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"You have Nikola, computer" - Dario Saric on the most difficult players he guarded in the NBA
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- "You have Nikola, computer" - Dario Saric on the most difficult players he guarded in the NBA
In his nine seasons in the NBA, Dario Saric saw everything the best basketball league in the world has to offer and faced some legendary players. He went from witnessing LeBron James and Kevin Durant dominate the NBA to seeing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama toying with opponents.
Still, when it comes to players who were the toughest for him to guard, names that come to mind are two really quick guards, James Harden and Stephen Curry .
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Next to them, a drive-to-the-basket force, Giannis Antetokounmpo and of course, his former teammate from the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic .
Saric admits he had problems guarding these players
When Dario arrived in the league, Curry was just coming off his unanimous MVP season. In his second year, Saric witnessed pure scoring dominance from Harden, who won the MVP that season. When Saric signed with the Phoenix Suns , he got all the way to the Finals.
But there, he had to face Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. He only faced him for Game 1 as he tore his ACL during that game, but Saric faced those kind of monsters regularly in different situations other than the NBA Finals stage.
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Unfortunately for Dario's defense, he had to face all of them during their primes.
" There are those guards when you switch on them. I don't know. James Harden. Steph Curry. When you switch, they are much faster than you, " said Saric, " Then, you have Giannis, who is physically way more dominant ."
Next to all those great players, Saric had the most praise for his fellow from the Balkans, Nikola Jokic. Dario and the Joker go way back, playing against each other with National Teams when they were still teenagers. And when they faced each other in the NBA, Saric realized that there is really no way to stop him.
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" You have Nikola, computer. He can play any position on the court. From outside, from inside, he always punishes you. He is huge, very fast for his height. He has a terrific shot. Shoots over you; you can't come close to him ," explained Saric.
There is no solution for those players
Saric described those players with one simple, yet powerful word. Miracle. Playing against them is a nightmare for any defender. It is frustrating because every single player knows what they are trying to do. And they achieve it anyway. As Saric said, even coaches knew there was no preparation for them.
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" It is hard. You can prepare whether you want to double team or not. You can hardly make something up. Those players don't need plays. They take the ball and score over you ," explained Saric.
Dario experienced NBA royalty
No matter how demanding guarding those players was, Saric feels more than blessed he had a chance to compete against the most dominant players of the modern basketball era. And most of the time, when he was healthy, he played a significant role. Like the time he almost secured a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds against Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2017.
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Now back in the Euroleague, Saric, as a former lottery pick, didn't achieve everything he wanted in the NBA (mostly due to injuries and politics), but he played against NBA royalty and that is something he will remember for the rest of his life.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
