[DetBNyce]

Next year Darko will be in his third season and I don't think any excuses can be offered up from either side regarding his PT. So if Darko can't crack the rotation next year who do you blame? Do you blame Larry Brown or the Pistons for crushing his confidence, do you blmae the depth in front of him, or do you start to think Darko doesn't have what it takes? Or is it a combination of the three things?

 

[kamego]

I think Darko needs to be given huge minutes in the preseason. If he looks bad then, the coaches will have an excuse/reason not to play him if they don't see fit. The depth will be a probelm for years to come hopefully but we have to find a way to let him play at some point. We can't call him a bust or a success until he accutally plays a few real games.

 

[Copper]

I think Darko needs to be given huge minutes in the preseason. If he looks bad then, the coaches will have an excuse/reason not to play him if they don't see fit. The depth will be a probelm for years to come hopefully but we have to find a way to let him play at some point. We can't call him a bust or a success until he accutally plays a few real games.

Agreed, I think he needs a confidence boost from the coach( if He still believes anything LB says) LB should inform him that if he plays the summer league and continues his progress? he WILL be given minutes next season. If he can contribute? there will be no reason for him not to see 10-15 minutes on a regular basis. If he plays well and shows improvement over the summer and continues to ride the pine? I will at that point call for LBs head and agree with some others that LB has it in for D.

 

[Lope31]

Next year Darko will be in his third season and I don't think any excuses can be offered up from either side regarding his PT. So if Darko can't crack the rotation next year who do you blame? Do you blame Larry Brown or the Pistons for crushing his confidence, do you blmae the depth in front of him, or do you start to think Darko doesn't have what it takes? Or is it a combination of the three things?

Of course Larry Brown is the guy that decides his minutes so you could partly blame him for stinting his growth but at what point do you say "Hey, this ridiculously hyped up 2nd overall pick can't overtake a fairly old front line that isn't exactly improving anymore." Truth is the Wallaces and McDyess are on the decline, although a very slow one so far, if Darko can't be better than any of them then he wasn't worth the second pick.

 

[DetBNyce]

Agreed, I think he needs a confidence boost from the coach( if He still believes anything LB says) LB should inform him that if he plays the summer league and continues his progress? he WILL be given minutes next season. If he can contribute? there will be no reason for him not to see 10-15 minutes on a regular basis. If he plays well and shows improvement over the summer and continues to ride the pine? I will at that point call for LBs head and agree with some others that LB has it in for D.

How much improvement do you think he has to make to get 10-15 minutes a game. Consider that there a 96 available minutes at the 4 and 5 spots and Ben plays 37, Sheed 35, and Dice 23. That totals 95 of the 96 minutes available. There are instances where Sheed could play the 3 and minutes could be reduced, but I don't know if we have room to give him 10-15 consistently a night. I'm not saying he can't or won't, but it's just a thought.

 

[DetBNyce]

Of course Larry Brown is the guy that decides his minutes so you could partly blame him for stinting his growth but at what point do you say "Hey, this ridiculously hyped up 2nd overall pick can't overtake a fairly old front line that isn't exactly improving anymore." Truth is the Wallaces and McDyess are on the decline, although a very slow one so far, if Darko can't be better than any of them then he wasn't worth the second pick.

I don't know about that one. Sheed has been rock solid for over a month averaging about 18 points and 9 rebounds, and statistically he is better than he was last year as a Piston. His defensive intensity was lacking earlier in the year, but I think that had to do more with boredom and complacency than decline. Dice has been great for 97% of the season (a wild guess). He's putting up 10 points in less than half a game as well. He doesn't have the wear and tear of some of these others guys too. Ben is a different story, IMO. I don't know if he's declining or if it was his intensity as well. His recent play suggests the latter of the two.

 

[Lope31]

How much improvement do you think he has to make to get 10-15 minutes a game. Consider that there a 96 available minutes at the 4 and 5 spots and Ben plays 37, Sheed 35, and Dice 23. That totals 95 of the 96 minutes available. There are instances where Sheed could play the 3 and minutes could be reduced, but I don't know if we have room to give him 10-15 consistently a night. I'm not saying he can't or won't, but it's just a thought.

Darko is the number 2 pick he should be able to at least be better than McDyess (by next year) unless a) he has being shunned in practice or b) he just wasn't worth the pick.

Past #2 picks...

2004- Emeka Okafor
2003- Darko Milicic
2002- Jay Williams
2001- Tyson Chandler
2000- Stromile Swift
1999- Steve Francis
1998- Mike Bibby
1997- Keith Van Horn
1996- Marcus Camby

Wow, that list more or less doesn't really help my case. I didn't know so many bad choices were made with the pick. But what I am trying to say is that being picked so high you should be better to crack the rotation by your third team, no matter how deep it is because. Maybe it was just a bad pick. Apparently it's not uncommon.

I believe that he will be a good enough player to grab the minutes out from under McDyess soon and eventually the Wallaces but if he doesn't show signs then maybe we should just move on.

 

[Starbury03]

It's Darko fault who elses could it be if he isnt good enough to get in. Then he should get better and try and overtake one of those guys. Not just be given pity minutes because he was picked #2. He needs to show he can play. The Pistons coaching staff sees him all the time at pratice. The Clippers announcers said they talked to Igor Kokoskov and he said he doesnt know if he can play or not. All blame is on Darko or Dumars for picking him. LB is going to play who should.

 

[DetBNyce]

Darko is the number 2 pick he should be able to at least be better than McDyess (by next year) unless a) he has being shunned in practice or b) he just wasn't worth the pick.

Past #2 picks...

2004- Emeka Okafor
2003- Darko Milicic
2002- Jay Williams
2001- Tyson Chandler
2000- Stromile Swift
1999- Steve Francis
1998- Mike Bibby
1997- Keith Van Horn
1996- Marcus Camby

Wow, that list more or less doesn't really help my case. I didn't know so many bad choices were made with the pick. But what I am trying to say is that being picked so high you should be better to crack the rotation by your third team, no matter how deep it is because. Maybe it was just a bad pick. Apparently it's not uncommon.

I believe that he will be a good enough player to grab the minutes out from under McDyess soon and eventually the Wallaces but if he doesn't show signs then maybe we should just move on.

I think you're underestimating McDyess and maybe overrating Darko a little. Dice is a pretty solid player and would start on most teams around the league, and he would probaly put up about 14 and 10 per contest. I don't think you can expect a guy who has been benched for two years to all of a sudden come out and be better than one of the most efficient Pistons on the team. #2 pick or not. If he'd been playing since he got here maybe there would be a different story, but without those minutes I don't think it's realistic to expect a big jump in his play.

 

[JoeD]

Difficult situation. We have difficulty getting McDyess enough time now. If Rasheed slows down next year Darko should cut into his minutes the most especially since Rasheed doesn't seem to care as much early in the season but given back near the play offs if Darko doesn't earn it.

Hopefully Darko has an amazing summer. I hope Darko can grow under Brown like Tayshaun did. That is, if Brown did anything other than setting Tayshaun loose.

 

[kamego]

We can't really say much about next year until we see Darko play minutes. I am talking about summer league and preseason of course. Larry Brown should have him playing the whole game of every game this summer. It's the only way he can grow as a player to the level we will need him. If he had a great summer and preseason I think he can get his minutes because our front line will have no probelm resting a little more. The thing to remember is Dice, Ben, and Rasheed are not stat guys. They don't care if they play 25 or 40 minutes as long as they win. So if Darko does grow this offseason I think we can create minutes for him next season. If he doesn't grow I am sure we can find a way to work around him and still win.

 

[MLKG]

What's killed Darko is he has missed the last 2 summers. For a player as young as he is that doesn't play a whole lot during the season that is a critical time for development.

He will have the opportunity to be the leader and go to guy on the summer league team this year which hopefully should do a lot for his confidence and help him get back in the swing of being a meaningful player on a team.

 

[kamego]

Yeah the broken hand last year was killer for his developement. Cost him the chance to play in the olympics and/or the summer league.

 

[Copper]

How much improvement do you think he has to make to get 10-15 minutes a game. Consider that there a 96 available minutes at the 4 and 5 spots and Ben plays 37, Sheed 35, and Dice 23. That totals 95 of the 96 minutes available. There are instances where Sheed could play the 3 and minutes could be reduced, but I don't know if we have room to give him 10-15 consistently a night. I'm not saying he can't or won't, but it's just a thought.

I am referring to the fact that LB is constantly saying how much he wants to play the Dyess, wallace, wallace lineup. If Darko is up to snuff? this will give LB the opportunity to do just that while keeping a Big on the bench to rest them. So the 96 minute rule is now 106, that is giving Tay his 38 minutes. That is only if Darko shows an improvement. If he really blossoms? hell, drop Ben and Sheeds minutes to 32-35, keep Dyess at the 20 -23 and that will keep D at 10-15. This is just spitballin, but there are minutes to be had if he shows promise.

 

[kamego]

No one on this team will complain if they don't get 40 minutes a game, thats why we are so good. Team basketball needs that sharing in order to work.

 

[DetBNyce]

I am referring to the fact that LB is constantly saying how much he wants to play the Dyess, wallace, wallace lineup. If Darko is up to snuff? this will give LB the opportunity to do just that while keeping a Big on the bench to rest them. So the 96 minute rule is now 106, that is giving Tay his 38 minutes. That is only if Darko shows an improvement. If he really blossoms? hell, drop Ben and Sheeds minutes to 32-35, keep Dyess at the 20 -23 and that will keep D at 10-15. This is just spitballin, but there are minutes to be had if he shows promise.

Oh ok, just wondering your perspective. :wink:

My whole thing is he has to improve a lot to get those 10-15 minutes a night and hopefully he'll earn those minutes and they won't just be given to him. As the players get older a reduction in minutes is going to be needed. But, IMO right now he doesn't look good enough consistently to even warrant getting 10-15. Like Mike said he needs PT in game situations and hopefully this summer is a start.

No one on this team will complain if they don't get 40 minutes a game, thats why we are so good. Team basketball needs that sharing in order to work.

Good point. We're lucky to have a team full of unselfish players for the most part.

 

[kamego]

We have those players because Joe Dumars is the man HoF in my mind for sure.

 

[NR 1]

This is what happens when 17 years old super talent from Europe goes to NBA without learning game more from "the inside"!
I have seen Darko play in Europe and i can say that he is not any worse player then 2 years older New Jersey Nets center Nenad Krstic was at the time.
But Krstic played a lot in Europe and became more experienced and hardworking player...
And after playing 18 games in NBA he became first choice center and very very important player for the Nets!
He is now just getting better and better...
Back to Darko Milicic..I think he is now maybe getting frustrated and he is losing his focus on the game because of 1 simple reason!
He should be traded soon if Larry Brown is not changing his mind about him!!

 

[DetBNyce]

This is what happens when 17 years old super talent from Europe goes to NBA without learning game more from "the inside"!
I have seen Darko play in Europe and i can say that he is not any worse player then 2 years older New Jersey Nets center Nenad Krstic was at the time.
But Krstic played a lot in Europe and became more experienced and hardworking player...
And after playing 18 games in NBA he became first choice center and very very important player for the Nets!
He is now just getting better and better...
Back to Darko Milicic..I think he is now maybe getting frustrated and he is losing his focus on the game because of 1 simple reason!
He should be traded soon if Larry Brown is not changing his mind about him!!

Thanks for your perspective, we rarely get to see Darko put in a situation that is set up for him to succeed. I still don't think trading him is an option.

 

[JoeD]

I thought about this again and I think ideally for next year he could be like Memo was for us but with a better post game and better consistency and effort. Maybe less in rebonding, it's hard to say.