Philadelphia 76ers’ Dario Saric Possible ROY With Joel Embiid Out
By Pete Sawan
With Joel Embiid out with his meniscus tear, could Philadelphia 76ers’ Dario Saric move ahead of him (and Malcolm Brogdon) and win Rookie of the Year?
This season has seen the meteoric rise of the one and only, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid. The Process has garnered the spotlight for the majority of the year. Fans love him, and he loves the fans. Most people consider him the consensus NBA Rookie of the Year. But, now that he tore his meniscus, does his teammate, Dario Saric, have a shot at surpassing him?
For Philadelphia 76ers fans, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric came at the right time. For a team that lacked real talent for the last 4 years, bringing in 2 lottery prospects in one season proved vital. While Embiid tends gets most of the spotlight, Saric proved his worth night in and night out.
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Now Joel Embiid will likely see even less action because of his torn meniscus. Thankfully, such an injury does not require surgery and can heal on its own, but, with a Philadelphia 76ers’ front office that likes to play it safe, Embiid might not play as many games for the remainder of the season. Thus, Dario Saric could see more opportunities.
In a weird way, Dario Saric has flown under the radar for most fans. In a league driven by star power, a guy like The Homie doesn’t get enough love. Over the past few months, Dario has simply transformed himself into a key contributor for the Philadelphia 76ers. So much so, that he has begun drawing looks from around the league.
Progression and Opportunities
For the Philadelphia 76ers, Dario Saric has made himself a necessary part to the team’s success. Most fans didn’t even know if he’d even come over to play for the team. With his arrival, Saric has begun to make a name for himself, especially with his minutes.
When you consider how his NBA career started, you knew it would take some time before the real Dario Saric came to play. Like many foreign players, Saric had to learn the NBA style of ball. He needed to become accustomed to the ebbs and flows of the game.
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In November and December, Saric did not play extremely well. His game remained pretty stagnant, averaging about 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. Those numbers would be considered solid if if wasn’t for Joel Embiid. The numbers Embiid put up would make anybody else look inferior.
Saric’s game has seen major improvements since then, particularly in the month of February. This might be the month that everyone points to as Dario’s breakout month. His averages include 15.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. In that time, his usage rate has gone up to a season high 26.2 percent. Increased incorporation into the rotation has yielded solid results for the Croatian.
Obviously, having JoJo out of the line hurts the team. Losing a guy like that can really leave a void. But, that does leave the door open for guys to step up. Dario Saric has been one of those guys who has taken advantage of the opportunity. In the NBA, guys can go down in the blink of an eye. In such a situation, the mantra “next man up” really comes into play. Dario embodies that philosophy as well as anybody.
The Young Buck
Now, if Embiid were to somehow lose the Rookie of the Year award, it’d most likely be to a guy like Dario Saric. But, some don’t see it this way. In fact, a second round pick for the Milwaukee Bucks could throw his hat into the ring. Yes, Malcolm Brogdon could just as easily surpass Embiid as the top rookie.
Brogdon came into the league without much hype. Most didn’t see him as anything more than a role player. Yet, here he is making waves at the top of the rookie ladder. Currently, Brogdon sits behind Joel Embiid as the top rookie in this draft class. Considering how hyped up this draft class was as a “2 man class (Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram)”, the fact that a second round pick has made such an impact is insane.
One thing that Malcolm Brogdon has going for him is his scoring ability. He’s one of the better scoring wings to come out of this draft class. This season, he averages 9.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He clearly shows the sort of drive that you hope for in a rookie. In addition, he has proven himself as a solid 3-point shooter hitting on 41.3 percent of his attempted threes. He’s a guy who, if given the opportunity, can come in and make a difference.
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Okay, as a disclaimer I’d like to point out that this scenario only makes sense if Joel Embiid’s situation does not improve. If Embiid returns to form, he definitely gets that ROY award. Malcolm Brogdon and Dario Saric both exhibit the drive and ambition to make it in the NBA. Right now, it’s a two-man race to see who can surpass Joel Embiid. Both guys can do it, and for the sake of the Philadelphia 76ers, hopefully Dario Saric can pull ahead of the pack.