Dario Saric flies under the radar with the Phoenix Suns
In the bubble, one storyline that got a lot of attention was the emergence of Cameron Johnson and how well the starting lineup played after his addition. On the other side of that decision was Dario Saric moving to the bench, where he played his best basketball of the year for the Phoenix Suns.
After an up and down season where Saric went from being a consistent member of the starting lineup to out of the rotation at some points, he was beginning to find his footing leading up to the bubble. After getting hurt in the tune-up games he was moved to the bench to ease him back and ended up staying there for the whole run.
Saric responded by scoring in double digits in all eight games, including knocking down over 50 percent of his 3-pointers. Off the bench, Saric was able to better utilize his playmaking abilities and be more creative as one of the primary playmakers on the floor.
Another transition Saric made that should also be considered moving forward is that he played a lot of time in the bubble as a center. Even when Frank Kaminsky was still in the rotation Saric was still tasked with ‘anchoring’ the defense for the second unit at times. Once Kaminsky was played out it was up to Dario.
Phoenix Suns have a decision to make this summer with Dario Saric
This offseason the biggest decisions the Phoenix Suns will have to make with their own players are with Aron Baynes and Saric. If the Suns believe that Saric can be a full-time backup center then that should make their decision easier. While I believe that in the long-run that is best for Saric and the Suns there are still a few things to consider.
Saric’s run in the bubble came over just an eight-game stretch and following a long layoff. The chances that he would be able to maintain that over a full season without injuries are low. Another problem with committing to Dario as a full-time center is that Aron Baynes is actually really good and the Suns should also try to bring him back because having depth and flexibility is important, especially with a truncated 72-game season in play.
While people may not be lining up to watch Dario Saric highlights, especially now that he is coming off the bench for the Phoenix Suns. But he plays a very important role for the team that can be underappreciated. Going forward we don’t know if he is better suited as a power forward or center, but he is capable at both and is a quality NBA player overall. If they’re comparing him to forwards alone, here’s how he stacks up to other available options.
Phoenix should be looking at bringing back Dario for another run.