Sixers Roundup: Dario Saric Drawing Positive Reviews for Performance in Olympics

Dario Saric has drawn positive reviews with his play in the Olympics. | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With the Olympics in full swing many have gotten their first extended look Dario Saric, providing a glimpse into what Sixers fans will see when the regular season begins in just a little over two months time.

While Saric has struggled from the field at times, including going just 1-7 from the field against Spain and 2-5 against Nigeria, Saric’s hustle, rebounding, and incredible passing have gotten fans rightfully excited.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the coverage, both locally and nationally, about the Sixers over the past week.

Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke with head coach Brett Brown following Saric’s game-saving block on Pau Gasol to open up Croatia’s Olympic play.

“He’s not an NBA, A-plus athlete, but he’s highly skilled in a bunch of areas. He’s highly intellectual in a bunch of areas. The evolution of his shot, the evolution of his mind”

— Sixers head coach Brett Brown on Dario Saric, courtesy Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sielski also wrote about the Sixers and bat poop. So there’s that. Note: it’s an article about passing, innovation, and predictability, and worth a read.

“If you take Ben Simmons and you take Dario and you take Joel Embiid and you take Sergio [Rodriguez], those are world-class elite passers. The pass is king. That’s what makes the world go round when you talk about offense: Do you share? Those four we have, they pass.”

— Sixers head coach Brett Brown, once again from Mike Sielski.

Michael Lee of The Vertical wrote about Saric’s game-saving play, and how he’s Croatia’s next great hope.

“I think Philadelphia is good for him and what they’re building right now. He’s a winner. If you scout him on shot, agility, he will not be an outstanding player, but the character he has, you can’t learn that. And that’s what makes him a special player. That’s why I believe in him so much.”

— Croatian point guard Roko Ukic, courtesy Michael Lee of The Vertical.

Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer called Dario Saric “the Ben Simmons of Croatia”, and wrote about what his Olympic performance might tell us about his future in the NBA.

“The key to making it work is Saric’s jumper, as he has shown way more growth in that department than Simmons, who pointedly refused to shoot from the perimeter at LSU. If Saric can be a consistent 3-point shooter, he will open up the floor for Simmons in what would be one of the most distinctive two-man games in the league. If he can’t, though, they might be better off playing without each other and taking turns running the offense.”

— Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer discussing Dario Saric’s role with the 76ers.

We discussed Saric here earlier this week, focusing in on his defensive rotations. If you missed that video review, check it out here.

Quick hitters:

• The NBA conducted their annual rookie photo shoot, providing the first glimpses of Ben Simmons and Timothe Luwawu in Sixers regular season uniforms.
• Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will host the Sixers annual Beach Bash in Avalon, NJ on August 27th. Tickets cost $20. Both Embiid and Simmons will be available for autographs.
• Bryan Toporek of BBallBreakdown.com on why the Sixers offense is poised to take off in 2016-17.
• A Ben Simmons documentary titled “One & Done” will premiere October 21st at 9 PM on Showtime.
• The NBA released the 2016-17 schedule. For the Sixers, that includes 2 ESPN games, 1 TNT game, and 2 NBA TV games.
• Nerlens Noel has been in the news a lot lately, mostly due to continued trade speculation and whether. Kelly Scaletta of Today’s Fastbreak rated Noel 75th in his top 100 of returning NBA players, setting a ceiling of 50th and a floor of 120th. You can read that breakdown here.

Derek Bodner covers the 76ers for Philadelphia magazine’s Sixers Post. Follow @DerekBodnerNBA on Twitter.