Dario Saric

Strengths

Right-handed… Saric impresses with his size and versatility, standing 6’10” with a similar lengthy wingspan to play either forward position, although he is better suited as a future small forward. Although he isn’t a great athlete by league standards, he is fluid and smooth in his movements… Saric has outstanding ball skills, enabling him to play a point-forward roll in the NBA. He isn’t racking up the assist numbers in Europe, he has matching court vision, which combined with his size, allows him to see over the defense, see cutters and get the ball to them swiftly and efficiently. He moves well on the perimeter to create better angles and even though he won’t blow by the defender with the dribble, he uses his body well to shield the ball and get to different areas on the floor. He has these long strides that allow him to turn the corner and attack the lane, but where he is really efficient is changing speed and direction off the bounce…. In the lane, Saric shows a soft touch, often with a floater, but also displays excellent body control to get around defenders and adjust his shot in the air… As noted below, Saric’s jump-shot needs work. He has a solid mid-range game, but as he moves further away from the rim, he is just too inconsistent to be labeled a threat.

Weaknesses

Although Saric has added some muscle to his frame recently, he is still rail thin with plenty more room to grow. His lack of bulk and strength particularly hinders him around the rim, especially since his is a sub-par athlete; he possesses below-the-rim explosiveness. His lack of athleticism really hurts him when he moves over to play some point guard. Saric won’t blow by many defenders despite his long, rangy strides and excellent ball-handling. If he was just a slight-bit more explosive, the result would be a much higher grade… Saric plays a finesse game and we’d really like to see him toughen up. Whether this will come when he continues to develop physically is still a question mark, but with someone who plays in the lane as much as Saric does, he should be drawing contact and getting to the foul line much more than he is…. Saric’s perimeter jumper is inconsistent as best- knocking down jumper after jumper in one game and then a few days later clanking anything and everything he put up. His release point varies under pressure… As a ball-handler and play-maker, Saric needs some more experience at the point where he can improve his decision-making and feel.