Tag: Dario Saric

There are 8 total connections to the Sixers in the 2021 NBA finals

There will be plenty of former Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 NBA finals.

The 2021 NBA finals get underway on Tuesday as the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks get set to do battle for the Larry O’Brien trophy. While the Philadelphia 76ers came up short of their goal of a title, there are plenty of connections to the Sixers in these finals.

For the Suns, they have seven former Sixers on their roster and coaching staff. They are led by coach Monty Williams who was an assistant with Philadelphia for one season and on his coaching staff is former Sixers guard Willie Green, former head coach Randy Ayers, and former Sixers assistants Kevin Young and Mark Bryant.

The Suns also have a former Process champion in the form of Dario Saric who played for Philadelphia for a little over two seasons with the team. He was a big part of their team making the playoffs in 2018 and he was involved in the Jimmy Butler trade early in the 2018-19 season.

Then, there’s Mikal Bridges who Philadelphia selected in the 2018 draft before flipping him to the Suns for Zhaire Smith. Bridges has turned into a nice 3-and-D option for Phoenix next to Chris Paul.

On the Bucks, there is the former Sixer All-Star Jrue Holiday. The veteran out of UCLA played his first four seasons in Philadelphia and he was named an All-Star in his final season in 2013. He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal that brought them Nerlens Noel.

The Suns and the Bucks begin the NBA finals on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT from Phoenix Arena.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Former Sixers forward Dario Saric helps Suns beat Clippers in Game 2

Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric helps the Phoenix Suns knock off the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2.

The Philadelphia 76ers are done for the 2020-21 season as they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals when they fell in Game 7 at home to the Atlanta Hawks. It was a disappointing ending to a promising season.

With the Sixers now done, it is time to start paying attention to former members of the Sixers in the playoffs.

A key member of The Process era is contributing to a title contender out in the Western Conference and that is Dario Saric of the Phoenix Suns. Saric played for Philadelphia for a little over a season before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Jimmy Butler deal.

In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Saric had 11 points, three rebounds, and two steals as the Suns knocked off the Los Angeles Clippers 104-103. DeAndre Ayton threw down a perfectly thrown lob by Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds left to lift Phoenix to the win.

The Suns are now two wins away from the NBA finals, but the Clippers were down 0-2 in each of the first two rounds. Saric and the Suns will have to be ready for a response as the series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Draft Rewind: Sixers trade back to select big man Dario Saric in 2014

We now take a look back at the Philadelphia 76ers selecting Dario Saric in the 2014 NBA Draft.

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The Philadelphia 76ers had two top 10 picks in the 2014 NBA Draft and they used the first one by selecting a star big man in the form of Joel Embiid. With the second pick at number 10 overall, it came as a shock to some.

They selected Louisiana-Lafayette point guard Elfrid Payton when they already had a point guard at the time in Michael Carter-Williams. However, the Sixers then traded Payton to the Orlando Magic for the 12th pick which turned out to be European big man Dario Saric.

Saric did not make his debut until the 2016-17 season as he stayed with his team overseas initially, but he had a solid rookie season endearing himself to the Philadeplhia faithful with his heart and hustle every night. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in his rookie season and he was a finalist, along with Embiid, for Rookie of the Year before it went to Malcolm Brogdon.

Saric was then a key member of the team that made the playoffs in 2018 and he had a productive postseason averaging 17.2 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 38.5% from deep in 10 games. He was then sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Jimmy Butler deal and is now wih the Phoenix Suns. [lawrence-related id=37825,37822,37817]

Philadelphia 76ers free agency player profiles: big man Dario Saric

A return of Dario Saric could be in the books for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite the NBA getting set to resume the season in late July, the Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of issues that need to be filled in the offseason. So, in a way to continue the offseason preview, Sixers Wire continues the player profiles series for Philadelphia to look at in the shortened offseason coming up.

The Sixers need some help in the shooting department and bench help so why not try to knock out two birds with one stone? Maybe a guy who can knock down some shots and provide some good play off the bench? Also, this is a guy who Sixers fans are familiar with.

Dario Saric

Yes, one of the pieces the Sixers sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Jimmy Butler trade in November of 2018. The 4-year deal he originally signed with Philadelphia in 2016 expires this summer so he will become a restricted free agent meaning the Phoenix Suns can match any deal which could deter Philadelphia considering the lack of money they have.

Normally, teams pay restricted free agents a bit more to try and deter the original team from matching the deal.

Saric is shooting 34.1% from deep for the Suns and averaging 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds. He brings that energy and hustle that every team needs and considering he spent a little over two seasons in Philadelphia, he knows the system and has experience with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and the big fella even expressed that he misses Saric. He would be a nice addition to the team’s bench.

It would be a nice fit for both Saric and the Sixers and he might come cheap which is good for Philadelphia. They only have roughly $6 million to spend in the 2020 offseason and the free agency market. To sign a guy like Saric will depend on how much the Suns want to keep him in tow. [lawrence-related id=33087,33080,33072]

3 backup big man options for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020 free agency

Here are 3 backup big man options for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020 free agency.

We are going to continue our Philadelphia 76ers free agency preview, in the midst of the league still working to resume the 2019-20 season, with another position that the team needs. They are in need of a backup point guard, as well as shooters–their most pressing need–and they are also in need of a backup big man option.

While the team could easily fix this problem by simply moving Al Horford to the bench permanently–or maybe just using the amnesty clause on him–it still makes a lot of sense to go out in free agency and try and sign a cheap, reliable option. General manager Elton Brand and company won’t have too much money to play with, but there are options in their $6 million price range.

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Top 5 players to wear number 9 jersey in Philadelphia 76ers history

Sixers Wire is now ranking the top five guys to wear the number 9 jersey in Philadelphia 76ers history.

The number 9 jersey has been worn by 23 players in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. So, in fine Sixers Wire fashion, we are going to rank the top five players to ever throw on the jersey number.

The list is going to be based on what the players did while wearing the specific uniform number. These five players aren’t superstars in the purest sense, but they were solid players. One of the players on this list also did a good job of using his time in Philadelphia to work and develop and earn a spot on other teams in the league.

With that said, let’s get into this list?

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Top five rookie seasons in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers

We are now ranking the top five individual rookie seasons in Philadelphia 76ers history.

A rookie season in the NBA is meant to be that transitional season for a player. For that young man to find his way in the league and eventually become a staple on a team. Some of those players, just get it right away and make an impact.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, they have had plenty of guys come in here and make an impact in their rookie seasons and then become good players. So, we are going to rank the top five rookie seasons in the history of the franchise.

This list will be based on a few things such as individual numbers, awards won, and team impact. With that said, let’s jump into it!

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Ranking the top five power forwards in Philadelphia 76ers history

We now count down the top five power forwards in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The power forward position has been marked by a mixture of power and grace. An elite power forward uses a mixture of both of those attributes to be able to score in the post and also be able to step out and hit a jumper when needed.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the greatest players in the history of the game played the position for them. They have seen their fair share of elite power forwards come through and don their colors and we’re going to rank the top five at the position in their history.

Don’t forget to check out the rankings for the previous positions:

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With that said, let’s get into this list!

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Sixers history lesson: rookie Dario Saric outduels Jimmy Butler, Bulls

This day in Philadelphia 76ers history focuses on the time Dario Saric knocked off the Chicago Bulls.

With the NBA in an indefinite hiatus due to COVID-19, we continue our day-by-day look back at the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. We continue down our path into Sixers history every day as we look to fill the void left by the absence of basketball.

This specific lesson focuses on the rookie season of Dario Saric in a matchup with a guy he would eventually be traded for. The Sixers were not in contention in Saric’s rookie season after Joel Embiid’s terrific rookie season was cut short by injuries so they were just playing out the schedule, but Saric had a terrific game on the road to lead the Sixers.

March 24, 2017

The Sixers and the Chicago Bulls matched up in a late-season game at the United Center with the teams trending in different directions. The Sixers were just continuing to develop players and grow as a team while the Bulls were looking to lock down a playoff spot.

Saric pumped in 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting and he grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Sixers play spoiler and win it 117-107. He outdueled Bulls superstar Jimmy Butler who had 36 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds to lead Chicago. Of course, Saric would be traded in order for the Sixers to acquire Butler in November of 2018.

Postgame, Saric did not take all of the credit as he gave a lot of love to fellow rookie Shawn Long who 18 points and seven rebounds. Saric said:

The main reason is because of Shawn Long. He came off the bench, he brought the same kind of energy. Usually, he gets four or five fouls, but he was smart.

The Sixers would go on to finish the season at 28-54 in the final season of the “process” before they made the playoffs. Embiid, rookie Ben Simmons, Saric, veteran JJ Redick, and Robert Covington helped the Sixers make the semifinals in 2018.

As for the Bulls, despite a Big 3 of Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo, they struggled and made the playoffs as the 8 seed before being knocked out by the Boston Celtics in Round 1. [lawrence-related id=28097,28091,28082]

Joel Embiid says he misses Dario Saric, was sad when he was traded

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid says he misses former teammate Dario Saric.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently in a great spot. They just added reinforcements off their bench to prepare for what they hope will be a title run and they made a bold move to help the team on an overall scale.

While Joel Embiid is at All-Star weekend in Chicago to represent the Sixers on Team LeBron, he was asked about a former teammate of his: Dario Saric.

Saric was with the Sixers for a little over two seasons before being sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with Robert Covington, in the Jimmy Butler trade in November of 2018. Saric was known to have a funny personality and was one of the better team players for them in terms of chemistry.

“Dario is my guy,” said Embiid. “He’s probably one of the funniest guys I’ve ever been around. We miss him. I was kind of sad when we traded him, but it’s basketball. It’s business. He was a great teammate, just a hard worker, and a fun dude to be around.”

The NBA at the end of the day is a business. Moving Saric to Minnesota to bring Butler in was a move that helped the team right away. Obviously, Butler isn’t here any longer, but the move was a no-brainer at the time for general manager Elton Brand and company.

Saric is now with the Phoenix Suns where he is averaging 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. He is dealing with an ankle injury right now that has limited him a little bit. [lawrence-related id=25856,25888,25880]