June 28, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; A general view of the first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Dario Saric
Power Forward, Croatia
20 years old
6’10″, 225 lbs.
2013-14 Stats (Croatian League): 32 MPG,16.5 PPG (50.6% FG, 70.9% FT, 32.6% 3P), 9.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1 SPG, .9 BPG, 3.3 TPG
Measurements: 6’11″ wingspan, 9’0″ standing reach. Did not participate in NBA combine or Euroleague testing.
Cumulative Ranking: 10th | Bryant’s Ranking: 9th | Scott’s Ranking: 13th
Dari Saric: THE BREAKDOWN
Bryant: I love the potential fit offensively between DeMarcus Cousins and Dario Saric. Saric is arguably the smartest player in a pretty smart draft, and he can do a bit of everything offensively. He’s 6’10 and developed a sufficient post game in Croatia, and over the past year he’s shown significant improvement on his deep ball, although he’ll need to work on both shots to bring them up to NBA speed. He’s also a fantastic passer for his size, a real point forward. He needs to get stronger to handle NBA bigs, and his defensive potential isn’t as high as his offensive potential, but he’s a fiery competitor who I think would fit decently well next to Cousins.
Scott: The allure of Saric is definitely his IQ and selflessness, and I think that fits in with a Kings team that tends to get “sticky fingers” on offense. His weaknesses — inconsistent perimeter shooting, strength, defensive questions — could seemingly all be developed in time. The big scare is that he sounds content to develop those skills overseas. I know we’ve had success in the past with a player who didn’t come right away (Peja Stojakovic), but that was at No. 14 in the draft. Do you take Saric at No. 8 over some of the other talents in this draft with no guarantee he’ll be around in the next year or two?
Bryant: That’s the biggest worry I have on Saric for sure. We know this team wants to win now, and I’d doubt they’d take a chance on a guy who they weren’t confident of coming over. Saric is 9th on my board in terms of talent, but the worries over him staying in Croatia would push him down. Hopefully, though, whatever team selects him either doesn’t need him right away or has a role for him to fit immediately. That may not be Sacramento, given the depth of power forwards on the roster, but given the time to strength up and improve his defensive awareness, I think he’d be a very good fit for this team. If the Kings traded back from 8, there’s gotta be a point where you just can’t pass up on Saric’s talent regardless. He’s too smart a player.
Scott: I agree about the worry, and that’s why I have Saric at No. 13. Maybe it’s just his body type (6’10”, 220 lbs.), but he reminds me of Danilo Gallinari — long and fluid. I think Saric can play both forward spots, but I like him as a small forward right now, and I think he makes more sense for the Kings at that position. Maybe if he bulks up he might be more suited for the stretch “4” position, but not sure if that’s the player I want next to Cousins in the paint. Either way, he’s a talented guy definitely worth consideration.
A Royal Pain – Sacramento Kings Cumulative Big Board
15. Nik Stauskas – Shooting Guard, Michigan
14. Jusuf Nurkic – Center, Bosnia
13. Adreian Payne – Power Forward, Michigan State
12. Gary Harris – Guard, Michigan State
11. Doug McDermott – Forward, Creighton
10. Dario Saric – Forward, Croatia