Philadelphia 76ers: 3 goals for Dario Saric in 2018-19

After a strong emergence in his second season in the league, here are three goals in 2018-19 for Dario Saric of the Philadelphia 76ers.

As the Philadelphia 76ers attempt to take the next step in 2018-19, the continued improvement of forward Dario Saric is going to be pivotal in this quest.

In his second season in the league, Saric had a somewhat inauspicious start. After starting the final 25 games of his rookie campaign, he was brought off the bench through the first five games of the season, as the Sixers commenced the season by employing an extra small starting five featuring a three-guard lineup. However, following an injury to newly arrived J.J. Redick, Saric returned to the starting lineup, where he started for the remainder of the season.

In 78 games, Saric posted 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 29.6 minutes per game. After adjusting to his spot in the starting lineup, he simply flourished as the season progressed. In fact, over a 54-game stretch commencing on Nov. 29, the 6’10” forward averaged 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds while returning the sizzling shooting splits of .476/.420/.874.

Still just 24, the upside of the versatile Saric is undeniable. With his ability to handle the ball and score in a variety of ways, the Sixers’ uptempo style of play is terrific fit for the Croatian native.

However, it’s not just his versatile skill-set that illustrates Saric’s value to the Sixers. In the midst of his rookie season, head coach Brett Brown was effusive in his praise of Saric:

"“I love Dario Saric, just the whole thing, everything about him, and I truly mean that….we always said the same thing, this city is going to love him. Blue collar, bull-in-a-China-shop…..I think he just does so much, and cares so much, and represents almost everything that I’m trying to get to grow our program and have the city be proud of us. “He sure brings a pride, and a spirit and a toughness that you want your culture to represent. I’m very proud of how he’s jumped into the NBA in a very real way.”"

So while Saric seemingly possesses the right mentality for a long and successful career, there are still a number of aspects of his game that need to be refined in order for he and the Sixers to take the next step.

With that in mind, here are three goals for Saric in the upcoming 2018-19 season.