# The Darko Era begins



## JNice

..

Darko getting some PT early with Kasun picking up 3 quick fouls (surprise, surprise).

Darko has looked really good defensively. Good on the pick and roll.

And Darko scores his first 2 for Orlando.

Also ... Darko said he fell asleep at the beach .. he's all red and burnt .. :laugh:


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## X-Factor

The beginning of something beautiful. :cheers: 

(Unless management screws this up as well...)


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## JNice

..

And he's out already ... in favor of Pat Garrity ...  ... yay


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## CyPher3

Wish you guys luck with the "Darko Project", it could become a great frontiline if Darko improves along with Howard.


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## X-Factor

JNice said:


> ..
> 
> And he's out already ... in favor of Pat Garrity ...  ... yay


It's his first game, cut him some slack. He probably hasn't even learned the offense yet.


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## JNice

X-Factor said:


> It's his first game, cut him some slack. He probably hasn't even learned the offense yet.



The rolleyes is for Brian Hill, not Darko. I thought he was playing well. And no, he has no idea on the offense. I could hear Garrity yelling at him telling him where to go and set screens.


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## X-Factor

CyPher3 said:


> Wish you guys luck with the "Darko Project", it could become a great frontiline if Darko improves along with Howard.


That's what we're hoping... that these two will anchor this team in it's efforts to win a championship in the future.


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## rainman

JNice said:


> The rolleyes is for Brian Hill, not Darko. I thought he was playing well. And no, he has no idea on the offense. I could hear Garrity yelling at him telling him where to go and set screens.


i would give hill about a week to get this kid online then i'd ship him out and i dont mean darko.


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## JNice

rainman said:


> i would give hill about a week to get this kid online then i'd ship him out and i dont mean darko.



Well if Orlando doesn't ship out a big with Francis then Darko might not be getting the mins he should. Dwight and Battie are going to get theirs. And Orlando wants to develop Kasun as well so he is going to get mins ... even though he is a foul machine. I'd much rather see Darko getting mins and learning than having Garrity on the court.


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## rainman

JNice said:


> Well if Orlando doesn't ship out a big with Francis then Darko might not be getting the mins he should. Dwight and Battie are going to get theirs. And Orlando wants to develop Kasun as well so he is going to get mins ... even though he is a foul machine. I'd much rather see Darko getting mins and learning than having Garrity on the court.


i think mario will be in europe next year and battie is good for about 15 minutes a game, you figure the rest.


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## JNice

rainman said:


> i think mario will be in europe next year and battie is good for about 15 minutes a game, you figure the rest.



I think if Orlando can re-sign Battie relatively cheap they will bring him back next year as a bench big. I don't think they'll put him on the bench this year, at least not until much later in the year. So he'll be getting more than 15 mins per for most of the year, if not all.

And Mario, I don't know ... he has played well when he has been healthy and stayed on the court. But every time he gets going a little he has to sit with some minor injury and then start all over. I think Orlando should keep him around. I wouldn't mind next year have a bigman squad of Dwight, Darko, Mario, and Battie with some 3rd stringer behind them. And then hopefully in a year or two Fran Vasquez.


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## rainman

JNice said:


> I think if Orlando can re-sign Battie relatively cheap they will bring him back next year as a bench big. I don't think they'll put him on the bench this year, at least not until much later in the year. So he'll be getting more than 15 mins per for most of the year, if not all.
> 
> And Mario, I don't know ... he has played well when he has been healthy and stayed on the court. But every time he gets going a little he has to sit with some minor injury and then start all over. I think Orlando should keep him around. I wouldn't mind next year have a bigman squad of Dwight, Darko, Mario, and Battie with some 3rd stringer behind them. And then hopefully in a year or two Fran Vasquez.


full disclosure here my son went to school at GU with mario so we hear things, i am under the impression that he has a pretty good offer to play in spain. so we'll see.


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## JNice

rainman said:


> full disclosure here my son went to school at GU with mario so we hear things, i am under the impression that he has a pretty good offer to play in spain. so we'll see.



That's not really news .. OrlandoSentinel has reported that. But it sounds like Mario wants to stay in Orlando and in the NBA if the Magic want him. I guess it depends on how much he asks for. If Orlando can keep him for a few million a year they should do it.


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## JNice

..

Francis has turned into an overpaid Mateen Cleaves on this team.


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## rainman

JNice said:


> That's not really news .. OrlandoSentinel has reported that. But it sounds like Mario wants to stay in Orlando and in the NBA if the Magic want him. I guess it depends on how much he asks for. If Orlando can keep him for a few million a year they should do it.



dont read the orlando sentinel so i guess its all news to me, give me a thumbnail on how darko looked. was there any reason given for why he wasnt on the court much, beside the playbook, not that most players in this league pay attention to that anyway.


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## JNice

rainman said:


> dont read the orlando sentinel so i guess its all news to me, give me a thumbnail on how darko looked. was there any reason given for why he wasnt on the court much, beside the playbook, not that most players in this league pay attention to that anyway.


Mainly probably because he doesn't know the plays ... plus I don't think Brian Hill wanted to bring him in and take away minutes from Garrity and Battie right away. He was playing really well on defense I thought. He moves really well and he played the pick and rolls well. And he battled with Big Z. I don't think Big Z scored on him the few touches he had. 

Not a bad little stint ... he scored more than his season average ...  2 pts


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## rainman

JNice said:


> Mainly probably because he doesn't know the plays ... plus I don't think Brian Hill wanted to bring him in and take away minutes from Garrity and Battie right away. He was playing really well on defense I thought. He moves really well and he played the pick and rolls well. And he battled with Big Z. I don't think Big Z scored on him the few touches he had.
> 
> Not a bad little stint ... he scored more than his season average ...  2 pts


in detroit they always used the excuse that he was behind the wallace's and mcdyes i wonder what they'll come up with down there. i know its one game but there is really no excuse for not playing him, those other guys arent taking this team to the next level.


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## froggyvk

rainman said:


> in detroit they always used the excuse that he was behind the wallace's and mcdyes i wonder what they'll come up with down there. i know its one game but there is really no excuse for not playing him, those other guys arent taking this team to the next level.


You don't need an excuse when you truly have to learn the system.


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## hobojoe

Hopefully once he learns the offense he starts taking some of Garrity and Battie's minutes (mostly Garrity) and maybe even Kasun's, depending on what the Magic's plans with Mario are. 15-20 minutes a night for the rest of the year should give us and the Magic a pretty good idea of where he is right now and what he can/will become.


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## ATLien

3 minutes, WTF? I know he's new and all but damn.

I remember when Sheed played his only game as a Hawk, he still put up like 30 & 10. Darko needs to be out there, for his sake.


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## MLKG

Orlando really should just throw him out there. Even if he doesn't know the offense I'm sure his impact on defense pretty much supercedes anything Garrity gives the team.


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## JNice

> Forward Darko Milicic and point guard Carlos Arroyo made their Magic debuts after being acquired from the Detroit Pistons before the all-star break.
> 
> Milicic scored just two points in three-plus minutes, but Brian Hill said, "that will probably be the fewest minutes he ever plays."


..

Grant Hill re-aggravates groin injury and Hedo out with sprained ankle ... just gravy. We better be getting a SF tonight.


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## Mr. Hobbes

Forget Grant Hill, just go with a all-youth movement like the Blazers. They're starting Ha Seung-Jin.


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## Babir

Season is lost anyway, Magic have to play Darco as much as possible, he should start to improve confidence...


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## ralaw

Babir said:


> Season is lost anyway, Magic have to play Darco as much as possible, he should start to improve confidence...



I agree, Darko's biggest problem is his confidence becuase the talent is obviously there. Once he gets that I believe he will be a good player.


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## hobojoe

Encouraging that Hill said this will be the fewest minutes Darko sees. I'm hoping for at least 15-20. I was really excited when I was reading Garrity may be involved in the Francis trade to New York, but that ended up not going through obviously. Still, Darko should be seeing the court often and with consistent minutes once he learns the offense.


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## JNice

hobojoe said:


> Encouraging that Hill said this will be the fewest minutes Darko sees. I'm hoping for at least 15-20. I was really excited when I was reading Garrity may be involved in the Francis trade to New York, but that ended up not going through obviously. Still, Darko should be seeing the court often and with consistent minutes once he learns the offense.



Yeah, I was hoping Garrity would be gone too but I'd rather have Garrity sitting on the bench than Crawford here and actually playing.


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## hobojoe

JNice said:


> Yeah, I was hoping Garrity would be gone too but I'd rather have Garrity sitting on the bench than Crawford here and actually playing.


Good point, I'm with you on that one.


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## rainman

hobojoe said:


> Encouraging that Hill said this will be the fewest minutes Darko sees. I'm hoping for at least 15-20. I was really excited when I was reading Garrity may be involved in the Francis trade to New York, but that ended up not going through obviously. Still, Darko should be seeing the court often and with consistent minutes once he learns the offense.


they dont seem too concerned that arroyo doesnt know the offense, i say hill is on thin ice there, if he doesnt play darko he might as well pack his bags, he wont last the season out.


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## JNice

..

Hill still playing Garrity .. I don't know why ... he is so useless on the court. Play Darko F!er. No minutes in the first half.


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## NR 1

Is he on the bench?


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## rainman

JNice said:


> ..
> 
> Hill still playing Garrity .. I don't know why ... he is so useless on the court. Play Darko F!er. No minutes in the first half.


it doesnt make any sense and it didnt make any sense in detroit, i hear what you're saying about learning the playbook but all nba teams basically run the same stuff. if i were the gm i'd tell hill where the door is but i guess they cant do that.let the pat garrity era begin.


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## JNice

..

Maybe (hopefully) Garrity is being showcased.


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## hobojoe

Well, good to see Hill sticking to his word. 

First game after he says 3 minutes is the least playing time Darko will get, Milicic gets another DNP-CD to add to his collection. Unbelievable...


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## Tom

DNP should be his nickname


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## ralaw

I say just throw Darko out there and let him get some rebounds, blocks, etc, adjust the play book a bit if you have to. By the recent trades it is obvious the organization is building for the future, and Darko allegedly is a part of that, so play him. Darko has a broke confidence that will not comeback until he gets some consistent playing time. Not to mention his rookie deal will be up at the end of next year.


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## Gilgamesh

I wonder what will happen if a club in Europe offers Darko more money than what NBA teams dare to this offseason?



ralaw said:


> I say just throw Darko out there and let him get some rebounds, blocks, etc, adjust the play book a bit if you have to. By the recent trades it is obvious the organization is building for the future, and Darko allegedly is a part of that, so play him. Darko has a broke confidence that will not comeback until he gets some consistent playing time. Not to mention his rookie deal will be up at the end of next year.


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## JNice

Gilgamesh said:


> I wonder what will happen if a club in Europe offers Darko more money than what NBA teams dare to this offseason?



I think Orlando has Darko until the end of next season. And at this rate I'd say Orlando will probably be forking over some cheddar to the kid.


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## ralaw

Gilgamesh said:


> I wonder what will happen if a club in Europe offers Darko more money than what NBA teams dare to this offseason?


I highly doubt that. Darko by the end of his contract (end of next year) will be a young and promising player who probably will have many team lined up for his services. However, I think he will re-sign with Orlando due to the fact that they really gave him his first opportunity and for the fact him and Dwight Howard together makes for a great combo for years to come.


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## lw32

ralaw said:


> I highly doubt that. Darko by the end of his contract (end of next year) will be a young and promising player who probably will have many team lined up for his services. However, I think he will re-sign with Orlando due to the fact that they really gave him his first opportunity and for the fact him and Dwight Howard together makes for a great combo for years to come.


Watch him sign with the Pistons. Or better yet, want the bright lights of Hollywood and sign for the Lakers, ala Shaq.


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## Team Mao

Just wanted to drop in and say how good it is to see Darko putting up some decent numbers in decent minutes for you guys. The future looks bright with Darko and Dwight.


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## dominikan_balla1

Lachlanwood32 said:


> *Watch him sign with the Pistons.* Or better yet, want the bright lights of Hollywood and sign for the Lakers, ala Shaq.


..lol.. imagine this was a big secret plan by joe dumars and milicic.. by throwing him in the pistons d-league called the orlando magic


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## ralaw

Lachlanwood32 said:


> Watch him sign with the Pistons. Or better yet, want the bright lights of Hollywood and sign for the Lakers, ala Shaq.


To be honest with you I thought about him going back to Detroit when I was writing my post. Ben and Rasheed Wallace realiticaly only have about 2-3 more years of this level of play so, I am sure Joe D will be making a run at Darko. However, I am keeping the faith that Orlando will re-sign both Dwight and Darko fairly easily.


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## NR 1

PHOENIX -- A half-dozen games into his career rebirth with the Orlando Magic, Darko Milicic doesn't just look like a sleeper. He looks like a keeper.

Veteran Grant Hill gives him two thumbs up.

While Hill's opinion counts a lot, Milicic's fate likely will be determined, in part, by young Dwight Howard.

All that matters is this: Can Milicic coexist alongside Howard and make the club's future centerpiece a better player?

The very early returns say he can.

Asked if he likes playing with Milicic, Howard's eyes light up.

"I like it," Howard said. "He plays hard. He's going to look for me inside. Don't tell anybody, but Darko really wants to be a point guard."

Milicic would be the world's tallest point guard at 7 feet.

:biggrin: 


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...magic0306mar03,0,2024995.story?coll=orl-magic


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## PeterTownshed

Milicic is a good fit next to Howard. His trade to the Magic changes the balance of power in the southeast division. No longer does the best center in florida reside in Miami.


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## rainman

you try to come up with a team they could pattern themselves after with two excellant young post players and the spurs with duncan and robinson come to mind. duncan the back to the basket threat and the admiral someone that could face up and put the ball on the floor. just something to think about.


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## Wade County

PeterTownshed said:


> Milicic is a good fit next to Howard. His trade to the Magic changes the balance of power in the southeast division. No longer does the best center in florida reside in Miami.



U cant be serious...


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## dominikan_balla1

:rock:


BG44 said:


> U cant be serious...


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