# Surest thing: Darko, King James, or Mellow?



## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

We all know the upside of Darko, James and Mellow. Who do you think is the surest bet?


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

King James.

BTW, I heard Don MacLean on local LA radio today. He compared Anthony to Glenn Robinson.


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

Let's say that Sam Bowie had turned out more like David Robinson. Add that piece to the team then and we could do all the "what if"s we so often fall into about Sabas.

Now let's say, instead of drafting that "new and improved" Sam Bowie, Portland had made the "mistake" of drafting Michael Jordan. Things get more foggy (maybe Drexler gets packaged for a bigger body, maybe X, maybe Y) but I still don't think you could really call it much of a mistake.

Darko is getting compared to Robinson. Anthony is getting compared to guys like T-Mac and Hill. James is said to combine the best elements of Jordan and Magic -- perhaps the two greatest players (of that size, at least) to every play. I realize there are teams that might draft for need over everything else but really, it seems like it should be a race for second.


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## ScottVdub (Jul 9, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>tblazrdude</b>!
> We all know the upside of Darko, James and Mellow. Who do you think is the surest bet?


both teams played hard


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

it's kind of interesting to see how it'll go, because you've got the high school phenom, the proven college stud and the international guy all there for the picking. your three basic NBA food groups.


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## s a b a s 11 (Dec 31, 2002)

*Re: Re: Surest thing: Darko, King James, or Mellow?*



> Originally posted by <b>ScottVdub</b>!
> 
> 
> both teams played hard


HA!

Hey out of the three, who do you think will be the biggest disappointment in their first season?

Methinks its gotta be Lebron, with all the hype, he's gotta average 20-24pts, 5-7rbs and 5-7asts and show that he has even more potential just to make thr grade from all this attention.

STuart


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## ScottVdub (Jul 9, 2002)

I think that Carmello is the most sure thing to live up to the hype he has received. He is a better shooter than lebron is at this point and his game is better at this point and there is alot of room for him to get better.

Lebron has all the tools to be great but his shot really needs to become more consistant. Once he does that he will be great.


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## ScottVdub (Jul 9, 2002)

*Re: Re: Re: Surest thing: Darko, King James, or Mellow?*



> Originally posted by <b>s a b a s 11</b>!
> 
> 
> HA!
> ...


lebron will disapoint some in his rookie season. I think he will have plenty of great games this year and do things that makes people drop their jaws but I also think he will have some games where he only gets like 6 points and struggles and the people who paid to see him will be disapointed. Especially if he is drafted to an east team and goes on a west coast road trip and has a bad game and that will be the only time the west coast fans get to see him and vice versa. Darko i think also will disapoint in his rookie year because he is just so young that i dont there there is any way he is truly nba ready at this point. I dont the there is as much pressure on anthony as there is on these other 2.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

I think Darko is NBA ready. He's been playing against 30 year olds for the last couple years. He'll put in 14-10 for whoever gets him.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

For a career, I think King James is the surest thing. His skills and ability are too, too good. The most encouraging thing to me in that respect, is that the strongest part of his game right now is passing and play-making for others. In my opinion, that's the hardest and rarest offensive quality in a player.

To already be so advanced in that is *astounding*. If he were just another high-flying scorer, I'd yawn and ask to be woken up when he surpassed Jerry Stackhouse.

To be a polished play-maker, and combined that with soaring athleticism...I simply cannot see how he can miss, personally.

For just their rookie season, I have no idea who will be better. Maybe 'Melo, since he's a year older and a level more experienced. But the rookie year performance is kind of a crapshoot, in my opinion. Career-wise, betting against James would be a bad, bad idea, I think.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

The surest bet is James. Anthony just isn't in the same class as James in terms of potential, IMO.

Between Darko and Anthony, it's a tough call. I'd take my chances with Darko, personally, because he's younger and much bigger.

Ed O.


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

Apparently, Nike likes James' chances. I just heard they inked him to a $70mil _ (err, make that $90 mil!)_ deal.  

I guess he can now, _finally_, pay off the Hummer loan.


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## Speed (Dec 31, 2002)

King James.

14-10 for Darko?? He's 17 and only averaged 9 ppg his euro league this past season. He will be a great in 4 years. So will Tskitishvilli. He is a project, but a project worth picking up.

GO Blazers


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Speed</b>!
> 
> 14-10 for Darko?? He's 17 and only averaged 9 ppg his euro league this past season. He will be a great in 4 years.


Pau Gasol had better stats as a rookie than he did with his Spanish team (17.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg vs. 11.0, 5.1). Of course, Pau WAS 21 when he was a rookie with the Grizz, while Darko's only going to be 18 with the Pistons next year.

Plus, because he's going to be with the Pistons, he won't get 36.7 mpg like Pau did.

I would be SHOCKED, though, if Darko isn't significantly more NBA-ready than Tskitishvili was/is.

Guess we'll see in a few months...

Ed O.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

i've heard way too many good things about Darko to put him any lower than 14-10...

plus, he's going to be playing in the east. Many people list him not as #2 but as 1a; that's how great he could be.


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## Ben1 (May 20, 2003)

i seriously do not think that Bron and Darko will do any good in the first season.. ROY will either be won by Melo, Wade or Ford... 
But, Bron will turn out to be a really good player in the very-near-future.. Bron will become a T-mac/Kobe type player, while Melo wil become a Pierce type player and Darko will prob end up like Z..


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## hasoos (Jan 3, 2003)

*Plenty of Opportunity*

The way I look at it, from what I have seen in a high school career, Lebron is the man. Carmelo will be good too. I think Darko will be good, but it will take at least 2 years, with the 2nd year being the pivotal one. If you ever watch any of Lebron's slam dunk championship for the Mcdonalds all american tourny, you know that Lebron is a man amongst boys when it comes to athletic ability. I watched Carmello and Amare Stoudemire go head to head in the year before last dunk championship (Carmello won because Amare missed his last dunk), and then right after ESPN played this years with Lebron James in it. I thought "No way will he impress me after what Stoudemire did, he can't". He did. He was insane. He has super springs on the bottom of his shoes. You can say, I am a Lebron Believer


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## Speed (Dec 31, 2002)

Tblazrdude- The good things about Darko is for how good he will be in a few years. You just have to get him now. He's only 17.

After all, Mike Jordan heard a whole bunch of good things about Kwame Brown too!

Go Blazers


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