# Darko = Sam Bowie bust



## gp366

Here are the facts:

LeBron: 17.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 6.1 apg in 40.5 mins

Darko: 0.0 ppg, 0.4 rpg, 0.0 apg in 2.4 mins

Melo: 17.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.9 apg in 34.8 mins


I think Otis Thorpe is looking better than Darko. Larry needs to play him, so that the pressure of "getting my first NBA basket" will be off the poor guy.


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## Starbury03

I hope he isnt that good so all of this Euro hype will die down.


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## reHEATed

Darko is the youngest player in the entire nba and hasnt gotten any playing time. Detriot is good as it is now, and got Darko to still be competitive in the future. Darko could take his time to develop, and most likely will. He isnt a bust at all. He has the skills, just needs the time. Come back in 4-5 years and lets see what u think then


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## Aurelino

I can't understand what people have against him, and why they are calling him a bust already. The facts are in front of you. He is averageing 2.4 mpg. What do you expect him to do? Detroit are a deep team, and besides Darko is young and learning the ways of the NBA. You cannot compare him to melo or Lebron because they came in to the league mroe prepared to play and make a contribution right away. Also, their teams need them to play big minutes, so no common ground for comparison except that all are in the same draft class. Wait for a couple of years before calling him a bust.


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## HKF

Darko is not a bust. He is a rookie on a contender. 

I :laugh: :laugh: at you for even suggesting he is a bust.


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## Aurelino

> Originally posted by <b>gp366</b>!
> 
> I think Otis Thorpe is looking better than Darko.


hmm. What a Otis Thorpe? :laugh: :laugh: Ballscientist would tell you. 

Jokes apart, I don't think he should feel any pressure to get his first NBA basket. He and Larry Brown and everyone else know that once he starts getting them, he'll be hard to stop.


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## Locke

So I guess by this line of thinking James and Anthony are already Hall-of-Famers.


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## Starbury03

Of course belive the hype.:yes:


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## bananas

> Originally posted by <b>Locke</b>!
> So I guess by this line of thinking James and Anthony are already Hall-of-Famers.


Eh?


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## gp366

Let's be honest. Who's playing in front of Darko?

Ben Wallace. All star...he's not better than Ben.

Elden Campbell. He's a journeyman, who's best days are behind him. Darko should be getting more minutes than Elden.

Okur. He's an older version of Darko, good but not great player. Darko should be making him a player off the bench.

Rebraca has been injured off and on for most of the year.

I'm just saying that the Piston frontline isn't "stacked". In fact, if Darko had any game he'd be playing 25-30 mins a night. The fact is that Larry knows he has no game and is trying to ease him into the NBA. All I'm saying is that, is scoring one measly point in garbage time so difficult? Another point is, if Melo was on the Pistons he'd be getting about the same minutes (and points) as if he is on the Nuggets. Let's be honest, there would be concerns for Prince, Williamson over their PT with Melo on the team.

All I can say to those that disagree...what evidence makes you believe he's NOT the next Sam Bowie? None...exactly.


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## agoo

Darko is pretty much a highschooler and should be regarded the same way. Except that Darko is adjusting to a new culture and country as well as the difference in skill. While I don't think he was the guy Detroit should have taken because they were in a position to compete and Carmello would have helped that, he's not a bust yet and shouldn't be judged as such.


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## HKF

> Originally posted by <b>gp366</b>!
> Let's be honest. Who's playing in front of Darko?
> 
> Ben Wallace. All star...he's not better than Ben.
> 
> Elden Campbell. He's a journeyman, who's best days are behind him. Darko should be getting more minutes than Elden.
> 
> Okur. He's an older version of Darko, good but not great player. Darko should be making him a player off the bench.
> 
> Rebraca has been injured off and on for most of the year.
> 
> I'm just saying that the Piston frontline isn't "stacked". In fact, if Darko had any game he'd be playing 25-30 mins a night. The fact is that Larry knows he has no game and is trying to ease him into the NBA. All I'm saying is that, is scoring one measly point in garbage time so difficult? Another point is, if Melo was on the Pistons he'd be getting about the same minutes (and points) as if he is on the Nuggets. Let's be honest, there would be concerns for Prince, Williamson over their PT with Melo on the team.
> 
> All I can say to those that disagree...what evidence makes you believe he's NOT the next Sam Bowie? None...exactly.


Okay, since you insist on posting nonsense, I will take the bait. 

Darko is not Sam Bowie for a few reasons. First reason is he playing for a contender and the Head Coach is Larry Brown. Brown isn't going to play the rookies, he just doesn't do things that way. I don't agree with it, but if he doesn't need Darko to win, then he doesn't have to. 

Next do you even know how Sam Bowie turned out. He was an injury prone stiff. Darko has shown in workouts that he is neither of those. He just is young. 

Are you saying he is Sam Bowie because Carmelo is Jordan? I sure hope not, because you would be a fool to think so. I don't expect you to understand, but I have a feeling that when Darko is doing big things in the NBA, you won't be around to comment on it. Amazing how all of these Euro scouts and NBA scouts say that he has a mean streak and is can't miss, yet some "internet guru" with 7 measly posts is telling us something opposite. 

Pardon me while I . What has he shown you that he will be Bowie?


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## jvanbusk

> Originally posted by <b>agoo101284</b>!
> Darko is pretty much a highschooler and should be regarded the same way. Except that Darko is adjusting to a new culture and country as well as the difference in skill. While I don't think he was the guy Detroit should have taken because they were in a position to compete and Carmello would have helped that, he's not a bust yet and shouldn't be judged as such.


Agoo, would the Pistons win a championship in the next 1-2 years had they taken Carmelo?


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## agoo

> Originally posted by <b>jvanbusk</b>!
> 
> 
> Agoo, would the Pistons win a championship in the next 1-2 years had they taken Carmelo?


Are they going to with Darko? Heck, is Darko even going to get minutes in the next 1-2 years?


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## Vintage

HAHAHA What a joke.


Darko is 18 years old. He was 17 before the draft. He'd be a HS senior in the States.

And he is a bust? With what, 15 games into his first season?


Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal took 5 seasons to be an All Star. 5. Was he a bust?


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## "Matt!"

Yeah, I'd just like to chime in and say that I am OLDER than Darko.

And I'll be suiting up for my high school squad this winter. If he's that unready for the NBA he can come play for The Lions.


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## Locke

> Originally posted by <b>bananas</b>!
> 
> 
> Eh?


So I guess I have to add this ---> <--- damn smiley everytime I say something sarcastic or people will think I'm serious. :nonono:


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## BG7

Darko will suck. He is getting a whole minute a gme and hasnt scored a point. Damn he sucks pretty darn bad. He is a bust. Lets judge him on this season when he hasnt played even half of a game (24 min) in the nba. Come on guys all judge him on his 17 career minutes. In those minutes he leade the NBA in blocks and steal for 48 minutes fyi. But like you guys said he is done because of his 1st 17 career minutes.


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## jvanbusk

> Originally posted by <b>agoo101284</b>!
> 
> 
> Are they going to with Darko? Heck, is Darko even going to get minutes in the next 1-2 years?


No. My point is, the Pistons organization feels that Darko will be the better player in the future. Carmelo will be better right now, but Darko could be a good that in the future leads the team to a championship. Obviously the Pistons feel that Darko will be better than Melo in the future, if they didn't why would they pick him?


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## HKF

If Darko were on the Nuggets he would be starting, if Carmelo were on the Pistons there is no guarantee he would be getting minutes either. 

One reason = defense. Tayshaun Prince plays a lot of D. I don't know if Larry Brown would have given Melo the starting job off the bat, in fact I highly doubt it.


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## Premier

What, you guy's don't think he'll be better than Wilt is rookie season. C'mon. He's already 18. He doesn't have that much more years left in him


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## jvanbusk

> Originally posted by <b>newmessiah10</b>!
> If Darko were on the Nuggets he would be starting, if Carmelo were on the Pistons there is no guarantee he would be getting minutes either.
> 
> One reason = defense. Tayshaun Prince plays a lot of D. I don't know if Larry Brown would have given Melo the starting job off the bat, in fact I highly doubt it.


It would be a close call, but I tend to agree with you on this one. I do think that Melo would be the first player off the bench.

As far as Darko starting, I don't know. I'd like to think he'd start over Camby, but I really don't think so.


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## bananas

> Originally posted by <b>Locke</b>!
> 
> 
> So I guess I have to add this ---> <--- damn smiley everytime I say something sarcastic or people will think I'm serious. :nonono:


You never know on these boards.

Btw lets just merge these weekly "When is Darko going to play, why isnt he playing, he's a bust" threads and save some space. Or make a sticky at the top explaining why he isnt...


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## PistonFAN81

C'mon guys....it has only been the first couple of months of the season and already there is a Darko is a bust post, I mean look at some of the other people who came into this league in their first year and didn't even do anything, and think about how good they are, I mean Darko hasn't even played that much, so give him that at least...


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## rainman

first of all i doubt many of you guys remember sam bowie.he shouldnt have been drafted ahead of jordan,obviously,but the blazers had drexler so their thinking was they needed to take a big man, bowie was a talented player he just had a slew of injuries.as for darko i think he is somewhere between clueless about the nba game and not getting a fair chance to show what he can do.you cant get anything done by getting a minute per game,half the time they are running out the clock and dont even want to shoot the ball.he is still a young talented athlete with excellant potential,a 7-5 wingspan and an agressive nature.sounds like nothing has changed since draft day.i do agree he isnt playing for a guy who likes to play rookies,the only coach worse for that would be george karl.


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## TheHeff

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> .i do agree he isnt playing for a guy who likes to play rookies,the only coach worse for that would be george karl.


How soon we forget....how could you ever forget Ricky C


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## fear the fro

> Here are the facts:


No, here are the facts.

Jermaine O'Neal: 4.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .2 apg in 10.2 minutes

Rashard Lewis: 2.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg, .2 apg in 7.3 minutes

Tracy McGrady: 7.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 apg in 18.4 minutes

I'm not saying that Darko will eventually be as good as any of those guys are not (although I certainly hope he will) because to be honest all I know about his game is what I've read on nbadraft.net and the sports section of my newspaper. But I do know that is foolish to proclaim a high school player a bust based on his first season, let alone his first 17 minutes. 

And, to be honest, I don't think there's any rookie other than Lebron who would be starting for us (Carmelo's stats are nicer than Tayshaun's but he is the #1 option in Denver whereas Tay is the #3 or 4 here. There's was a post about this a while back.) 

Basically, although I would of course like to see Darko be more productive, I'm just glad our team is in a position where we don't even have to think about shoving an 18 year old into our starting lineup.


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## Lope31

> Originally posted by <b>gp366</b>!
> All I can say to those that disagree...what evidence makes you believe he's NOT the next Sam Bowie? None...exactly.


Well nothing is here to prove that you DON'T have two weiners? Maybe you do but nothing is saying that you don't so I will assume you do. DOUBLE WEINER BOY!!!!

lol. FREAK. j/k  

You can't assume someone is a bust because they aren't great, granted, you can't assume someone is great if they play 2.4 MPG. I don't know about you but if I was a GM I wouldn't be to pissed to have Darko on my team.


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## Seven

The other thing to remember is that not only is Darko way to young and still trying to adjust and learn the NBA , he has also trying to learn ENGLISH and adjust to being in another freakin country. 

He is a damn KID in a different country where people don't speak his language. Lay off him.


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## rainman

> Originally posted by <b>Seven</b>!
> The other thing to remember is that not only is Darko way to young and still trying to adjust and learn the NBA , he has also trying to learn ENGLISH and adjust to being in another freakin country.
> 
> He is a damn KID in a different country where people don't speak his language. Lay off him.


i agree totally as a matter of fact my frustration, or is it impatience,is with larry brown,darko could be the next larry bird for all we know he hasnt done anything to prove he's not.


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## andras

> Originally posted by <b>newmessiah10</b>!
> 
> 
> Okay, since you insist on posting nonsense, I will take the bait.
> 
> Darko is not Sam Bowie for a few reasons. First reason is he playing for a contender and the Head Coach is Larry Brown. Brown isn't going to play the rookies, he just doesn't do things that way. I don't agree with it, but if he doesn't need Darko to win, then he doesn't have to.
> 
> Next do you even know how Sam Bowie turned out. He was an injury prone stiff. Darko has shown in workouts that he is neither of those. He just is young.
> 
> Are you saying he is Sam Bowie because Carmelo is Jordan? I sure hope not, because you would be a fool to think so. I don't expect you to understand, but I have a feeling that when Darko is doing big things in the NBA, you won't be around to comment on it. Amazing how all of these Euro scouts and NBA scouts say that he has a mean streak and is can't miss, yet some "internet guru" with 7 measly posts is telling us something opposite.
> 
> Pardon me while I . What has he shown you that he will be Bowie?


:yes: very good post. thanks for expressing my point of view better than I'm able to





> Originally posted by <b>Starbury03</b>!
> I hope he isnt that good so all of this Euro hype will die down.


it's only hype if he isn't that good. we haven't seen anything of him that proves he can't dominate in a few years


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## Seven

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> 
> 
> i agree totally as a matter of fact my frustration, or is it impatience,is with larry brown,darko could be the next larry bird for all we know he hasnt done anything to prove he's not.



Do you not think Larry Brown has seen Darko play ? Trust me , the coaches watch Darko with an eagle's eye EVERY SINGLE practice , every drill. 

Larry Brown and the entire Piston organization knows what Darko would bring to the table right now , and they know that he is NOT ready to play yet. 

The coaches know alot more about Darko then anybody posting on an internet message board. Have a little faith in these guys , they know what they are doing.


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## MentalPowerHouse

Anyone calling Darko a bust is a joke and their opinion on anything involving Basketball can't be respected. I understand that you can't just dismiss people like that for having a different opinion, but the pure idiocy here gives me no choice. You see Lebron and Amara and forget about Tmac, Kobe, KG, Oneal. 

Practising in underrated, true he does need to see the floor at some point though. I haven't seen the Dertroit games, but he doesn't need any more than spot duty. Brown should look for chances to put him in, garbage time, against weak opposition players, etc. Any time he can afford him to be in there, and it doesn't have to be regular.


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## Crippin

Ok im not going to look like i know much about the Darko situation nor their future plans for him...but if Detroit is a contender, why pick up a project? They couldve traded him for a proven player or even taken Melo or Bosh for immediate help.

just my 0.02..


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## LionsFan01

> Ok im not going to look like i know much about the Darko situation nor their future plans for him...but if Detroit is a contender, why pick up a project? They couldve traded him for a proven player or even taken Melo or Bosh for immediate help.


They didn't need to draft anyone who could step in immediately and play. They have depth at all their positions. Most contending teams don't need to draft someone who can contribute right away anyway. There wasn't anyone outside of Lebron that would have been able to do much anyway and Lebron might not have gotten much PT since he probably would have played SF since they have Chauncey and Rip at the guard spots and they already had Prince at SF.

As for Darko being a bust, that's insane. Let's give anyone player in the NBA 2 minutes a game and see what kind of numbers they can put up. They probably wouldn't put up very good numbers since 2 minutes is barely enough time to even get your hands on the ball unless you bring it up court.


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## rainman

> Originally posted by <b>Crippin</b>!
> Ok im not going to look like i know much about the Darko situation nor their future plans for him...but if Detroit is a contender, why pick up a project? They couldve traded him for a proven player or even taken Melo or Bosh for immediate help.
> 
> just my 0.02..


i'm certainly not one that thinks the pistons lineup is loaded and couldnt use help,i dont think they are any threat to win a title any time soon.however i think their logic there is to find the guy who will be the best for them in the long run.you obviously dont draft a kid that young with the intentions of having be a cornerstone right away.i have lobbied to see him on the court but that is more from a curiosity standpoint.i for one think people who have formed the opinion that this guy isnt going to amount to much are going to be quite surprised.


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## DetBNyce

> Originally posted by <b>MentalPowerHouse</b>!
> Anyone calling Darko a bust is a joke and their opinion on anything involving Basketball can't be respected. I understand that you can't just dismiss people like that for having a different opinion, but the pure idiocy here gives me no choice. You see Lebron and Amara and forget about Tmac, Kobe, KG, Oneal.
> 
> Practising in underrated, true he does need to see the floor at some point though. I haven't seen the Dertroit games, but he doesn't need any more than spot duty. Brown should look for chances to put him in, garbage time, against weak opposition players, etc. Any time he can afford him to be in there, and it doesn't have to be regular.


I agree with what you're saying, but the thing with the Pistons this year is that we haven't had any blowout games yet. At least blowout games where you could take the starters out and put your backups in and feel comfortable. Just about all the Pistons games have been close and in fact I can say all of their games have been close (whether or not that is a good or bad thing, I don't know). So it's kind of hard to find him garbage when there isn't that much, but when there has been time to play him he has played.


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## nmuman

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> 
> 
> i'm certainly not one that thinks the pistons lineup is loaded and couldnt use help,i dont think they are any threat to win a title any time soon.however i think their logic there is to find the guy who will be the best for them in the long run.you obviously dont draft a kid that young with the intentions of having be a cornerstone right away.i have lobbied to see him on the court but that is more from a curiosity standpoint.i for one think people who have formed the opinion that this guy isnt going to amount to much are going to be quite surprised.


We have the deepest bench in the league for now the 3rd season in a row. Show me how we are not loaded with talent!


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## DetBNyce

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> 
> 
> i'm certainly not one that thinks the pistons lineup is loaded and couldnt use help,i dont think they are any threat to win a title any time soon.however i think their logic there is to find the guy who will be the best for them in the long run.you obviously dont draft a kid that young with the intentions of having be a cornerstone right away.i have lobbied to see him on the court but that is more from a curiosity standpoint.i for one think people who have formed the opinion that this guy isnt going to amount to much are going to be quite surprised.


What do you mean by soon, because I feel that we very well could win the championship within the next 5 years. All we need to do is insert a superstar (hopefully Darko) and we have the perfect team to win a 'chip.

Superstar- Darko

2nd scorer- Hamilton/Billups

Defense

Rebounder- Wallace and Memo

Good defenders- Wallace, Prince, Delfino

Good bench

Good coach

All around player- Prince

3 point specialist

A great GM

All the ingredients are there.


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## PistonFAN81

That stat chart of the Pistons is great....I love it and man I can't wait to see it!!!!


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## rainman

> Originally posted by <b>DetBNyce</b>!
> 
> 
> What do you mean by soon, because I feel that we very well could win the championship within the next 5 years. All we need to do is insert a superstar (hopefully Darko) and we have the perfect team to win a 'chip.
> 
> Superstar- Darko
> 
> 2nd scorer- Hamilton/Billups
> 
> Defense
> 
> Rebounder- Wallace and Memo
> 
> Good defenders- Wallace, Prince, Delfino
> 
> Good bench
> 
> Good coach
> 
> All around player- Prince
> 
> 3 point specialist
> 
> A great GM
> 
> All the ingredients are there.


by soon i mean the next 2 or 3 years.you're factoring in darko and delfino and they arent even close to being factors.i think the pistons talent is a little overrated,in a lot of games they have a hard time putting stiff teams away.you look at their makeup and they have a lot of guys that other teams didnt want or a lot of lower draft picks.to their credit they play as a team and they play hard.how far back though do you have to go to find a team that won a title that didnt have a first team all star on it?maybe the 79 sonics.


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## DetBNyce

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> 
> 
> by soon i mean the next 2 or 3 years.you're factoring in darko and delfino and they arent even close to being factors.i think the pistons talent is a little overrated,in a lot of games they have a hard time putting stiff teams away.you look at their makeup and they have a lot of guys that other teams didnt want or a lot of lower draft picks.to their credit they play as a team and they play hard.how far back though do you have to go to find a team that won a title that didnt have a first team all star on it?maybe the 79 sonics.


Well for one I have said "what Darko is supposed to be", it's not a guarantee that he is going ot be a superstar, but he is supposed to be. Delfino was a first round pick, so for right now it is safe to assume that five years from now he'll be a contributor. I didn't say we were contenders now (although I think we could be with a little luck), but I said five years from. Meaning I am assuming Darko and Delfino turn into the players they are supposed too. If you meant 2 or 3 years from now, fair enough, but I made mine assuming "soon" was within a 5 year range.


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## gp366

game 20....still no points for darko.

WHEN WILL PEOPLE UNDERSTAND...THIS GUY HAS BEEN A PRO SINCE THE AGE OF [email protected][email protected]!


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## rainman

> Originally posted by <b>DetBNyce</b>!
> 
> 
> Well for one I have said "what Darko is supposed to be", it's not a guarantee that he is going ot be a superstar, but he is supposed to be. Delfino was a first round pick, so for right now it is safe to assume that five years from now he'll be a contributor. I didn't say we were contenders now (although I think we could be with a little luck), but I said five years from. Meaning I am assuming Darko and Delfino turn into the players they are supposed too. If you meant 2 or 3 years from now, fair enough, but I made mine assuming "soon" was within a 5 year range.



fair enough,


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## D.Spartan

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> 
> how far back though do you have to go to find a team that won a title that didnt have a first team all star on it?maybe the 79 sonics.


By First team all star do you mean all-nba first team or simply a starter in the all star game.

the '88-'89 & '89-'90 Pistons had no all-nba players on the team.
You would think Isiah would have been but Magic, Stockton, Drexler, Jordan & Kevin Johnson were all NBA when the Pistons won.

In '93-'94 & '94-'95 when the Rockets won Hakeem was not all-team first team either. David Robinson & Shaq were.

I don't think you need an all NBA player to win. Just because the Bulls had Jordan doesn't make it necessary. A good team should be more important.

If you mean all star game starter then Ben Wallace would be that guy. & Maybe Billups this year.


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## rainman

> Originally posted by <b>D.Spartan</b>!
> 
> 
> By First team all star do you mean all-nba first team or simply a starter in the all star game.
> 
> the '88-'89 & '89-'90 Pistons had no all-nba players on the team.
> You would think Isiah would have been but Magic, Stockton, Drexler, Jordan & Kevin Johnson were all NBA when the Pistons won.
> 
> In '93-'94 & '94-'95 when the Rockets won Hakeem was not all-team first team either. David Robinson & Shaq were.
> 
> I don't think you need an all NBA player to win. Just because the Bulls had Jordan doesn't make it necessary. A good team should be more important.
> 
> If you mean all star game starter then Ben Wallace would be that guy. & Maybe Billups this year.



good post,i guess you're right about isaah not being first team all nba but he was a superstar and so was hakeem.the pistons dont have that superstar type player,heck there is only a few legit supers in the league anyway.can a team of hardworking blue collar guys with a few guys who are capable of playing in an all star game win it all?sure,but the way the west is stacked,namely the lakers i dont see it happening anytime soon.


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## DetBNyce

> NEW YORK -- The scene at Madison Square Garden was something out of a Kofi Annan or Tony Ronzone perfect dream -- the UN of NBA hoops.
> 
> Standing alone on the court taking jumpers an hour and a half before the Knicks-Pistons game on Monday was 18-year-old Darko Milicic, the youngest and highest-drafted player ever from Europe.
> 
> *Later:*
> 
> Pistons coach Larry Brown still cannot take his eyes off Darko. It's two hours before the Pistons take on the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Numerous preparations still need to be made, but Brown has parked himself 10 feet from Milicic and is watching his every move.
> 
> "Use your pivot foot, Darko," Brown yells as Milicic works on post drills with Zeljko Rebraca and Darvin Ham.
> 
> Darko fakes once to the left, then spins around and shoots a nice floating fade away over Ham's outstretched hand.
> 
> "No, Darko," Brown yells. "You have six inches on him. Take him to the basket, shoot over him."
> 
> Brown is now on the court, showing Darko the proper move. "Do you understand?" Brown says as Darko begins to walk away. There's a subtle nod by Darko.
> 
> "Does he understand?" Brown says turning to assistant coach Dave Hanners. Hanners shrugs his shoulders. Darko keeps walking.
> 
> Next drill. Darko grabs the ball, pivots and takes Ham hard to the basket. "That's it Darko," Brown says. Then he mumbles under his breath, "I guess he understood."
> 
> Despite all of the reports swirling around talk radio in Detroit, Brown likes Darko. "He's a great kid," Brown tells Insider. "He works so hard, and he's just so skilled."
> 
> Brown ticks off Darko's best attributes: Sweet shooting touch, great passing ability, high basketball IQ.
> 
> Teammate Ben Wallace gushes with praise for the kid he calls "the Russian Rocky."
> 
> "He's working his butt off. That's how you earn respect with us," Wallace says later, as Darko sits on the locker room floor doing sit-ups and push ups.
> 
> Sounds like a No. 2 pick in the draft. So why isn't Darko getting playing time?
> 
> "He wants to play out here," Brown says, motioning to the 3-point line. "I want him playing in there," he says pointing to the paint.
> 
> For the next half hour, Darko plays exclusively in the paint. His moves look strong. He plays with confidence. And he has little difficulty scoring against the likes of Ham and Rebraca.
> 
> "He looks great," Brown admits. "He looks great here. The problem is, the kid hasn't played. He just doesn't have the game experience to throw him out there. I want him to play the right way before we throw him to the wolves."
> 
> And here is Brown's dilemma. He's got a kid with a ton of talent and very little knowledge about how to use it in the NBA game. Brown could throw him out there now, and Darko would learn. But the team would suffer. Or, Brown can keep him off the court and let him learn by watching. At some point, however, Brown concedes that watching will only get Darko so far.
> 
> "It's a strange tightrope you have to walk."
> 
> *Later on in the article:*
> 
> 
> 
> Maturity, experience, physical strength, focus," Floyd told Insider. "There are huge expectations on these kids, and most of them aren't equipped with the tools to live up to them right away. When you think about it, what 18-year-old, in any job, really is?"
> 
> International teenagers are proving to be not so different from their American counterparts.
> 
> Last year, the Nuggets got the first taste of the phenomenon when they drafted 19-year-old Nikoloz Tskitishvili with the No. 5 pick. Skita wasn't even getting playing time overseas. The jump to the NBA was just too much for the 7-footer from Georgia to handle.
> 
> Skita laid a major egg his rookie year, averaging just 3.9 ppg on 29 percent shooting from the field. The skinny 7-footer spent all of his time hanging out on the perimeter launching 3s, struggled defensively and was the source of much derision after the Nuggets passed on rookies like Caron Butler and Amare Stoudemire to draft him.
> 
> "Last year, he was the equivalent of a high school senior coming into the league," Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe said. "He didn't play much in Europe and lacked the strength and the experience to really compete in the league. But he's a talented kid. When you see a kid work that hard in the summer and combine with his obvious physical gifts, I have no doubt he's going to be really good."
> 
> "Last season was hard for me," Skita told Insider. "Everyone wants to come into the NBA and play well. I was disappointed with my performance. I sometimes wondered what was wrong with me."
> 
> That's why Dumars isn't sweating. He claims he knew what he was getting into when he drafted Darko No. 2.
> 
> "You have to have the appetite to draft kids who aren't ready right away," Dumars said. "I'm trying to balance what I give to the coach. We've given Larry a team that he can win with, even without Darko. So you look long-term and try put a roster in place that will help you win now and down the road."
> 
> While Dumars admits drafting Darko over Carmelo would have been a more difficult decision had the Pistons not had such a talented roster, he claims he probably would have made the same decision.
> 
> "Carmelo's a talented player and was worthy of a No. 2 pick," Dumars said. "But you win with size in this league, and we think that in a few years, Darko will be just as good, only he'll be doing it at 7-foot-2."
> 
> How Milicic handles the pressure will go a long way in determining what type of career he has.
> 
> "I'm having fun," Milicic told Insider. "I just do what the coach asks me to do. That's my job. I cannot control what everyone else thinks. I'm just glad to be a Piston."
> 
> He does and doesn't mean it. Darko is competitive and is dying to get into the game. But he's also mature enough to know that unlike in Europe, he's not better than the guys he practices against every day. Not yet anyway.
> 
> "I have a lot to prove," Darko says. "A lot to learn. I'm just playing hard and trying not to keep making the same mistakes."
> 
> Brown goes out of his way to praise Milicic's work ethic and dedication. He tells the story of Milicic hiring his own driver on an off-day to take him to the gym so he could practice alone. He defends the 18-year-old with passion.
> 
> "He doesn't speak our language; he doesn't understand our culture; he doesn't know the NBA; he doesn't even shave or drive; and we expect him to be something I don't think he can be right now," Brown said. "He's still learning how to live. The basketball will come."
> 
> "He's worked as hard as any guy on the team," Dumars said. "He's light years ahead of where he was. It's only a matter of time now."


Although Darko isn't playing the one constant seems to be his great work ethic.


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## rainman

great report,but here's the irony as i see it.larry brown wants to make sure everything is just right before darko gets on the court,thats ok,i guess.but this piece was done before a knicks game,if there is a weaker frontline out of all 29 nba teams someone is going to have to explain to me who that might be.i think larry brown thinks the nba is full of great players when in fact there are more cupcakes in the league now than there ever has been.


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## Yao Mania

> Originally posted by <b>Vintage</b>!
> HAHAHA What a joke.
> 
> 
> Darko is 18 years old. He was 17 before the draft. He'd be a HS senior in the States.
> 
> And he is a bust? With what, 15 games into his first season?
> 
> 
> Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal took 5 seasons to be an All Star. 5. Was he a bust?


Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal is an all-star for the Pacers while it was the Trailblazers who first invested their time and energy in him. 
I can see a similar situation here... back then the Trailblazers were stacked, and didn't give O'Neal the opportunity to prove himself, or too few of it... right now, Pistons are filled up front, are contenders, and simply can't let Darko come in and screw things up. If Darko doesn't prove himself in 3 yrs, chances are he's gonna get traded or picked up by another team... and maybe then he'll shine.
Another thing - look at how all the other players from this draft is doing. Melo's putting up all-star numbers, Bosh and Wade are putting up better numbers than top rookies from the last few years, and even guys like Kaman, Hayes, and Ridnour are doing pretty decent. It's the fact that Darko's drafted ahead of all these guys that gives him so much criticism.


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## DetBNyce

> Originally posted by <b>Yao Mania</b>!
> 
> 
> Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal is an all-star for the Pacers while it was the Trailblazers who first invested their time and energy in him.
> I can see a similar situation here... back then the Trailblazers were stacked, and didn't give O'Neal the opportunity to prove himself, or too few of it... right now, Pistons are filled up front, are contenders, and simply can't let Darko come in and screw things up. If Darko doesn't prove himself in 3 yrs, chances are he's gonna get traded or picked up by another team... and maybe then he'll shine.
> Another thing - look at how all the other players from this draft is doing. Melo's putting up all-star numbers, Bosh and Wade are putting up better numbers than top rookies from the last few years, and even guys like Kaman, Hayes, and Ridnour are doing pretty decent. It's the fact that Darko's drafted ahead of all these guys that gives him so much criticism.


Darko will not be traded, he will be with us for at least four years (rookie contract). He will not be traded for anything less than a KG or Duncan, in other words he won't be traded. He is more important to our future than O'neal was to Portland's. Portland was willing to give up a piece of their future to win at the present time. Remember they went ot the WCF the year before and were up 15 points in the 4th quarter in Game 7. Jermaine O'neal is a great player now, but I doubt anyone in Portland thought he would turn out to be as good as he is or they would've got a lot more for him than Dale Davis.


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## D.Spartan

> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> 
> 
> 
> good post,i guess you're right about isaah not being first team all nba but he was a superstar and so was hakeem.the pistons dont have that superstar type player,heck there is only a few legit supers in the league anyway.can a team of hardworking blue collar guys with a few guys who are capable of playing in an all star game win it all?sure,but the way the west is stacked,namely the lakers i dont see it happening anytime soon.


I may be biased, but Ben Wallace is a superstar.
He is a dominating player & has as much effect on the outcome of games as any other player in the league.

I do agree that no one will beat the GD Lakers.
I just want to see Ben Wallace elbow Karl Malone & knock his a$$ OUT!


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## PacersguyUSA

> Originally posted by <b>Starbury03</b>!
> I hope he isnt that good so all of this Euro hype will die down.


Same here. The European hype is one of the things that I hate the most about the NBA. It's the reason the Pacers got Primoz Brezec.


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## DetBNyce

> Originally posted by <b>PacersguyUSA</b>!
> 
> 
> Same here. The European hype is one of the things that I hate the most about the NBA. It's the reason the Pacers got Primoz Brezec.


So you guys think one guys demise will mean the end of this thing? 

The NBA is not only an American sport, but a world sport. Europe has been putting out good prospects as of late and they will only continue to get better.


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## fear the fro

> Another thing - look at how all the other players from this draft is doing. Melo's putting up all-star numbers, Bosh and Wade are putting up better numbers than top rookies from the last few years, and even guys like Kaman, Hayes, and Ridnour are doing pretty decent. It's the fact that Darko's drafted ahead of all these guys that gives him so much criticism.


That's irrelevant, unless you think Larry Brown would start Dwayne Wade or Luke Ridnour instead of Chauncey, Bosh Kaman instead of Elden, or even Jarvis Hayes or Carmello instead of Tayshaun.  The reason they are doing so good is that their teams are so bad-they have no competition for PT. All those guys would be bench players at best and some of them wouldn't even be in our rotation.


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## tpb2

> I can't understand what people have against him, and why they are calling him a bust already. The facts are in front of you. He is averageing 2.4 mpg. What do you expect him to do? Detroit are a deep team, and besides Darko is young and learning the ways of the NBA. You cannot compare him to melo or Lebron because they came in to the league mroe prepared to play and make a contribution right away. Also, their teams need them to play big minutes, so no common ground for comparison except that all are in the same draft class. Wait for a couple of years before calling him a bust.


Exactly. 

This thread highlights the worst of this forum.


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## R-Star

> Originally posted by <b>fear the fro</b>!
> 
> 
> That's irrelevant, unless you think Larry Brown would start Dwayne Wade or Luke Ridnour instead of Chauncey, Bosh Kaman instead of Elden, or even Jarvis Hayes or Carmello instead of Tayshaun. The reason they are doing so good is that their teams are so bad-they have no competition for PT. All those guys would be bench players at best and some of them wouldn't even be in our rotation.


Bosh might play over Elden, in fact he probably would, and Carmello would definatly play over Tayshaun or at least get as many minutes as him IMO. You cant blame everything on Brown and how deep the team is. Darko just isnt ready yet.


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## DetBNyce

> Originally posted by <b>R-Star</b>!
> 
> You cant blame everything on Brown and how deep the team is. Darko just isnt ready yet.



I think most of us feel that way. 

When the Pistons drafted Darko it was said he wouldn't play much because he is 18 and getting used to living in a totally different society, but I think what a lot of Pistons fans and just fans in general want is to see Darko at least get the chance to prove he isn't ready. Nothing is for sure until he is given the chance to prove whether he is ready or not.


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## MLKG

> Originally posted by <b>R-Star</b>!
> 
> 
> Bosh might play over Elden, in fact he probably would, and Carmello would definatly play over Tayshaun or at least get as many minutes as him IMO. You cant blame everything on Brown and how deep the team is. Darko just isnt ready yet.


Bosh definately wouldn't be playing over Cambell. Memo can't even get a start over Elden and he's almost averaging a double double in under 25 minutes a game.

Carmello and Tayshaun would probably split time at the 3. I think Prince would start at least initially because of his superior defense and decision making- two things Brown values above everything else.


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## TyGuy

> We have the deepest bench in the league for now the 3rd season in a row


 Sacramento Kings.....?


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## Denni-S

"When the Pistons drafted Darko it was said he wouldn't play much because he is 18 and getting used to living in a totally different society, but I think what a lot of Pistons fans and just fans in general want is to see Darko at least get the chance to prove he isn't ready. Nothing is for sure until he is given the chance to prove whether he is ready or not".

I completely agree with this statement. Larry Brown is an idiot!!! Darko is playing like 1 minute a game hahah. For NBA scouts to say that Darko was the most ready player in the draft says something about Darko. Scouts were saying that he will be pushing guys around. If ppl say that about Darko then why doesnt Larry Brown just let him play for more than 3 minutes at least. Come on Larry Brown just give the guy a chance. No wonder Allen Iverson hated Larry Brown. IMO Joe Dumars never should have fired Rick Carlisle and his assistant Kevin O'Neil. I'm thankful he did cuz Raptors got a great coach in Kevin O'Neil and Pacers are also thankful cuz they got Rick Carlisle. Rick and Kevin liked using young players and maybe Darko would have been getting more pt with them as his coach. Ah well i guess we wont know Darko's potential this year at least.


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## jvanbusk

> Originally posted by <b>Denni-S</b>!
> "When the Pistons drafted Darko it was said he wouldn't play much because he is 18 and getting used to living in a totally different society, but I think what a lot of Pistons fans and just fans in general want is to see Darko at least get the chance to prove he isn't ready. Nothing is for sure until he is given the chance to prove whether he is ready or not".
> 
> I completely agree with this statement. Larry Brown is an idiot!!! Darko is playing like 1 minute a game hahah. For NBA scouts to say that Darko was the most ready player in the draft says something about Darko. Scouts were saying that he will be pushing guys around. If ppl say that about Darko then why doesnt Larry Brown just let him play for more than 3 minutes at least. Come on Larry Brown just give the guy a chance. No wonder Allen Iverson hated Larry Brown. IMO Joe Dumars never should have fired Rick Carlisle and his assistant Kevin O'Neil. I'm thankful he did cuz Raptors got a great coach in Kevin O'Neil and Pacers are also thankful cuz they got Rick Carlisle. Rick and Kevin liked using young players and maybe Darko would have been getting more pt with them as his coach. Ah well i guess we wont know Darko's potential this year at least.


Young players like:

Rodney White
Tayshaun Prince
Mehmet Okur

???


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## Lope31

> Originally posted by <b>Yao Mania</b>!
> 
> 
> Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal is an all-star for the Pacers while it was the Trailblazers who first invested their time and energy in him.
> I can see a similar situation here... back then the Trailblazers were stacked, and didn't give O'Neal the opportunity to prove himself, or too few of it... right now, Pistons are filled up front, are contenders, and simply can't let Darko come in and screw things up. If Darko doesn't prove himself in 3 yrs, chances are he's gonna get traded or picked up by another team... and maybe then he'll shine.



That's what I fear too, but then I calm myself by saying DArko was the number two pick and Jermaine was 17th.


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## 1/2man-1/2incredible

OMG this kid isn;t a bust...he turned 18 two days before the draft...and the only reason he isn;lt getting playing time is because Larry Brown hates rookies.... that's why he isn;t playing much.... u ppl that doubt this kid are morons... thepistons new right away that he wasn;t going to be able to conrtibute automatically.... dumb dumb ppl... u know nothing about basketball


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## fear the fro

> Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal is an all-star for the Pacers while it was the Trailblazers who first invested their time and energy in him.
> I can see a similar situation here... back then the Trailblazers were stacked, and didn't give O'Neal the opportunity to prove himself, or too few of it... right now, Pistons are filled up front, are contenders, and simply can't let Darko come in and screw things up. If Darko doesn't prove himself in 3 yrs, chances are he's gonna get traded or picked up by another team... and maybe then he'll shine.


Some would say invested time and energy, some would say never let him play for 3 whole seasons. I doubt that will be the case in Detroit. And you are forgetting that not only did Portland fail to give Jermaine a chance to show his talent, they also did not think they needed them. The Pistons know what they have riding on Darko and will make sure he is given the chance to succeed, even if it doesn't happen this season.


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## Bigballershotcaller

> Originally posted by <b>Vintage</b>!
> 
> 
> 
> Newsflash: Jermaine O'Neal took 5 seasons to be an All Star. 5. Was he a bust?


Ya but it took a trade to the Pacers to do it because like Darko he wasn't getting minutes in Portland


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## bananas

> Originally posted by <b>Bigballershotcaller</b>!
> 
> 
> Ya but it took a trade to the Pacers to do it because like Darko he wasn't getting minutes in Portland


If he's still averaging only 12min after four years in Detroit then we'll have ourselves a J.O comparison.


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## futuristxen

It's so funny. These Euro's get drafted because they've been playing pro ball for soooo long. And supposedly that makes them more prepared for the NBA. When in reality they're at the same level or worse than every other rookie that comes into the league.

Lebron, a high schooler, was more ready for the NBA, apparently than Darko the pro baller from europe...This makes me feel better about the future of American basketball.

But seriously, why won't Larry just play this kid somewhere, sometime, just so he can get his first NBA bucket. Just so we don't have to hear about everytime on Sportscenter about how the number 2 pick of the draft still has yet to score in the NBA.

FREE DARKO!

Maybe if the Pistons would blow somebody out one time, Darko could get some Garbage minutes.

I still have not seen this kid do anything, except once he got in the game for about 10 seconds and I saw him grab a rebound.


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## PetroToZoran

Darko just got in the game and was rejected by the rim on the way to an open dunk. :whatever: 

He looked so sad after missing that. I feel bad for the guy. Hopefully he scores soon.


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## reHEATed

he was so close. Ido feel bad as well. I was pulling for him to make a shot, and he missed a dunk


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## gp366

he missed a dunk...plain and simple.

just proves: DARKO = Worse pick than Bowie (at least Sam could score a point!)


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## Midnight_Marauder

Give him time. Remember how bad Jermaine O' Neal was? Even Kobe sucked his first year in the league. If by the beginning of next season he shows no improvement then yeah maybe he wasnt cut out to make it in the league. But for right now let him develop. What ever happened to the NBADL(developmental league)? That would be a good place for him.


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## Knicksbiggestfan

He sure showed you guys, forget those games where it took Darko 2 whole minutes to start racking up blocks. Darko sucks, and is obviously a bust. Give up on him now. Listen to me a guy who averages two minutes a game, has no plays drawn for him, and only gets put in during garbage time is a bust. Trade him for some sandwiches, preferrably pastrami but not on rye.


Darko sucks, he should be scoring 10-15 points a game with the amount of minutes he is playing. Remember those games where he got 1-2 blocks in 1-2 minutes, that just shows you right there he is no idea how to play basketball or impact a game.


Forget his impressive workouts, his aggressive nature, his hard working attitude. Don't look at the way he played in the Euro-league as a gauge to how good he will be. Look instead to the two minutes a game and just trade him for Weatherspoon, or charlie ward and some sandwiches.



On a different note, I think Larry Brown and his get Ben Wallace some touches scheme is ruining your team. He needs to let Chucky Score a lot more.


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## knickstorm

> Originally posted by <b>gp366</b>!
> he missed a dunk...plain and simple.
> 
> just proves: DARKO = Worse pick than Bowie (at least Sam could score a point!)


did you even see sam bowie play in college? or are you another youngster who just associates bowie with bust? i still dont undedrstand why so many people are so anti-european. I aint saying people are racist, but its almost borderline discrimination how all these people want european players to fail. Wow LeBron is better than darko at this stage? HEY WAKE UP MAN, LeBron is better than any other rookie has even been in the history of the NBA outside magic johnson. I wouldn't really call it euro hype cuz darko is the first euro with hype to come to the nba. Nowitzki no one knew, peja had no hype.


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## Priest

> Originally posted by <b>Starbury03</b>!
> I hope he isnt that good so all of this Euro hype will die down.


nah u just hate him u admitted it urself in another thread


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## Priest

> Originally posted by <b>gp366</b>!
> he missed a dunk...plain and simple.
> 
> just proves: DARKO = Worse pick than Bowie (at least Sam could score a point!)


i hope this is sarcasm because this has to be the worst thing i read on this board


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