Philadelphia 76ers: Dario Saric Is A Perfect Fit In The Process

Rookie forward Dario Saric is developing into a perfect fit in the process for the Philadelphia 76ers

Four double-doubles in five games now for the 22-year-old rookie, and Dario Saric will only get better and better now that Ersan Ilyasova is no longer a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Saric has started the past three games at power forward, going for 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Wizards, 19 points and 15 rebounds against the Knicks and 21 points and seven rebounds against the Warriors.

Moving Ilyasova was a great move for the Sixers and for the development of Saric. Giving him starter minutes every night will not only improve his growth as a player, but will also keep his confidence up.

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Head Coach Brett Brown had some good things to say about Saric.

"[via CSN Philly]“He’s a professional basketball player,” Brown said. “He has been that for a while. His love of the game, his passion for the game is contagious. It’s a thing that we loved maybe more than anything about him when we did the deal with Orlando.”"

Saric plays with a lot of energy on the court, fighting for extra possessions, doing whatever it takes to get a win.

His teammate Robert Covington has been very impressed with Saric as well.

"[via CSN Philly]“Dario’s a very special player,” Covington said. “He’s able to do so much on the court. Tonight, you saw every aspect of his game. He’ll guard, defending, rebounding and making plays on the offensive game. That’s what Dario does. Now that he’s going to play more in the starting lineup, it’s really going to help him.”"

When it comes to double-doubles and 20-point games, Saric is second among all rookies, only trailing his teammate, Joel Embiid. Saric has put himself in contention for Rookie of the Year with his recent play, especially if Embiid continues to be sidelined.

Despite Simmons and Embiid being out with their injuries, the Sixers have won four of their last seven games. Players like Robert Covington, Jahlil Okafor, Richaun Holmes, and T.J. McConnell have been playing really good basketball for this team.

These are the key young pieces that you need to surround your stars with. If the Sixers manage to get their building blocks of Embiid and Simmons to be fully healthy for next season, retain their key role players, and hit a home run in the stacked 2017 draft, next season could be the most exiting year for Philadelphia 76ers fans in recent memory.

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Saric still needs to improve his defense and three-point shooting consistency, but he is a solid scorer and fearless on the boards. He is going to be a really good player for a long time.