In a perfect world, the Philadelphia 76ers would flip a switch and have the calendar turn to 2016 or beyond. By then presumably all their wounded would not only be walking, but running at full speed. Dario Saric, the Croatian sensation, would be ready to show the NBA what made him such a hot draft commodity. Some of those other “assets’’ general manager Sam Hinkie has acquired since arriving in 2013 would have proven their value, justifying the moves that brought them
In a highly patriotic coincidence, Team USA was off on this Labor Day Monday as they prepare for Tuesday’s match with New Zealand, the only Group C team without a win here in this FIBA World Cup. Groups A and B played on Monday with the hosts separating themselves from the pack, one big upset, one huge Freakish dunk and an emerging dark horse for the all-tournament team. Group A Serbia (2-1) outscored Iran 25-13 in the decisive third quarter and defeated Iran
Nobody warned me that the first day of the World Cup coincided with the first day of college football. Instead of watching my Maryland Terrapins thump James Madison by 45 in a total mismatch, I could have watched Team USA demolish Finland by 59 in a total mismatch. Okay, maybe I made the right choice. Tomorrow, though, the US has Turkey, who weren’t gifted a tournament spot because the guy who made Angry Birds said he wanted them to be in
PHILADELPHIA – Let’s begin with a question. In the three-plus decades since David Stern took the reins as NBA commissioner from Larry O’Brien and handed them to Adam Silver, what do these franchises – the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers – have in common? Answer: None has gone to the NBA Finals. Furthermore, among that group only Denver, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Sacramento and
When it comes to trades, the 2014 NBA draft hasn’t been quite as nuts as last year. Nevertheless, there have been a handful of deals. Here’s a breakdown: Philadelphia 76ers trade Elfrid Payton to Orlando Magic for Dario Saric, 2015 second-round pick and 2017 first-round pick. Philadelphia didn’t need another point guard with Michael Carter-Williams entrenched at the position, and the Sixers are all about assets. Injured Joel Embiid went third and now Dario Saric will be in Turkey for the next two seasons.
With the 2014 NBA draft merely a few hours away, teams are gearing up for all of their possible choices as the clock is winding down. In what should be one of the stronger drafts in recent years, despite being significantly weaker than the famous 1984, 1996 and 2003 drafts, there is a very strong crop of international prospects going into the draft. This year there are three prospects who could be picked in the lottery (Dante Exum, Dario Saric, Jusuf
We can be fairly certain that Dario Saric and Jusuf Nurkic did not watch the Cleveland Cavaliers win the draft lottery. Yes, they have a vested interest in knowing who is picking where. But business comes first, and both players were sound asleep, resting up for the final round of the Croatian League before their domestic Final Four. The 6-10 Saric, a 20-year-old forward for Cibona Zagreb, has been having fantastic season, averaging 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in the Adriatic League,
As the All-Star break and Feb. 20 trade deadline draw near, it’s becoming increasingly clear to the neutral observer which teams are going to compete for the remainder of the regular season, and which teams are content on limping to the finish line. Their hopes will then rest on securing a high lottery pick in this, the much hyped 2014 NBA draft. It’s been a while between mock drafts here at SheridanHoops since Joe Kotoch’s ‘Very Early Mock Lottery‘ was published, and