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he didnt fit here. it became painfully obvious. i dont mind the first rounder for darko. but we gave arroyo away for free and that was fucked up. he was a bigger pickup than darko for orlando needs. A young PG who can get everyone involved in their scheme. our long bomb chucker scheme wasnt suiting him. unfortunate but im happy for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by H1Man
Well all I can say is that I disagree. I'm not a Darko hater or lover, but I think he could have been a nice weapon to have off the bench if we handled it correctly. I just can't stand that the arguement that he was playing ahead of Maxiell for two reasons: ego and trade value. I think the Pistons could care less about Darko's ego, and it's not like now that Darko is gone Maxiell is playing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Taymelo
But Darko made it really hard to handle him correctly for 2+ seasons because of his sulking. But I think if we could have fed him minutes here and there throughout these years that he'd be part of our rotation now.
(An Orlando) Darko would be really valuable right now during this injury stretch for McDyess. He has a cast thing on his hand and it's given him some fumble-itis and he has a mask on his face which usually detracts players not named Richard Hamilton. I think they've been taking a tole on Dyess lately.
But by not playing Darko and playing Arroyo a little both became distractions. So I did like the Magic trade. To keep Darko we would have needed to give him a new contract within 2 years, when Chauncey is also up for a new contract (Plus Ben the year before), and Arroyo would still count against the cap. Our payroll would have been around $70 million in 2 years. And that's too much to keep around 2 guys that weren't really helping us here. We also got a potential lottery pick.
Milicic has a crappy game tonight, playing 14 minutes and scoring a whopping 2 points on 1-3 shooting. He also collected 3 boards two blocks and a couple of fouls.
That is why you don't compare performances by a guy who's played 5 games vs. a guy who's played 60 games. A game like this will throw all of his averages off.
Actually 21 mins
Orlando Magic
1-8
101.6 points allowed
LOL
Before Darko, 96 ppg allowed
Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleCliffy
LOL@Darko
In Darko's defense (and trust me, I prefer he's a bust if he's not on the Pistons), check the numbers with him on and off the floor...Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleCliffy
http://www.82games.com/0506/05ORL17D.HTM
They are 5.2 points better per 100 possessions on the defensive end with Darko on the floor than their seasonal averages. They're also 7.6 points per 100 possessions better on the offensive end. They outscore their opponents by an average of 8.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, and are outscored by 4.7 per 100 when he's off the floor.
It's Arroyo's defense that's killing them. They're giving up 117 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. That's pretty awful
BUT HE HAD TWO BLOCKS!!!! HE'S A FUTURE HOF'ER, YOU HATER!!!@#!@#$!@$!@$#!@(&*#$!@*&#$Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleCliffy
I would guess the loss of Franchise has something to do with it as well. But then judging someone based on Ws/Ls in their first real playing time is always the right way to analyze things.
They can't win with Darko on the floor!!! LOL!!111 He's CLEARY A BUST!!!!211132433411!!
In two full seasons under Larry Brown, Milicic averaged 5.8 minutes in only 71 games. In a half-season under Flip Saunders, the numbers were 5.5 minutes in 26 games.
Not nearly enough daylight to answer these vital questions: What could the mysterious Milicic do? And not do? Why wasn't he receiving anything approaching meaningful PT? And why had the otherwise savvy Joe Dumars tabbed him as the second overall draft pick in 2003?
Upon his arrival in Orlando, Milicic has become an integral part of the Magic's rotation — averaging 23 minutes of court-time over six games, and producing 7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots per outing. The Magic's date Monday in Utah (a 90-85 loss) was as good a time as any to shine some light on Darko's game.
MIN FG 3FG FT REB A ST BS TO PTS
MILICIC 21 1-3 0-0 0-0 3 0 0 2 0 2
FIRST ROTATION — FROM 11:39 TO 8:00 IN FIRST QUARTER
Milicic was forced into the game when Tony Battie picked up two quick fouls.
All game long, Milicic mostly hung around on the weak-side and was seldom involved in the offense. He did set one solid screen in his first rotation, but on four other occasions he turned sideways just before the expected impact and slipped to the basket. The prospect of getting the ball in scoring position was clearly more important to him than setting useful screens.
Credit Milicic with completing a nifty cross-court pass from the right-wing. (He immediately dove into the paint and actually had excellent position, but didn't get a look from his teammates.) Later, when he was doubled in the low-post, he flung a wild pass to the nearest wing and was lucky that one of the Jazz deflected the ball out-of-bounds.
The Magic are giving Darko Milicic a chance to prove himself in the NBA. ( / Associated Press)
His defensive efforts were even more negligible: Milicic showed a remarkable lack of hustle in transition. He was lifted by the merest twitch of a fake on the part of Mehmet Okur — thereby allowing Okur enough free space to knock down a 17-footer. Was so intent on blocking a shot that he gave Okur a baseline pathway to the hoop from the left box—but Okur missed the ensuing layup. Was nailed on a cross-screen by Milt Palacio — thereby allowing Okur to score an easy layup. Shortly thereafter, Brian Hill summoned Milicic back to the bench.
SECOND ROTATION — FROM 0:22 FIRST QUARTER TO 4:52 SECOND QUARTER
More spectating from the weak-side. Another post-up, another double-team, and another reckless pass that was fortuitously tipped out-of-bounds by the home team.
This time, Milicic was defending Carlos Boozer, and was immediately taken into the pivot and beaten by a baseline move. But Jameer Nelson was there to provide a modicum of help and Boozer misfired. Milicic was on the spot to grab his first rebound.
When Matt Harpring curled around a screen set by Boozer, Milicic failed to show and Harpring buried a wide open 15-footer. A few minutes later, Utah repeated the play—Milicic stepped out to stop Harpring, but couldn't get back to Boozer, who hit a mid-range jumper.
Uh oh! Could Milicic be one of those guys—like Will Perdue and Stacey King—who always make the wrong choice on any given defensive play?
Milicic managed to hustle back in defense of a Jazz fast break, but never turned to locate the ball. Had he been alert, he could easily have attacked the subsequent layup.
Just before Milicic left the game, Boozer posted him once again. This time, Milicic fought to control Boozer's lead arm, thereby preventing Boozer from getting settled and discouraging his teammates from throwing an entry pass. On the next rip downcourt, the Jazz threw a screen/roll at Milicic and forced him to switch on to Devon Williams. Milicic held his ground and Williams proceeded to turn the ball over.
A pair of excellent defensive sequences for young Darko.
THIRD ROTATION — FROM 3:38 THIRD QUARTER TO 5:47 FOURTH QUARTER
Instead of furiously attacking the offensive glass, Milicic was content to long-arm missed shots and try for tip-ins. He barely missed one from the outside slot on the free throw line, and then missed an easy put-back near the end of the third quarter.
Milicic also set two text-book screens, and made a crisp entry pass into Hedo Turkoglu as well. Then, early in the last period, coach Hill finally called Milicic's number: The play began when Milicic received a wing pass on the left side of the court, passed the ball back to a guard, then as the ball was reversed, used a baseline screen to cut toward the right box. It was easy to tell by the enthusiastic manner in which Milicic threw that first pass that the play was set up for him. In any case, he stood too upright to seal his defender in the pivot and never got the ball.
Milicic tallied his only score when his defender was chasing the ball and a lob pass found him alone under the basket.
On defense, he made a too-late rotation and fouled Jarron Collins; ran hard in an offense-to-defense change; made a timely show and recovery on a S/R, stepping in front of a driving Okur and forcing him to double-clutch and miss a complicated layup. Then, while guarding Andrai Kirilenko, Milicic anticipated a cross-cut and jumped to the far side of the lane — but AK never moved. This was an example of a player playing the play instead of playing his man.
What conclusions can be drawn from Milicic's performance in Utah?
Instead of utilizing his speed in the low-post by catching the ball and making an explosive move, Milicic was hesitant to attack the basket. While he was sizing up the situation, the Jazz came at him with a double-team. Even so, Milicic is quick enough to drive baseline away from the incoming double, but he chose to make risky passes.
On defense, Milicic was too eager to block shots and was always on his toes.
He was not aggressive in any aspect of the game, and, indeed, never worked particularly hard. This is the most puzzling and most maddening of his deficiencies.
There are several reasons why a highly-paid NBA player cruises through a ball game:
He's young, foolish, and thinks that his long-term contract will last forever.
He thinks he's so naturally terrific that he can just bop his way around the court and still excel.
He doesn't especially like playing basketball.
He's mad at his coach, his teammates, his girlfriend, his agent, etc., and being passive-aggressive is the only response at his command.
He's restraining himself from making an all-out effort to protect his ego in case he flops. Hey, I could've done well if I would've busted it. This self-generated excuse allows the player to maintain his belief in his own greatness, but is basically a failure mechanism.
Or, he just is incapable of playing at this high level of competition.
Whatever the reason, it sure looked like Dumars erred in drafting Milicic, but rectified his mistake by trading him. The only unanswered question is this: What happens to the young man now? Milicic won't be 21 until late June, so he's got plenty of time to grow into his game.
But for the time being, if he's content to take games off like he did in Utah, then Milicic might just as well be playing on the dark side of the moon.
Charley Rosen is FOXSports.com's NBA analyst and author of 13 books about hoops, the current one being "The pivotal season — How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA."