He’s not a traditional point forward, but Saric has the playmaking chops needed to run the offense on occasion. Whether it’s whipping passes out of the post or handling on the perimeter, his unique combination of size, strength and vision — at 6-foot-10 — always made Saric a unique weapon coming out of Croatia.
A player with his skill level probably shouldn’t have fallen to 12th in the 2014 draft.
The Philadelphia 76ers obviously got a steal in the that regard, even if Saric has some flaws. He’ll never be an elite defender or an overly impressive athlete, but is capable of being a stellar offensive player long term. It comes down to whether or not he can reach his ceiling with Philly’s current core.
Saric has the makings of an offensive focal point. His crafty scoring around the rim is underused, and that’s largely due to Embiid’s presence in the paint. That also keeps him from passing out of the high post or taking defenders into the paint as often as he could.
He’d need to share the floor with another ball handler, but Saric is somebody who’s capable of scoring 15-plus points per game while leading his team in assists. His vision and flare is comparable to Nikola Jokic, even if he’s not quite as tall. It’d be really, really fun to see him taking on a bigger role.