Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers can see the light at the end of the tunnel after winning just 47 games over the course of the last three seasons. Number one overall pick Ben Simmons is primed to be a star, Joel Embiid is finally healthy, and while there's still work to be done before getting back to the playoffs, they finally have a roster that their supporters are excited about.

The icing on the cake is Croatia's Dario Saric.

Saric was initially selected 12th overall by the Orlando Magic before immediately being traded to the 76ers for Elfrid Payton during the 2014 draft. He continued playing in Europe for Anadolu Efes over the course of the last two years, but after signing with the Sixers last month, he'll be a 6'10”, 22-year old rookie for the 2016-17 NBA season.

Philly fans have gotten a preview of Saric in the Rio Olympics, and they haven't been disappointed. His game-winning block against Spain's Pau Gasol has drawn the most attention, but his overall play has been solid throughout.

So solid, in fact, that his new head coach Brett Brown compared him to one of the best international players to ever grace the NBA.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski:

“With Dario, you're seeing a bull in a china shop,” he said. “He reminds me emotionally of Manu [Ginobili] when Manu first came to the NBA, where he's all balled up. Oh, my goodness. You can just feel it, and I know him well enough to know that, when he wants to knock somebody's teeth in.”

The bar is set quite high for Saric with this comparison. Brown isn't trying to match up Saric's game alongside Ginobili's necessarily, but rather his demeanor and approach on the court.

Saric's movement leading up to his block on Pau served as an example:

“He played it out,” Brown said. “He didn't have any false steps. He saw what was happening. He went over there and blocked the shot. Nobody's going to say, ‘What an A-plus athlete Dario is.' He needed every one of those steps and timing to go make that play.”

It's safe to assume that Sixers fans will be tuning in to Croatia's games for the rest of the Olympics, scouting the rookie they've been waiting two years to unwrap.