Philadelphia 76ers: Dario Saric Might Be A Potential Star

The Philadelphia 76ers might be able to develop Croatian sensation Dario Saric into a superstar stretch 4.

When the Philadelphia 76ers traded the rights of Elfrid Payton in exchange for Dario Saric and a couple future picks to the Orlando Magic, many fans in Philadelphia let out a huge, collective groan.

After all, they had already been patient during the last two seasons after seeing their team fall apart once again.

By trading for Saric, they knew they would have to wait at least two more seasons until they saw him play for their squad.

But now with Saric officially on board coming into the season, combined with his impressive showing in this summer’s Rio Olympics, Sixers fans have to be happy with what they see.

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Not only has Saric demonstrated just how gifted and unique he is, but he also brings an indisputable toughness. Which is something the city of Philadelphia absolutely loves their athletes to possess.

During the 2014 FIBA World Cup, he lost six teeth during a game, but still continued to play. He netted 16 points and helped earn Croatia an important win against Argentina.

That’s the kind of gritty style of play that Philly has missed since the days of Allen Iverson, which seems like ages ago now.

The tricky part when it comes to the Sixers is how he will fit in with the team. They are already top-heavy in the front court, with players like Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid on their roster.

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They also drafted

, who can play pretty much any position except for the center position. In this day and age of the NBA, given his combination of size and outside shooting, Saric is probably best fit for being a stretch 4.

In fact, the player he most closely resembles is Draymond Green, the point-forward of the Golden State Warriors. Like Green, Saric can also bring the ball up and lead the break for his team, thanks to his superior passing.

At 6-foot-10, he has the potential to be a matchup nightmare and someone the Sixers could use in all kinds of lineups.

He’s only 22 years old, but his skill set is already perfectly tailored to today’s style of play, which focuses on bigs who can shoot from the perimeter, as well as defend multiple positions.

He won’t have a huge impact right away with Philly, given their crowded frontcourt, but if he is properly groomed and developed over time, he will be a huge player for them down the road.

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Just imagine the passing, size and versatility of lineups involving him and Simmons. It’s exciting to think about.

And then when you factor in his sweet stroke from downtown (where he shot better than 40 percent in Euroleague this past season), it will give guys like Embiid, Noel and Okafor (assuming the Sixers don’t trade one of them) all kinds of breathing room to operate down low.

Perhaps most importantly, he will be coached by Brett Brown, someone who knows how to develop foreign talent. Brown did this successfully many times when he was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs.

As long as Brown is at the helm, you can bet he will find a way to make Saric work in his system.

Saric might not morph into a Green-type player right away, but he definitely has the tools to become one of the most important players on the Sixers’ roster.

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They are a team desperately trying to change their losing ways, and he is the perfect kind of guy to re-energize the city of Philadelphia and give them something they haven’t had in a long time – hope.