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Jwill55gRizZ · 06-24-2005, 10:14 PM

Would you guys be willing to trade #7 for Darko...My friend and i were debating it today.. I said that by having the surety of 3 picks in the next years you can make a gamble like that.. Darko could possibly be a star in the league and was picked #2 presummably because he had more potential then Wade, Carmelo, and Bosh..

What are your thoughts?

ATCQ · 06-24-2005, 10:16 PM

that's actually a really interesting thought...

in all honesty i am not a fan of darko at all, even when he got drafted i smelled a dud... i don't think i would do it despite darkos potential... but then again detroit probably wouldnt do it either

charlz · 06-24-2005, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jwill55gRizZ

Would you guys be willing to trade #7 for Darko...My friend and i were debating it today.. I said that by having the surety of 3 picks in the next years you can make a gamble like that.. Darko could possibly be a star in the league and was picked #2 presummably because he had more potential then Wade, Carmelo, and Bosh..

What are your thoughts?

Hell no. Darko could possible be better than any player in this draft but he asking price must be lower considering Eldon Campbell has played 100x as may minutes.

Marvin Williams Jr. · 06-24-2005, 10:36 PM

Yes.

Darko'll rock up the NBA in a couple years.

Drewbs · 06-24-2005, 10:38 PM

Darko was the 2nd pick in a loaded draft. Had it been just about any other draft, he would have gone 1st. You just don't pass up a guy like James, who is 18 and already a near finished product in terms of being ready for the NBA. If I were Toronto, I would trade 7 for Darko.

frank_white · 06-24-2005, 10:41 PM

Darko could be had for less IMO

kirk_2003 · 06-24-2005, 10:52 PM

with the limited time i saw him play... the man sucks... he lacks intensity and he is just floating out there...

**speedythief** · 06-24-2005, 11:54 PM

I am not somebody who's written-off Darko. Larry Brown has no idea what to do with him. If it wasn't for Brown's Olympic fiasco maybe I'd have a little more respect for his ability to utilize young talent.

Darko has absoultely no role on the Pistons. It's no wonder that whenever he does get playing time he's ineffective. It's not easy jumping into a decided game after sitting through 40-44 minutes of it. Not only are the players still on the floor only mildly interested in the proceedings, but the ability to make any impact at all is virtually impossible. Plus you're stiff, cold, and only mildly interested yourself.

Now, keep in mind he was the youngest [international] player ever drafted. He was barely 18. He's still a very young pro. There is ample time for him to develop.

But in the back of my mind I can't help but wonder if maybe Brown and his coaching staff just don't see anything in him, you know? Maybe he was just a product of the Chad Ford/international scouting hype machine.

Still, if you compare him to a player like Jermaine O'Neal, who was the youngest [continental] player ever drafted, the similarities are there. He's still growing into his frame. He's still adjusting to the NBA lifestyle [which for some players is a huge adjustment that cannot be overstated]. He's on a team that doesn't need him and can't afford to sacrifice veteran minutes to develop him.

JO took four years to start getting significant minutes, and he really made the most of them. Imagine how many people would be down on Darko if he got ~10 minutes per game in irregular games for another two seasons!

Take a gander at the scouting report on him, circa 2003 [NBADraft.net]...

Quote:

Strengths: Solid athlete who can run the floor and jump like few others his size ... Creative scorer who understands how to set-up his defender off the dribble ... Excellent finisher when receiving the ball on the break or out on the perimeter as he can cut to the lane and even dunk in traffic ... On defense he is an excellent help defender who shows promise of being an adequate shot-blocker ... Does a very good job of using his long arms to grab most rebounds around his area despite usually being physically out-matched by his opponents ... Can be a nightmare for opposing players to defend due to his versatility as he is too quick for most power forwards and too tall for most small forwards to defend in the post ... Excellent ball handler for his size ... Plays extremely aggressive and wont back down from a challenge ... Competitive, he'll do whatever it takes to win ... Shows court awareness beyond his years as he will adjust his game according to how the defense plays him ... Can shoot the ball from 20 feet with consistency and even has the ability to extend out to the three point line ... Has a very high basketball IQ and sees plays before they occur ... Good passer who is blessed with solid court vision. Double teams rarely bother him ... Shows soft touch around the basket ... Owns a solid hesitation dribble move he uses to bait his defender out of the paint. As soon as his defender plays his shot, Milicic will dribble into the lane for the quick lay-up ...

Weaknesses: Has problems at times holding his position on the low blocks due to his lack of body strength ... Offensively his back to the basket skills are still in the developmental stages as he prefers to face the basket ... Needs to continue to improve his upper body strength although this should be no surprise when you consider his age ... Unlike most young players defensively he shows above average skills but it's the basic stuff he'll need to improve on ... Perimeter defensive skills such as anticipation and playing the passing lanes ... As far as working on his low post defense, strength and experience are the main detracting factors ... Tends to put the ball on the floor a little too much after getting an offensive rebound ... Ball protection is a area of concern as he can get careless at times ... Needs to work on getting rebounds out of position ... When posting up Milicic should improve on getting wider so he can give guards a bigger target when they pass into the post ...

If I knew we could get a decent player with the 16th pick, I think I would trade the 7th to get him, and split the minutes at centre between him and Araujo for a while. Let them fight for the starting gig.

And Darko, in spite of everything, is a good shot blocker. Not many players average half a block in 7 minutes. Plus he's a solid 7', 250# and could still put on a bit of muscle. Can't teach size.

**Crossword** · 06-25-2005, 12:32 AM

In a heartbeat I would.

Ballyhoo · 06-25-2005, 01:34 AM

I think Darko's a huge bust. If Detroit offered him for the #7 pick I would be extremely suspicious. It would mean they were admitting a mistake and cutting their losses on a terrible pick. And they are the ones in the best position to know. That's what a smart GM does when he makes a mistake, he doesn't hope the player will turn around miraculously, he cuts his losses and moves on.

I'd trade Araujo for Darko.

**Turkish Delight** · 06-25-2005, 06:15 AM

I'd definately do that trade. Darko has the skill and the potential to be a great player in this league, he just has no role on the Pistons team. I remember near the end of the season when the Pistons played the Hawks, he actually got some playing time and had a pretty solid game. From what I remember he had something like 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists. If given the opportunity, Darko could shine, that's why I'd definately trade our first pick for him.

butr · 06-25-2005, 06:34 AM

billfindlay10 · 06-25-2005, 08:46 AM

Would we have his bird rights, also does darko even want to stay in the NBA, he has not had a good time in the league, he may want to go home and play in Europe!

lucky777s · 06-25-2005, 09:03 AM

BUTR and I tend to agree, but not on this point.

I say YES.

Darko is desperate to prove himself and just itching to get the chance to play. Toronto has a huge Yugoslavian community. He would be very happy here.

Darko is the future of the Pistons frontcourt and it will take a great offer to get him. He would have been getting huge minutes from almost every club in the league. Brown didn't want him in the draft and is riding the kid hard.

He has an nba body and he's been practicing with Ben, Rasheed, Dice, Okur, Williamson, and Campbell over the last two years. Brown is the best teacher in the game and while Darko may hate him now he will appreciate what he learned in Detroit later in his career.

I would compare him to Primo Brezec who just needed time and an opportunity to explode.

No way you can pass on a Bosh/Darko combo.

Unless you think Bynum would be even better. Which he may be.

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