What's the deal with Dario Saric?

[AbeVigodaLive]

So the Wolves traded Jimmy Butler for two starters. One of them, Dario Saric, was considered a promising young player who COULD be the franchise's long-term answer next to KAT. After all, he averaged 30 mpg while playing for a 50+ win team in Philadelphia.

The Wolves will have to figure out just how good he is... so they can figure out if they'll extend him... and how much that's worth.

So why is he playing 21 minutes?

Saric has only played 25+ minutes once in the past 9 games. KAT missed three of those games. I'm confused. Please help.




[note: i haven't been overly impressed by the way. i'm not sure what makes him better than a journeyman like ersan ilyasova.]

[Lipoli390]

Abe - I don't get it either. Saric averaged just under 30 minutes a game last season and just over 30 games in his 15 games with the Sixers this season. Yet, he's averaged only 21 minutes with the Wolves. Ryan has increased his minutes since replacing Thibodeau, but he's still not getting the minutes he got with the Sixers. As one of the two players and only meaningful assets the Wolves received for allstar Jimmy Butler, the lack of playing time Thibodeau and Ryan have allocated to Saric makes no sense. That's especially true when yo consider that the Wolves have to decide whether to extend him by the beginning of next season. It all comes back to poor management - in the executive suite and on the bench. Thibodeau and now Ryan manage game by game and minute by minute. Good organizations manage things with a broader strategic perspective.

As for Saric the player, I'll say this. A friend of mine in Philadelphia told me right after the Butler deal that Saric was a fan favorite. He also told me that Saric could be really frustrating because he wa highly inconsistent game to game. When you look at Saric statistically, it's a mixed bag. Last season was his best in his 3 seasons with a PER of 15.88 while averaging over 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and shooting 45.3% from the field and 39.3% from behind the arc - both on relatively heavy volume. This season, his PER is down to 12.72, slightly lower than his 12.84 his first season. He was terrible in his 13 games with the Sixers this season, shooting 36.4% from the field and 30% from behind the arc. But his shooting percentages since joining the Wolves are on par with his numbers last season, albeit on much lower volume - 45.5% and 38.8% respectively.

Overall, I'd say this about Saric based on his now nearly 3 seasons in the League. He's a very solid rebounder and an inconsistent but overall good perimeter shooter. He seems to have good court awareness and some nice instincts. He hustles and he seems pretty tough. But there is no clear arc of improvement in his game.

For me the bottom line is this. He was a centerpiece of the Butler deal and had a very good second season with the Sixers last year playing around 30 minutes a game. He's not quite 25 years old yet and could still have significant untapped upside. The guys on the Wolves who play his position are vets in their 30s with expiring contracts - Taj and Tolliver. So play him!!! This isn't difficult. Start Saric and play him 30-35 minutes a game every single game. Give him the green light to shoot and, in fact, encourage him to shoot from behind the arc. Unfortunately, the Wolves have squandered Saric's 55 games here to date with limited, inconsistent minutes. There are now only about 12 games left. But that's our Timberwolves. Mismanagement from top to bottom - the failure to think strategically and then implement that strategy -- that's why as Wolves fans we'll all remain perpetually frustrated.

But nevertheless, play Saric 35 minutes a game the rest of the way!!!! Same for Okogie, KBD, Reynolds and Tyus. We have nothing to lose but a few more games that we're likely to lose anyway!!

[AbeVigodaLive]

Saric is playing slightly less than 1 minute more per game under Saunders than with Thibodeau.

It's not any sort of meaningful difference... and actually possibly more alarming considering Thibodeau was working him into the lineup and so much was made about him taking Gibson's spot in the starting lineup.

He should be fully immersed by now. Obviously, we agree that he should be getting a lot more run.

So what gives? What possible reasons might there be for treating him like Ersan Ilyasova?

[thedoper]

Coaches love Taj, I don't think there's much more to it than that. I like Dario and hope he's with us for a long time.

[Monster]

It is weird he isn't getting more run especially the last handful of games. I will say he does seem more empowered to play his game than he was before. I don't think it's enough but he is getting the ball and doing stuff besides basically scoring up for 3's and cutting.

I will say that right or wrong in how he has utilized them Ryan has a number of options to use instead of Saric in Tolliver Gibson and even at times Dieng. It feels like Tolliver has played reasonably well during this last stretch. Saric still has some pretty solid numbers and production for the season. Maybe Ryan is doing a soft tank after all. Lol

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

When people talk about Saric's fit next to KAT, it's always about his offensive skills and ability to stretch the floor. But offense continues to be secondary to our defense when talking about this team's needs for improvement. We have GOT to surround KAT with plus-level defenders. I'm not sure Saric or Gibson are ideal in this regard.

[AbeVigodaLive]

When people talk about Saric's fit next to KAT, it's always about his offensive skills and ability to stretch the floor. But offense continues to be secondary to our defense when talking about this team's needs for improvement. We have GOT to surround KAT with plus-level defenders. I'm not sure Saric or Gibson are ideal in this regard.

Very true.

I thought Saric has been pretty terrible defensively.

And since his offense has only been ho-hum... at him to the heap of "assets" that has me less than optimistic about the team's future.

[Monster]

When people talk about Saric's fit next to KAT, it's always about his offensive skills and ability to stretch the floor. But offense continues to be secondary to our defense when talking about this team's needs for improvement. We have GOT to surround KAT with plus-level defenders. I'm not sure Saric or Gibson are ideal in this regard.

I think Saric and Taj can be part of a good defense but they aren't going to be the linchpin of a defense. That has to be someone else either on the perimeter or Towns himself. Obviously we need some of both.

Dane moore on his way early free agent podcast mentioned signing Noel as a guy to play next to Towms as a defender at times. It was an interesting take. It might make some sense with Towns and Saric as the other bigs. I haven't seen Noel play enough this year to say if he is good enough defensively.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

It's a double-edged sword. Keep him at this playing time level and his extension is gonna be cheaper. Play him 30+ minutes a game and he might play into something higher than we can afford under the tax. They also just haven't swallowed their pride and benched G and Taj brings some consistency to what you are gonna get when he's on the floor and you just can't say that about G or Saric. The move is to bench G and just go small, but they won't do it.

[WildWolf2813]

I wouldn't entertain any contract extension with Saric. It feels like he's been sulking since he's been here.