Philadelphia 76ers: Taking A Closer Look At Dario Saric

As he prepares for his first season in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, we take a closer look at Dario Saric’s game

Dario Saric, the Philadelphia 76ers 12th pick from the 2014 NBA Draft, finally chose to come over to the NBA this season. The signing comes as a sigh of relief for most Sixers fans as they continued to wonder when, or if, he would ever come over – especially with the current state of the team.

But he’s here now, yet still remains a mystery to most fans since he played in Europe the last couple of seasons.

So, because of that, we’ll take a look into who he is as a basketball player, with a list of his strengths and weaknesses.

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dario Saric (Croatia) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

Playmaking: Dario makes quick, decisive decisions with the basketball in his hands, that’s what makes him so special as a playmaker. Through the Olympics, he averaged 3.6 assists a game with the Croatian National Team.

With excellent ball-handling skills, it allow Dario to attack opponents off the dribble, and at the 4 he’s too quick, so he does a good job attacking bigger defenders that have trouble staying infront of him; from that, he does a great job reading and reacting to the defense and finding the open man.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of spot up shooters on the roster, so now with Saric at the helm, they’ll have someone that can find them for easy, open looks.

Strengths

Versatility: With the ability to play the 3, 4 and a little 5, Dario is as versatile as they come. Next season ,he’s going to play most of his minutes at the 4, but that won’t stop him from playing at other positions at times as well.

According to Philadelphia 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo, he’s going to be seeing most of his minutes at the 3 and 4.

B Colangelo: 'I see Dario as a 4/3 who might play some small 5.' #Sixers

— Tom Moore (@tmoore76ers) June 24, 2016

Jump shot: Dario ‘s jump shot stands out as his biggest strength as a basketball player. He has the ability to shoot it from anywhere on the court. Last season, he made a career high 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts through 61 games in the Euroleague and Turkish BSL.

Although the three-point line is shorter in Europe, the hope is it can translate into success as a shooter at the NBA level.

Weaknesses

Defense: On the defensive end of the floor, Dario is a good team defender. But when matching up one on one against the elite 3’s in the league, he’s going to have trouble, since he lacks the foot speed needed to stay infront of those guys.

That’s not to say he can’t defend some 3’s in the league, but it isn’t an ideal position for him right from the get go.

However, if the Philadelphia 76ers plan to give him more minutes at the 4, it can help ease the transition a bit as he is a better defender at that position. But, then again, he’s still going to have trouble guarding the stronger 4’s in the league, since he doesn’t have the strength to matchup against them either.

Weaknesses

Rebounding: Dario Saric hauled in 8.8 rebounds per 36 minutes through 61 games last season. That’s not too bad, but when taking into consideration that he was playing against weaker competition and also in a less physical league, the rebounding numbers start to look pedestrian.

Offensive rebounding is a strength of Dario’s, but his defensive rebounding issues are going to be something to look out for.

With his slender frame, opponents are going to out muscle him for defensive rebounds.

If he can find a way to not allow that to be too much of an issue, it will go a long ways in securing consistent playing time in the upcoming season.