After finding himself on Oklahoma City’s roster post-trade deadline, former Phoenix Sun forward Dario Saric is already proving that his six and a half years of experience can help win games.
Saric’s mix of shooting, rebounding, finishing, and ball-handling at 6-foot-10 and 225 pounds combined with his experience contributing to contending teams making deep runs into the Playoffs, including a Finals appearance in 2021, has provided a steady hand for the Thunder’s bench unit. And it couldn’t have come at a better time as a recent season-ending injury removed Kenrich Williams from the front court and poor production from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has Mark Daigneault hesitant to let him see the floor.
In the nine games since the Thunder swapped Darius Bazley for the Croatian big man, he is averaging 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting almost 46% from beyond the arc in just 14.9 minutes per game. Per 36 minutes, that equates to 24.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, blowing away Saric’s numbers from previous seasons.
But perhaps Saric’s most notable contributions came in the Thunder’s big win over a fifth-seed Golden State Warriors team that featured four four-time NBA champions on their roster in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green. In just 15 minutes off the bench, Saric knocked down six of his eight shots, including one 3-pointer and an and-one, en route to a turnover-free 14 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Saric’s ability at his size proved to be a challenge for the Warriors’ smaller defense. Not only was he a threat to knock down shots from the outside, he was finishing over the defense in the post while mixing in an array of floaters and even hit a mid-range jumper to help the Thunder stave off a run and advance in their quest to make the Play-In tournament.
The victory improved Oklahoma City’s record to 31-34, putting them in a three-way tie with the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers for the 10th seed — the final spot in the tournament. The Thunder now trail the ninth-seed Los Angeles Lakers by just half a game.
More must-reads: