Dario Saric is under contract with Anadolu Efes through next season, and the Sixers are working to get him to Philly for the 2016-17 season
By Peter Gleason
It is true that the Sixers, with the third-worst record in the NBA, suck this season.
But help is just around the corner.
From Croatia!
On Wednesday, Dario Saric, whom the Sixers chose with the No. 12 pick in last June’s NBA draft, was named the FIBA European Young Player of the Year, marking the second consecutive year that he has won the award.
He can add that to a resume that includes MVP awards in the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship (2010), Nike International Junior Tournament (2011), FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship (2012), Croatian League Finals (2013), Adriatic League (2014), and Adriatic League Finals (2014), not to mention FIBA MVP honors for the month of November this season.
Needless to say, Dario Saric is one of the most impressive 20-year-olds in the sports world.
In 13 domestic games with Turkish League powerhouse Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Saric has averaged 10.6 points (45.6 FG%), 5.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 24.0 minutes per game. Per 36 minutes, that equates to 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, making him the only player in the league hitting those per-minute marks.
The 6’10” Saric has started games at both power forward and center with Anadolu Efes, also seeing some action at the small forward position. On Sunday, he started the Turkish League All-Star game at center for the European squad.
If you’ve never watched Dario Saric play before, check out the highlights from his 11-point, eight-assist, five-rebound, two-steal, and one-block performance against Real Madrid to get a feel for his well-rounded game and creativity as a playmaker:
