Dario Saric should anchor the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers

After a solid outing for the Croatian national team, Philadelphia 76ers’ forward Dario Saric looks poised to lead the team’s second unit.

The Philadelphia 76ers have the potential to finally make the playoffs this season. After five years of missing the big dance, the team may finally have the tools to do just that. Interestingly enough, Dario Saric could make the biggest difference off the bench.

Now, Sixers fans loved Saric’s output last season. After a rocky start to his career, Saric found his niche as a sixth man. Essentially, he provided a much-needed boost for Philly when the starters needed a break. In such a role, Saric proved he could handle the duty of a primary option off the bench.

As a reserve, Dario Saric averaged 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Considering the fact that he bounced in and out of the first and second strings, this is impressive. If anything, last season showed that you can basically plug Dario in anywhere and he’ll give his all. That said, he may end up working best as a rotation piece.

Now, most assume that Ben Simmons will start for the Philadelphia 76ers next season. He has stated on multiple occasions that he will likely handle the ballhandling duties, at least in the starting lineup. Markelle Fultz will handle ball handling duties as well but to a lesser extent. It would make sense to infer that he will operate more off the ball.

Too Many Cooks?

Oddly enough, between himself, Fultz, and Saric, the volume of players that can dominate ball possession could prove vital. At the same time, they may not work in a starting rotation.

Obviously, the best way to alleviate that issue would be to have Saric come off the bench. That would mean having Robert Covington maintain his starting role. Ideally, this scenario makes the most sense. With that in mind, Saric will have every opportunity to excel in this role.

Now, Dario Saric will benefit from having more talent around him in the second unit. For the most part, most of the players in the second unit played for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. Guys like T.J. McConnell, Nik Stauskas, Richaun Holmes, and Jahlil Okafor all played with Dario last year. This added sense of comradery will help the Saric, simply because he knows their tendencies. Obviously, thrusting him into the starting lineup with guys who will demand the ball does not make sense. Other than McConnell, the rest of that second rotation play mainly off the ball. As a result, Saric would have the primary ballhandler role by default.

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So, it makes sense for Dario Saric to handle the ballhandling duties for the second unit of the Philadelphia 76ers. Yes, he can definitely play in the starting lineup, but that may not work well in the grand scheme of things. If anything, he may be best suited coming off the bench alongside veterans including the likes of Jerryd Bayless and Amir Johnson. Saric would benefit immensely from such a role since he’s succeeded there before.