Cooney: Already in game shape, Saric may now be Sixers' best player

AS DARIO SARIC made his way through the hallways of the Mullins Center following his first NBA action against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, he carried a bottle of water in one hand, a pink Barbie backpack over his shoulder, and possessed a gait of someone whose body is a bit worn.

It's not unusual at this time of year to see a player carefully judging his steps. Six practices in four days attempt to polish offensive sets and implement defensive schemes, but it is a shock to the body as muscles sing from head to toe. But Saric is carrying a bit more baggage than his teammates, and not in the kiddie backpack given to rookies to lug for the rest of the season.

From last October to April, Saric played a full season for Anadolu Effes in the Turkish League. Granted, the regular season consisted of just 24 games - about one a week - but it is pretty much basketball 24/7 in a league that is as physically tough as the NBA. Almost immediately following that season, Saric joined his Croatian national team in preparation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament in Turin, Italy. Saric's club won the tournament, after a grueling semifinal victory over Greece and a title triumph over Italy. Saric went for 16 points and eight rebounds in the 66-61 semifinal win, and collected 18 points and 12 rebounds in the title game, garnering MVP honors.

Croatia surprisingly advanced to the medal round in Rio de Janeiro, winning three of its five games. The highlight came from Saric in the opening contest when he blocked a shot by Pau Gasol in the final seconds to preserve an upset win over Spain.

After all of that, Saric had just a little time to recover and recharge to begin his NBA excursion. He had made a promise to the Sixers' brass that he was going to come over after two seasons in Turkey, and as much as he wanted to prove that his game belongs in the world's best league, he wanted to be true to his word.

So Tuesday, Saric saw his first NBA action. In an expected sloppy game, Saric's effort stood out, and not just because of the 10 points and six rebounds that he totaled in his closely watched 18 minutes. His is a game of confidence, demonstrated by the way he can easily set a good, strong pick, curl off of it while creating enough space from his defender to get off an open shot. He doesn't throw passes when guys become open, he sends them before the man is open, like a quarterback throwing to a receiver. While his footwork will prevent him from beating someone to a spot on the floor defensively, his anticipation allows him to overcome it. At 22, he plays the game like he knows more than the other players, even if his skill level may not match in some areas. The workload he has carried for over a year, while grueling, makes him probably the best player on the team right now.

"I thought Dario was excellent,'' said coach Brett Brown. "Just solid, solid, old-school solid. I think he's a really appropriate complement to Joel (Embiid), the way he plays. To me, the month of October is training camp. I think our guys are getting to that fitness level. He had a stronger base before the others did when he came into Philly. I'm so paranoid of how I play him. I have to really be aware of how many minutes I'm giving him. I think his base is solid.

"I really think he has a high intellect on playing basketball. It's the other things with the nuances and my words. There are a few game-plan things and how we're going to guard some things. He's trying to understand words and stuff on the fly. I think that's where his growth will come. I've had a chance to coach a lot of foreign players in my day. That's a natural transition that all of them make."

Brown makes a good point. While most players can pretty much shut off their minds after practices and games, Saric's is a world of constant thought. There is the language barrier that he is still trying to overcome. He is in a foreign country, strange city and adapting to all the nuances the NBA offers. His world right now is a constant state of uneasiness, and that is wearing.

"Everybody starts the season fresh and everything, but I'm starting it a little bit tired," Saric said. "But it's OK. After the Olympics Games, coach Brown gave me like 20 days off, which for me was the best rest in the last five years because in Europe you play for 10 months then you play with national team for two months. You get about five days off. I feel a little bit tired but I think when you are a basketball player you are always tired. Even if it is out of the season for an NBA player, you try to bring your game up and because of that practice, you are tired. It is normal in our life.

"People look at me like I'm older, like I'm 25 or 26. But I'm still 22. I still have some young problems in my head. But I try to be 100 percent on the basketball court. You have to give 100 percent whether it's practice or a friendly (exhibition) game or whatever. Every player has to give 100 percent."

Saric is as refreshing as he is versatile. He has the demeanor of an eager teenager, wanting to learn every aspect of the NBA game. And with fellow rookie Ben Simmons now sidelined for a long period of time with a fractured foot, more and more minutes most likely will fall to the 6-10, 225-pounder.

For years Brown would end his NBA season in San Antonio, almost immediately travel to Australia to coach the national team there, and ride that into the next NBA season. He is keenly aware of the strain Saric may be feeling.

"We understand coming off a long Euro league season and then a long Olympic Games campaign that there has been mileage put on him that others haven't experienced," Brown said. "I'm particularly mindful of that, having done it a few times. I'm aware of it. So that's on us to deliver him to the end of a season. And we're all aware of it. I've lived this life. I've lived it through three Olympic Games. So I get it. I get the duration of it.

"It's not like he comes in speaking fluent English. He's trying to figure out languages. How does he get into his car and drive to his new house? He has to think about that. What does coach mean by the down side? Amongst everything else, and now all of the sudden you have to feature him."

It will probably be Brown's best bet to start the season featuring Saric. Embiid, who played his first game Tuesday in more than two years, will have a long road to getting his game back after such a long layoff. There's still the puzzle of figuring out playing time for all the centers. Shooting appears to be as big a concern as it has been the previous three seasons and chemistry, due to so many new players, may be months away. So for now, this just may be Dario Saric's team.

@BobCooney76

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