Dario Saric Welcome Thread.

[larryhagmansliver]

No embrace for Dario?

I think he's gonna blossom with a bigger role. I can see him getting 18, 8 & 4 this year.

[LordNu]

Hi.

[Reetz]

[larryhagmansliver]

Hi.

[Corre Ricky Corre]

"The Homie"

[Ask Not]

Let's get the post count up in here for our Albanian brother!
I hope our Great Clips are as good as the one he was using in Philly.

[YBBR]

Hi, Dario.

[Billy Ray]

Tough to believe this is only his third season. He's still figuring it out.

I just hope him and RoCo teach the rest of the team how to box out since the coaches obviously cant.

[Corre Ricky Corre]

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[Stork311]

I see some people are down on Dario...Not me, I think he is going to be a very pleasant surprise. Welcome Friend....

[memyworld]

If Jimmy Butler trade means Dario Saric is unleashed by the Timberwolves, we're all winners

by James Herbert | CBS Sports | Wednesday, November 14 at 11:30 CST

Dario Saric has been a bummer this season. While he had a couple of 18-point games before the Sixers traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, by and large he has been limited by his role. When Markelle Fultz entered the starting lineup, Saric went from Philadelphia's third option on offense to something of a gap filler. When he grabbed rebounds, he immediately threw outlet passes to Ben Simmons or Fultz instead of pushing the ball. He rarely posted up, ran pick-and-rolls or isolated. He didn't complain publicly about his role, but his efficiency plummeted: he missed 43 of his first 56 shots from 3-point range this season, and in 13 games he shot only 30 percent from the field.

Before this season, Saric had already sacrificed for the team. In order to make room for Simmons last season, he improved his 3-point shot and accepted less playmaking responsibility. He still had his opportunities, though, and he scored 20 or more points five times in Philadelphia's 10 playoff games. When opposing teams switched against the Sixers, he could punish them in the post. His one-on-one forays toward the basket weren't always smooth, but he has the touch necessary to make hooks and flip shots that drive defenders crazy. It wasn't quite the same as his rookie year, though.

In the second half of the 2016-17 season, when Joel Embiid was sidelined and Simmons had yet to play in an NBA game, Saric was far and away Philadelphia's most talented player. Over a 25-game stretch from early February to late March, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, making a compelling case for Rookie of the Year. (Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks wound up winning it.) Beyond the nice numbers, Saric seemed special back then because of his unusual, unpredictable passes. He used angles most 6-foot-10 players can't see. He zipped quick passes to open shooters and found cutters when their defenders' heads were turned. His creativity, the defining element of his game, was on full display. It hasn't been since.


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That version of Saric regularly saw double-teams. Once, he was quadruple-teamed. He hit face-up jumpers, he hit stepbacks, he made plays for himself and others off the dribble. Generally, good things happened when he touched the ball, and it was obvious why he was described as a point forward in pre-draft scouting reports. His play back then was so dramatically different than what we've seen recently, I would argue that nobody -- or at least nobody who receives regular minutes -- has been more marginalized. Perhaps the Minnesota Timberwolves can change that.

In Minnesota, Saric will not be the No. 1 option. On offense, Karl-Anthony Towns is the Wolves' Embiid, and Saric will be asked to continue throwing crisp entry passes. Andrew Wiggins' usage rate could rise to pre-Butler levels. Their point guards -- Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones -- are not hand-it-off-and-space-the-floor types. If coach Tom Thibodeau wants to inject some life into their attack, though, he should make sure Saric is involved. Immediately, he is Minnesota's best passer, and I want to see its offense run through him at times. I want to see him be himself.

In theory, Saric is an ideal complement for Towns and Wiggins on offense -- despite his recent slump, he can make 3s, and he is certainly capable of getting them some easy looks. The questions here are about the other end of the court and the overall ecosystem. Towns and Saric are no one's idea of a dominant defensive duo in the frontcourt. Thibodeau does not run a Sixers-esque, movement-oriented offense. Before he and his teammates get accustomed to one another, before he has even played a single game with them, I can't tell you whether or not Saric will go wild with the Wolves. All I know is, if he does, we are all the winners of this trade.

[kilkenny]

Thibs unleash Saric?

I'm expecting his role to slowly diminish over time. Until he's traded to another team for peanuts where he will be unleashed.

[BBG]

anyone who dresses this well is on my squad for life

[beetlebum71]

Dario is supremely skilled and really long. He fits the new NBA. Give him 28-32 minutes a night, and he'll put up numbers.

[LordNu]

Best passer? Manna from heaven?

[memyworld]

With Dario coming off the bench, playing 8 minutes less per game, I wanted to take a look at how it's impacted Dario's game and whether there's an argument to find more minutes for him.

As you can see, his field goal percentage has ticked up and he's actually grabbing more rebounds, steals, and points per 100 possessions since moving to the bench in Minnesota. His usage rate is also up from 18.1 to 20.1 with Minnesota, presumably because he's not sharing possession with the starters.

Thibs hasn't used Saric to facilitate as much as Brett Brown, so there is a downward tick to his assist numbers, but all-in-all, he seems to be a slightly more effective player with a second unit. Maybe carving out a few more minutes would reduce the load on a few other players, but minutes are actually reasonable for all of the starters.

Per Game


Per 100 Possessions


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[Moses Scurry]

Memy bringing the NBA stat breakdown heat!!!