Dario Šarić
Denver Nuggets

Player Facts

Height: 6'10"
Weight: 225lbs.

Wingspan: 6'10"

Date of Birth: Apr. 8, 1994
College Experience: N/A

Selections

All Star: 0
All-NBA: 0
All-Defensive: 0

Player Grades

Speed/Explosiveness: 3
Physical Strength: 8
Positional Size: 8
Positional Wingspan: 7
Paint Scoring: 7
Midrange Scoring: 5
Three-Point Scoring: 7
Dribbling: 6
Passing: 7
Perimeter Defense: 3
Interior Defense: 6
Rebounding: 8

Embed from Getty Images

JUMP TO SECTION

> Intro

> Offensive Versatility

> Post Scoring

> Big-Man Facilitation

> Shooting Behind the Arc

> Extra Strengths

> Non-Elite 3pt Clips

> Detractor on Defense

> Beacon Bacon

>Link to Player Contract & Salary Info

*All short clips courtesy of NF Highlights (YouTube)

*All statistical data courtesy of NBA Advanced Stats

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STRENGTHS

Intro

Saric is a 6'10" step-out big man with well-developed offensive skills. He plays hard, is unselfish, can score in various different ways, and is an underrated passer by many. Defense is not his strong suit, instead providing some nice offensive punch at the four/five.

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Offensive Versatility

Dario has a diverse set of offensive skills as a big man. He can do a bit of everything as a scorer, with handles and playmaking that are closer to that of a classic wing. All told, he stays within his role well whether that be starting, coming off the bench, playing the four, or playing small-ball center.

As the screen-setter in P-n-R's, Dario is a versatile piece. He can pop, short roll, or dive all the way to the basket for you. 2020-2021 saw him amass 151 points as the screen-and-dive man. That total knotted him with Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac here.

There are multiple parts of Saric's offensive game that make him unique compared to most big men. His handle is functional at his size which unlocks different driving opportunities. He counters ice coverage by laying back and knocking down the wing triple or driving skillfully to the cup.

He is a physical slasher when he puts his head down and goes. Saric may get walled off prior to reaching the tin, but he's got a bag of moves to use in the middle/on the edges of the paint. Instances like these are where you see some of that impressive skill.

Post Scoring

Dario is a good low-post scorer with an affinity for up-fakes. Many modern NBA schemes are switch-heavy and wind up putting a small on Saric. Fortunately for him, he can take them down to the block at 6-foot-10.

A turnaround jumper is an option, but Dario wisely looks to back his way closer to the rim against true mismatches. Once into the middle, up-and-under and step-through moves are just a couple of ways he can score the rock. He gets some calls here too, and generally has a great feel for when to duck in.

Armed with that craftiness and deceit around the iron, Dario can be a good finisher on the inside. This comes from skill as he's not especially long nor is he a big-time leaper by any stretch.

2019-2020 saw him post an efficient 64.6% mark in the restricted area. More recently, he is looking to get back to that form as he distances himself from his big injury.

In 2019-2020 he was in the 83rd percentile for post scoring. His 1.05 points per play mark here was among the best for medium-to-high-volume post players. In fact, that 1.05 was superior to Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jonas Valanciunas, and Nikola Vucevic. 2020-2021 had him average 1.2 post points a night.

Big-Man Facilitation

He can do a lot as a playmaking big man. Dario smoothly play-makes from the elbow or on the short roll. The high-low, big-to-big feed to his frontcourt mate is another thing he's comfortable with.

Dario can even drive-and-kick a little bit, with good passing accuracy on the move. Looking back, he'd even initiate some pick-and-rolls back in his Philly days. Moreover, his off-ball passing, such as his quick touch passing, once again helps grease the wheels of the offense. The assist totals are not huge, but Saric can clearly pass the basketball.

Shooting Behind the Arc

An alternative way he makes life easier for teammates is simply with his uphill gravity. Opposing bigs should stay within shouting distance of Dario because he can stroke open threes. This means they're a key couple of steps further from protecting the basket.

The half-court spacing he provides makes a real difference in widening driving lanes for his teammates. All of this becomes even more so the case when he slides up to the five. Regardless, the jobs of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Deandre Ayton were made easier with Dario's floor-stretching.

Dario's 3pt shooting at his size continues to be a value-add in transition. Overall, his 198 spot-up points bested perimeter guys like Gordon Hayward, Terrence Ross, and Will Barton (2019-2020). 2022-2023 also saw him be a strong shooter on spot-ups.

Extra Strengths

The Croatian big man even gets to the stripe at a passable rate (per-minute basis). Once there though, he is an excellent shooter. Dario tends to be in the mid-to-upper 80's from the free-throw line.

Solid rebounding helps him eke out some supplemental value as a player. He doesn't clean the glass quite well enough to be a full-time five, but for a power forward he does fine. From 2016-2017 to 2022-2023, he's snagged at least 7.9 rebounds per-36 in each healthy year.

A couple of non-harmful defensive contributions for Dario happen to align with archetypical big-man expectations. He defends dive men serviceably as a drop-style big, landing in the 70th percentile in 2019-2020 then 84th in 2020-2021. His post defense can be useful too, leveraging his strength.

WEAKNESSES

Non-Elite 3pt Clips

In order to maximize his value as a step-out big, Dario needs to up his percentages from deep. He's a solid spot-up guy but not a spectacular one. From 2016-2017 to 2019-2020, he only had one season shooting north of 40% on catch-and-shoot treys. As an aside, he can be sloppy as a passer on occasion.

Detractor on Defense

With some physical limitations and a neutral wingspan (equal to his height), Dario is a negative on defense. While perhaps only a slight negative when utilized in the correct role, he remains an offense-heavy player. As a big man, this stark offense-defense value imbalance is far from desirable.

Saric is one of the slower players in the Association. With that comes some issues, most notably on the defensive end. He can get scooted by quite easily when checking someone in space.

Players he defended across 2019-2020 shot a blistering 47.3% when guarded by Dario. Perimeter players scorched him with their dribble drives. The laterally stiff Saric struggled at the point of attack too, with guards shooting 40.7% from deep against him.

Dario and his troubles defending away from the basket have funneled him more toward the small-ball five role. While a workable designation on offense, this means he's often the last line of defense on the other side. This too is an issue, as Dario does not protect the rim well either.

The ground-bound combo big finds himself with a criminally low block rate. In 2018-2019 he blocked 9 shots, with 182 personal fouls. 2019-2020 had him at 16 rejections against 156 fouls.

In continuing with Dario's low-yield defensive counting stats, the steals aren't there either. Whether playing big minutes or not-so-big minutes, he's never averaged even 1 steal a game for a season. The right idea for a swipe is there sometimes, but the burst to consistently pounce a pass is not.

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Saric earned himself a spot on the 2016-2017 All-Rookie First Team next to Joel Embiid, Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, and Willy Hernangomez