The New Orleans Pelicans Should Steal Dario Saric
Dario Saric’s Strengths
Saric seems to have lost a bit of his identity after moving teams three times in three years. This shuffle has undoubtedly had some effect on his stats, so the New Orleans Pelicans need to look beyond the numbers.
Saric is a plus 3-point shooter for his size and has hit as high as 39.3 percent in a season. He is averaging 34.1 percent on just 3.7 attempts for the Suns, but Saric can stroke it.
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Though he is not overly strong at 6-foot-10, 225 lbs., Saric is a decent rebounder, pulling down 5.9 in just 24.8 minutes per game this season.
Saric is also a decent playmaker at the power forward position, averaging 2.1 assists per game for his career, mostly coming off the bench.
His offensive game is polished and will likely get better as he gets more reps and a more permanent situation.
Dario Saric’s Weaknesses
Saric has lost confidence since his early days in Philly and often does not look like the same player who was ranked as one of the top young players in the game.
He lacks the foot speed to defend a lot of wings, and lacks the strength to get after a lot of NBA power forwards.
Saric does not protect the rim and averages just .2 blocks per game for his career, which is terrible for a power forward.
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Saric embodies many of the stereotypes Americans have about foreign-born players, namely that they are soft, can’t play defense and get pushed around by stronger players.
Some of this is definitely true, but as the game continues to shift to the perimeter, guys like Saric will have more value.
He could be a nice fit on the New Orleans Pelicans.