Phoenix Suns: Dario Saric vs. 2020 free agent power forwards
By Kenny Glenn
The Phoenix Suns will have some decisions on their hands when it comes to what to do with the power forward position next season. Here are their options.
In 2018, current Phoenix Suns power forward, Dario Saric, had just finished his second year where he started with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he raised his shooting average to 45.3 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from the arc, and 86 percent from the line. Saric averaged 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds a game as the 76ers record improved by 24 games.
A few months later, on November 10th, “Homie” Joel Embiid’s and Philly fans’ nickname for Dario Saric, was shipped to the Timberwolves. Saric went from starting for a great team to not starting and getting the 8th most minutes on a bad team.
But the sun finally came up in Minnesota on June 20, 2019, ending Dario’s Minnesota nightmare. That day, the Timberwolves sent Dario Saric and the 11th pick to the Phoenix Suns for their 6th pick. The Suns ended up with the better college player in Cam Johnson at #11 and 25-year-old Saric.
Dario Saric was very happy that he was coming to Phoenix because he would be rejoining one of his favorite coaches in Monty Williams, who coached Saric in Philadelphia. He knew coach Williams would give him a fair chance which he didn’t have in Minnesota.
At the end of this season, over the course of the last dozen games including the Suns’ eight bubble games, Dario found his game. Monty Williams did, in fact, give him a fair chance with his plan for Dario, one that was to bring Saric off the bench to play power forward and back up center which Dario wasn’t a fan of, but he’s a team player.
Super Dario rose to the challenge during these 12 games pulling down 7.4 rebounds and scoring 16 points a game while shooting an insane 67 percent from the field, 58 percent from 3-point range, and 85 percent from the line!
Dario accepted his new role and flourished, giving the Phoenix Suns a reason to bring him back to the Suns this offseason.
Heading into next season, Cameron Johnson is the starting power forward, but that could change with free agency. The Suns might get a very good veteran that could start, thus bringing Cam off the bench, even though Cam excelled when he started in the bubble.
But the question here is, should the Suns bring the 26-year-old Saric back because of a dozen games in lew of bringing in another high dollar free agent power forward?
Who could they get? Let’s take a look: