Philadelphia 76ers: Dario Saric finding his feet again as a starter

Following a slow start to the season, Dario Saric has rediscovered his confidence since his re-insertion into the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting lineup.

With such an influx of talent arriving for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, it’s understandable there would be players left behind in the shuffle.

In addition to No. 1 overall selection Markelle Fultz, the Sixers added veteran free agents J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson. Then when you add in their 2016 No. 1 overall selection, Ben Simmons, who had yet to debut, it was clear that this would be a distinctly different Sixers team.

To commence the season, the player that took the biggest hit was forward Dario Saric. Entering his second season, Saric was brimming with confidence following a solid rookie season in which he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting while averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. This featured him averaging 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game over the final 30 games of the season, as Saric led a shorthanded Sixers team down the home stretch.

Fast forward to this season, and the upgrades to the roster resulted in Saric coming off the bench to begin the year. As a result, Saric’s numbers took a noticeable hit, averaging just 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in only 21.4 minutes per game.

However, due to injuries to starters J.J. Redick and Jerryd Bayless, Saric was reinserted into the starting lineup, and has yet to relinquish his spot. Since this time, Saric’s production and confidence has skyrocketed, averaging 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game.

In addition to his production, Saric’s efficiency has taken a sizable jump. Since being inserted as a starter, Saric’s shooting has risen from 33.3 to 43.8 percent from the field, and from 21.4 to 47.6 percent from 3-point range.

His most impressive performance thus far came during a recent road victory against the Utah Jazz. Playing 36 minutes, Saric posted 25 points and 10 rebounds, which included going 5-of-9 from 3-point range. With the Sixers playing without starting center Joel Embiid, Saric’s contributions were invaluable, and he fully exhibited the talents he displayed throughout his debut season.

Following the game, head coach Brett Brown made special mention of Saric’s game:

"“I always felt that no matter [when] he came into a game, he was going to come back, get his confidence. I think his confidence is now at a place it was last year. He is very loved by his teammates. He’s a great teammate, he wears his heart on his sleeve, and he really, really competes.”"

At 6’10” and possessing the ability to face up, put the ball on the floor and shoot from long distance, Saric offers a distinctly unique look to the Sixers lineup. As Redick points out in the following clip, he provides the Sixers with an “X-factor”:

Following its most recent loss to the Golden State Warriors (Saric was one of only two Sixers with a positive net rating at +0.9,) Philly now travels to Los Angeles for a double-header against the Clippers and the Lakers.

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With Bayless out indefinitely with a wrist injury, Saric will now remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Considering the progress he has made since his re-emergence as a starter, it’s fair to say that it’s his spot to lose moving forward.