What Does Dario's Arrival Mean for The Sixers?
Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America
As many of you know by now, or at least I hope you know by now, the final piece of the Sixers puzzle has been put into place, as international star Dario Saric's contract has officially been bought out by the team, and the two sides have come to terms on a deal. Saric, who will be representing his native Croatia at next month's Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, will join the team after Croatia's run in the games come to an end.
The Sixers have waited over two years to sign the Croatian big man, as his rights were acquired by Philadelphia, in a 2014 draft night trade that saw Elfrid Peyton head down south to Orlando, in exchange for Saric. Instead of signing right away, Saric opted to spend the past two seasons with his Turkish team Anadolu Efes. Over his past two seasons in the EuroLeague, Saric has averaged nearly 11 points per game, just over 6 rebounds per game, and almost 2 assists per game. Most recently, he was named the MVP of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, after averaging 14 PPG, and 10 RPG over the tourney.
Saric's arrival makes a crowded situation even stickier, as he'll add another dimension to the Sixers front-court issues. Dario will be joining Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid. There's clearly too many cooks in the kitchen, so common sense says one must go. Nonetheless, Saric will be a great addition to this rebuilding Sixers squad.
Dario's former teammate Stephane Lasme recently gave glowing reviews to CSNPhilly.com, when asked about the 6'10, 243 lb power forward.
“If you want a guy that gives a hundred percent every time, he’s such a hard worker and he wants to play on both ends of the floor,” Lasme said. “He wants to play hard on defense, so hard on offense, and he tries to get every rebound.”
“Here, people underestimate how easily he can handle the ball,” Lasme said. “He can handle it like a guard. That’s going to help him a lot to transition. ... He’s got a pretty high IQ. He knows the right pass, he knows the right play. He’s not selfish.”
“Dario is funny, he’s a jokester,” Lasme said. “He wakes up every morning with a smile. He has energy when he walks into a room.
“He’s a great kid. Really respectful, really professional. He’s so much more mature than his age. You can talk to him and you feel like you’re talking to an adult.”
“He’s so talented because he can do so many things,” Lasme said. “If you want to win, Dario would be a good person to have on your team.”
As we draw closer to the season, the trade rumors are going to grow in numbers. Nerlens Noel seems to be the odd man out, especially after Dario's arrival. General Manager Bryan Colangelo made it clear during an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio that he didn't like the makeup of the team's roster, and that there was still work to be done.
"Absolutely not, We're not going to make a bad deal just to make a deal. I think we can be a better basketball team if we can distribute that talent better. Maybe take one of those assets and address other needs on the roster. I think right now it's best to say we like all of them, we want to see if we can make the most out of each of them. At the end of the day, the reality says one has to go at some point but only when the deal is right."
The clip can be heard in its' entirety, by following the link below.
The Sixers roster is clearly not finished yet, but Saric looks to be an important piece when looking into the future. Exactly how he fits in remains to be seen, but Brett Brown seemed more than happy at Saric's introductory press conference, to take on the challenge of placing Dario Saric & Ben Simmons on the court, at the same time.
“I don’t know,” Brown said Friday of where he will play Saric. “You’ve got an abundance of bigs. Ben Simmons and Dario are very similar. We have a few veterans coming in. We’ve got Sergio [Rodriguez] and T.J. [McConnell] as who you’d stamp off on and say that’s a true point guard.
"I say that very much with a tone of excitement than trepidation. How we use him is going to be a challenge but fun, a great challenge. Dario and Ben can play together. They’re two really good players. How this plays out, how it takes shape, I think is a good challenge and one that we’re excited to learn more about.”
It finally appears that Sixers organization is finally turning the page, and moving past "The Process." After a five-year period I refer to as the "Dark Ages", there could actually be light at the end of the tunnel.
