Smallwood: Hard not to be intrigued by Dario Saric's first Olympics action

While it may be true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, judging athletes based on the first time you see them compete would be extremely short-sighted.

After watching Sixers rookie Dario Saric play for the first time on Sunday night, I'll use that as my qualifier.

Croatia upset Spain, 72-70, in the opening round of pool play at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Saric wasn't the best player on the court, but he showed some things to support why the Sixers have waited two seasons to acquire his services.

Saric blocked a short shot by NBA All-Star big man Pau Gasol at the buzzer to preserve Croatia's upset of the No. 2-ranked team in the world.

The 22-year-old forward showed strong rebounding and made several nifty passes, including a highlight-reel, no-look, behind-the-back pass from near the foul line to the scoring block while facing away from the basket.

He finished with five points, seven rebounds and five assists.

My first impression is that Saric has an NBA body, enough NBA athleticism and an NBA mentality.

Saric did not push me toward believing that he is one of those transformative talents the Sixers are searching for but I think he is going to be a solid NBA player who can contribute to the organization advancing to where it wants to get.

By the way, the Sixers have a desperate need for players like that, too.

It was just one game, played under FIBA and not NBA rules. Spain is ranked second in the world behind the United States, but Gasol was its only NBA All-Star.

As a side note, Spain also had Sixers free agent point guard signee Sergio Rodriguez. He looked like he could be a solid veteran addition to a young team that needs to learn, grow and mature.

To make a non-flexible definitive statement about where Saric might go in the NBA based on 40 minutes of Olympic play game would be silly.

That will be determined when Saric has to prove himself against NBA talent in NBA games. That process won't begin until the Sixers open training camp.

I watched Saric with the same agenda I had watching 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons and fellow classmate Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot during Summer League.

I didn't need to see everything, but I wanted to see something.

When scouting prospects, Sixers coach Brett Brown told me he looks to see what discernable skills, if any, does a player have that can translate to the NBA level.

Based on what Saric showed against Spain in comparison to the numerous scouting reports about him, he has at least three.

He can rebound, handle the ball for a big man and pass.

I would not say that he has elite quickness and athleticism but he certainly has enough of both to survive in the NBA.

Saric was not the focal point of the Croatian attack as there were not a lot of plays run for him and he did not aggressively look to score.

Again, however, it was just one game managed the way the coach of Croatia wanted to.

It's about seeing snapshots in a situation like this. Sometimes it's just one standout moment that makes you take notice.

In one sequence, Saric grabbed a defensive rebound, spotted teammate Bojan Bogdanovic releasing down court and then fired a perfect half-court pass to set Bogdanovic off to a transition layup.

That was a big-time basketball play on any level.

Many Sixers fans have used the internet to stream games of Saric playing in the Euro League or in tournaments with Croatia.

Sunday I finally saw Saric play. My first impression is that I'm intrigued enough to want to see more of what he can he do – especially when he arrives in South Philadelphia.