Sixers fans have spent much of the past month watching the NCAA Tournament and envisioning how some of college basketball’s best players could potentially help the team in future seasons. But due to a lack of consistent television coverage and a tricky language barrier, one young prospect who is already under Philadelphia’s control has largely gone unnoticed despite inspired play of late.

Here at Sixers.com, we aim to bridge the gap between stateside fans and the handful of international players whose rights are held by the team. In this edition of the Transatlantic Tracker, we’ve taken the liberty of cutting together some highlights for your viewing pleasure. Here’s what 2014 first-round pick Dario Saric has been up to in Turkey:

In the nine games since we last updated the Tracker, Saric has averaged 10.9 points (47.9 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 70.6 FT%), 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game. Over his last two, he’s compiled 31 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists in 61 total minutes, shooting 50.0% from the floor and going 3-for-6 from distance during that stretch. Despite the significant role he’s played in Anadolu Efes’ offense over the past month, he’s turned the ball over just 13 times total in the team’s last nine games.

His uncanny vision and pinpoint passing accuracy as a combo forward were two traits that made the 6’10” Saric a highly touted prospect as a 20-year-old last June, and those have translated nicely in his first Turkish Basketball League season. Here are a couple of examples from his last two games plus two bonus clips, one from earlier this season and another from FIBA play with Croatia over the summer.

Note: If you are viewing this article on our mobile app, please select "view in browser" and allow a few moments for the GIFs to load. Oh, and Dario is #9 in blue.





His perimeter shot was a point of concern for some analysts heading into last year’s draft, but Saric has steadily improved in that regard throughout this season. He began the year going 11-for-51 (21.6%) from three-point range over Efes’ first 23 games, but in the 21 games since has shot 18-for-43 (41.9%) from distance.

A reliable shot from distance would be hugely beneficial for Saric as the Sixers look to build around a frontcourt that features Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel.

But where Saric does the majority of his damage on the offensive end is around the rim, where his strength and touch make him tough to contain. At 6’10” and around 250 pounds, Saric, who turns 21 on Wednesday, is in a different class physically compared to prospects his age.





Stay tuned for more coverage of Dario Saric and the rest of the Sixers’ international prospects as their seasons wind down.