TMOD: Darko wants to go Euro
:mccosky:
Quote:
Former Piston Milicic wants to go back to Europe
A few years back, when people still asked me what I thought about Darko Milicic, I would say he never was going to justify being the No. 2 overall pick, but he'd probably hang around 10 or so years and average 11 points and seven rebounds.
Did I ever overshoot that one.
Last week, Milicic told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal he probably would play in Europe after his contract expires in 2010.
"A lot of days I think that because the only way to be me is in Europe," he told the newspaper. "I don't want to be a defensive player the rest of my career. It's not really what I want to do."
A defensive player? If the Grizzlies thought they were getting a physical defender when they signed him in 2007, they must not have watched him play.
He can contest the occasional shot and even block a few -- he's an adequate defender -- but he's not getting dirty down on the block.
He doesn't want to be a defensive player and he's never shown he can be a consistent offensive threat. You see why the Grizzlies aren't starting him anymore.
"In Europe, I can be a different player with the ball going through me," Milicic said. "Here, you take a shot and you just don't want to miss. You think too much."
Milicic always has fancied himself as a 7-foot facilitator, more of a point-forward than a center.
Here's what this is really about: Darko wants to play in Europe because the game is more open and flowing. There is less physically demanding, half-court play. He can run up and down, dunk, hit those stand-still jumpers off kick-outs and not get beat up.
In the NBA, Milicic takes a beating. He tries to play that finesse game around the rim and defenders just pound him. They would rather send him to the free-throw line than let him lay in a finger roll.
"I used to enjoy playing and scoring," Milicic said. "This isn't the way I want to finish my career."
When he was with the Pistons, it was, "They never gave me an opportunity." Now it's, "They don't let me be me."
Never is it, "Maybe I am just not good enough."
