Philadelphia 76ers: Is Dario Saric Finally Back?

Getty Images Dario Saric celebrating a foul call.

The Philadelphia 76ers bounced back on Wednesday night after their atrocious loss to the Brooklyn Nets this past Sunday. Headed into Wednesday’s game, the Sixers were viewed as the underdog as they were set to take on the Indiana Pacers. Both teams heading into the game have been polar opposites.

The Pacers were trending up, while the Sixers were highly questionable and trending down. No sweat though, the Sixers are finally looking like they are getting back on track, and so does Dario Saric. The Sixers forward just hasn’t been himself this year. Many blame it on the fact that he’s played basketball all throughout the summer overseas, so many speculate his poor play on the fact that he may be fatigued.

Headed into Wednesday nights game, Dario was averaging 9.8 points-per-game, which is a significant drop off to how he’s performed in the 2017-2018 season. It was getting frustrating for the Sixers, as nobody was playing at their highest possible level. But finally, Dario proves to everybody that his previous year was no fluke, as he posts a stellar game against the Pacers.

Is Dario Saric Officially Back?

Saric’s rough patch to start the season was frustrating to watch. As the Sixers struggled as a collective, Saric’s shooting struggles seemed to really carry over to the rest of the team. And what do you know? As soon as Saric starts raining shots like he did on Wednesday, the rest of the team feeds off that energy and plays well too.

So, now we have to ask this question; Is Dario Saric finally back? Honestly, let’s pump the brakes. The Sixers got a nice two-day break between Monday and Tuesday after their terrible showing on Sunday. A little rest was great for Saric and the rest of the team. Saric, specifically, put up 18 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in a matter of 36 minutes. It was nothing over the top, but it was the best we’ve seen him perform all season.

It’s too early to think that Saric is back to playing at a high level like he was last year, but it’s entirely acceptable to get excited about his performance from Wednesday night. Obviously, he will need to show a little more on a consistent basis, but this is a perfect stepping stone for Saric to get out of his slump in 2018.