Dario Saric Continues To Distance Himself From The Rest Of The Rookie Class

By George Kondoleon | Mar 25, 2017

Mar 19, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) shoots the ball during the third quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won the game 105-99. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /

Dario Saric had himself a career night against the Bulls, securing his spot at the top for the Rookie of the Year award.

Going into the season, it was expected the Sixers would have one, maybe two Rookie of the Year candidates. Many would have laughed at the thought of Dario Saric being the one to spearhead the rookie class, besting teammates Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. But after injuries suffered to both young stars, Saric has been the brightest spot on the Sixers roster.

Last night he secured his position as the clear winner for the Rookie of the Year award, if it wasn’t already his. His career night against the Chicago Bulls not only led the Sixers to a 117-107 win, but also showed the world his offensive versatility. Saric dropped a career-high 32 points while grabbing 10 boards in what may have been the performance of the year for any rookie.

Getting most of his points in the paint, Saric was able to dominate the weakened Bulls defense. He also hit two threes from the outside. He shot a scorching 12 for 19 from the field, putting himself clearly above all rookies still in the race for the award.

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With Joel Embiid out (and having successful microscopic surgery), the door was open for Saric to burst up the rookie ladder in a quick way. His performance leading up to the Ersan Ilyasova trade had many salivating at the thought of Saric being the forefront of the offense, and thus far he has not disappointed.

Saric has been the clear star of the Sixers this season, even through the despair of losing the two most anticipated rookies in the last decade for the team. He’s performing at a high level consistently, and staying healthy despite the huge workload he’s been given the past year. Saric has not only played an immense amount of basketball leading up to his first NBA season, he did so at an impressive level that he carried into this season.

When it comes to the talk of rookies, it’s clear now that Dario Saric is miles ahead of the rest of the pack. Malcolm Brogdon will likely steal a first place vote or two, but nothing to even come close to threatening the Croatian stud. The Sixers have a real building block in Saric, and can look back at this season and see promise even without the two faces of the franchise.

Next: Sixers Can Move Forward Even Without Healthy Embiid

Saric is not only the Rookie of the Year, he’s the most stable building block Philadelphia has. His ceiling continues to get higher with each passing night, and soon the rest of the league will be on notice.