Dario Šarić is just five games into his Warriors tenure, but the new Golden State big man already is making a difference.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Šarić's impact as "massive" after he played a key role in the team's 102-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at Chase Center.
"It gives us an entirely different dimension," Kerr told reporters after the win. "That's what [Otto Porter Jr.] and [Nemanja Bjelica] did for us two years ago. Gives you the ability to change the lookup and space the floor with your 5 man, and that stretches the defense out, so Dario was a huge pickup for us. The guy can flat-out play, and he was fantastic tonight."
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Šarić finished Wednesday's win with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and a trio of triples, adding six rebounds and two assists in just under 20 minutes. In his previous three games, Šarić had 15 points total -- but Wednesday was a breakout.
After Porter Jr. and Bjelica helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA Finals, their presence was missed on a squad last season that failed to make it past the Western Conference semifinals. Šarić was on top of Golden State's free-agency list this offseason for a reason, as a big who similarly can stretch the floor but still make plays and let it fly.
The Warriors are Šarić’s fifth team in seven NBA seasons since being selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft and debuting in 2016. His unique combination of size and shooting ability (36.0 career 3-point percentage) is why Golden State signed him to space the floor off the bench alongside guard Chris Paul, his teammate for two-plus seasons with the Phoenix Suns.
Golden State Warriors
Šarić certainly has impressed since signing on with Golden State for the veteran's minimum to chase an NBA championship alongside Paul, Steph Curry and Co. And if Wednesday is any indication, the Warriors will be getting the maximum out of him.