Philadelphia 76ers rookie Dario Saric is near the end of what has been a solid first season, but even he admits that is is still adjusting to the exhausting NBA schedule.
And Saric himself is the first to admit that he did not expect the mass amount of minutes that he has received this season.
“I’m tired a little bit mentally, physically,” Saric told Philly.com.
“But I try to push myself to what is possible in this part of the season, in this kind of minute restriction. Of course, I have pain in the foot. But I really want to play. I really want to help the team.”
Saric, who is celebrating his 24th birthday today has averaged 26.1 minutes this season as the Sixers continue to rebuild under coach Brett Brown but Philadelphia look certain to make it five straight seasons without a Playoff appearance.
Happy birthday Dario Šarić! pic.twitter.com/6iu3iiWFLe
— Yugobasket (@yugobasket) April 8, 2017
Brown however has been full of praise for the Croatian.
“It’s like somebody just gorging at a buffet,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said of Saric’s push to score. At the same time, he acknowledged that dealing with the playing time restriction is hard for Saric, who averaged 31.7 minutes in March.
“When you’re judging it, I think there is a disappointment, a frustration that I completely respect. I’m with him. I understand.”
