There is not a player in the 2014 NBA Draft more unknown than Dario Saric. Even his interest in playing in the NBA somewhat seems like an unknown as well.
The native of Croatia actually declared to enter the NBA prior to last year’s draft, but eventually flopped and dropped out. After months of speculating, he did declare for the 2014 player-entry pool in late April.
A wing or forward, he brings a wide array of skills to America (or Toronto, should the Raptors somehow end up with him). Standing at 6’10”, he’s actually very athletic for a man of his size.
Saric has great court vision and can see the whole floor develop before plays begin to happen. This would seem to indicate he has a high basketball-IQ, despite not coming from a country not particularly big on basketball. This would seemingly indicate that he will be a dynamic player to play sooner than later because of his understanding of the game. It also indicates great promise when it comes to developing him going forward.
As far as other strengths, Saric also is a great rebounder already, which can give coaches the ability to slide him inside at the four. He is a great ball handler too, so if he needs to put the ball on the floor he is not a liability. This could also allow for teams to get creative with him, as he is not too limited with ball movement, as most big men tend to be.
He definitely has his weaknesses and areas to work on. Saric comes in to the league with a jump shot that needs some work. He also needs to improve his lateral quickness and overall foot speed, as it is hard to imagine him being able to get in front of professional wings.
The best way to probably describe Saric is, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” He has no one distinct strength that you can count on to get the job done each night, yet he is well-versed to fill a number of roles and can do a number of positive things on the court.
Pro comparison: Pau Gasol (if fully developed)
The Verdict: It would be a fireable offense to take him with the third overall pick, and I have no reason whatsoever that Sam Hinkie would. Even with the tenth overall pick, I think there are better options, but it comes down to what happens with No. 3. If the Sixers want to be patient with Saric, they could always keep him overseas for a few years and let him develop more. An interesting scenario would be trading back a few picks from ten, then selecting him later in the lottery. I would support that move, if they could get more value.
