Philadelphia 76ers unsung hero Dario Saric

In the midst of the heated competitiveness of Philadelphia 76ers game three, Dario Saric seemed angry all game. But if that is the case, he’s always angry, as he is the Philadelphia 76ers scoring leader in the playoffs.

Game three of the Philadelphia 76ers first NBA Playoffs in years was a solid test for the team. I watched the game three times last night (real time, rebroadcast, and recorded) and tried to refocus my overall impression. I concluded three observations which proved true in all three viewings.  Not the end all of what I saw, but the top three things to jump out at me.

First of all, the Philadelphia 76ers defense needs Joel Embiid. When he plays, the Miami Heat had no real answer for points near the basket. Secondly, head coach Brett Brown played Justin Anderson and T.J. McConnell. While neither led the team in stats, both play with a fire that matches up incredibly well against the heat. Thirdly, Dario Saric seemed to play angry.  Fuming. Like he was upset at the world. Oh, and one other thing. Angry Dario Saric can play incredible basketball.

Dario does clutch basketball

Who leads the Philadelphia 76ers in scoring in the playoffs so far?  Dario Saric who in three games has 64 points. Who is the most accurate shot-maker from three-point range? Dario Saric again with 47.8 percent from the perimeter.  But he’s also pulling down 7.0 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, he’s dishing out 3.3 assists. On top of that, he’s picking up 1.33 steals per game. That’s quite a lot. So you might expect lots of headliners covering his accomplishments.

But all the while, when the game summaries come out, you will read about Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova, J.J. Redick, and Robert Covington. Somehow, through all the “attaboys” and accolades, Dario Saric does not get his time in the spotlight.