March 23, 2017
Writing for a national audience at The Ringer, Ben Detrick did a solid job introducing the world to Dario Saric and his Rookie of the Year candidacy. Still, for Sixers fans who are well acquainted with The Homie, there are more than a few solid quotes in the article from Saric.
First, on T.J. McConnell and “trust the friendship”:
“Sometimes in the games, he got one opinion and I got another opinion,” said Saric. “And we just talk about it. But that’s brother love. I love him so much. He’s got his fiancée, he getting married this September. He called me and said, ‘Can you come? Can you come, please?’ But I have a national team [obligation] in that time. Probably, I will not come.” The friendship will survive this.
And on the potential of winning NBA Rookie of the Year, which Saric called “a bit untypical” due to the unavailability of talented teammates Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons:
“It’s not something I wake up every morning like, ‘I need to be Rookie of the Year,’” he said. “I just want to come in the game and try to win. Try to fight, try to be coachable, try to be a good teammate. What the end of the season gives me, gives me. It’s not pressure on my back.”
Anyway, the whole thing is worth a read. For example, check out the description in the title of the post again. Detrick wrote that, “Saric runs like a nightclub bouncer who just noticed his car being towed down the block.”
1. Joel Embiid is hurt. News at 11.
2. Joel Embiid is funny. More news at 11.
3. There was a report that the Sixers made a legit offer for Indiana’s Paul George at the trade deadline. But should they have?
4. MAILBAG: Looking at some offseason trade targets, among other things.
Give and Go: NBA's best and worst rebuilding situations: Sports Illustrated
In this video, SI.com’s Madelyn Burke, Rohan Nadkarni and DeAntae Prince show the Sixers some love.
At last, Noel: Will Nerlens end Mavs' perennial big-man search? Tim MacMahon, ESPN
Maybe the story isn’t technically about the Sixers anymore, but this is a nice check-in with Nerlens in Dallas:
"We're excited about the future with Nerlens," said Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, who negotiated the trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. "Clearly, he brings a dimension that we haven't had here for a while: shot blocking, athleticism, rebounding. A 22-year-old with significant upside in a 7-foot frame is good material to work with."
Sweet 16 could tell us a lot about potential Sixers draft picks: David Murphy, Philadelphia Daily News
With a ton of the top NBA Draft prospects gearing up for a deep tourney run, Murphy writes about how much that matters. He also looks back at Jahlil Okafor’s tourney run, which was a little disappointing despite Duke winning the title:
It's something to keep in mind as this year's tourney enters Week 2. Six of the top eight prospects in ESPN's latest Top 100 will be in action this weekend, with Kansas swing man Josh Jackson and Kentucky guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk of particular interest for the Sixers, who seem destined to draft somewhere from fourth to eighth. UCLA's Lonzo Ball is worth the price of admission, but is less likely to be on the board when the Sixers pick. Arizona's Lauri Markkanen and Duke's Jayson Tatum both seem a bit redundant, given their frames.
Oh, and this story about the NBA’s collective obsession with peanut butter and jelly is terrific.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
