelphia, the Sixers’ GM Sam Hinkie made a deal that sent Elfrid Payton to Orlando in exchange for Dario Saric. But doubts began to creep into the public dialogue, all due to Saric’s contractual obligation to remain in the Euroleague. Hinkie knew this would be the case, and took a lot of criticism for his selection. The criticism wasn’t necessarily directed at Saric, but more at Hinkie for continually selecting players that would not be available right away (Noel, Embiid and now Saric).

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In the 2016 Summer Olympics a lot of Sixers fans were able to see Saric play for the first time. He proved to be a blue-collar player. He displayed his hard nosed style of basketball on a national stage; diving for loose balls, crashing the boards after every shot, and the highlight of his Rio Olympics— blocking a last second shot attempt by NBA superstar Spain’s Pau Gasol to seal a victory for his native Croatia.

In 2014 when the Sixers acquired Saric, he, in his own words, “gave us his word,” that he would make the jump to the NBA after two seasons in the Euro League. There was still a lot of unease around the 76ers organization, because, in order to come to the NBA, he would actually be taking a pay cut. However, a man true to his word, Dario would make his regular season debut for the Sixers on October 26th in a hard fought loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Transition

The first few games for Saric were a tough transition. A combination of the speed of the game, the talent he is now facing and even the further three point line has been a huge adjustment and played a major part in some of Dario’s early struggles and inconsistencies. In his first two games in the NBA, Dario clocked 27 and 26 minutes and only tallied 5 points. However, Saric has proven to be a clutch player as of late.

Dario notched his career high in points against the Boston Celtics on December 3rd, also chipping in with 11 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in 17 games so far this season and has had 10 plus rebounds in four games, as well, which is pretty efficient for someone averaging just under 24 minutes a game. Saric shined against the Toronto Raptors last week with consecutive denials at the rim; first on Norman Powell and then just moments later against Jared Sullinger. His last second save/assist to Robert Covington against the Blazers pulled the Sixers within one point, and kept them in a game where Covington would come back down the floor and hit a game winning three with just 4 seconds remaining on the clock.

Next: Ben Simmons’ Elite Defensive Potential

The adjustment to the NBA has proven to be a bit of a bumpy one, but Dario possesses the right amount of skill mixed with tenacity to be an extremely effective and sometimes clutch player for a Sixers team that is just around the corner from being a potential perennial championship contender.