AleksandarN
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Make no mistake, we're going to look up and see some 18-point, 10-rebound, four-block nights from Darko at some point," Dumars told reporters in Detroit
Darko and Howard are going to huge. This will be very interesting especially read the quotes from Rasheed considering he played along side J.O. aswell. Damm I wish we would have traded for Darko. We could use a person that could get 18pts 10reb 4blks in a game.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060218/SPORTS/602180319/1002/sports
HOUSTON - For three seasons, Rasheed Wallace has practiced almost daily against Darko Milicic, often pounding the unproven power forward into submission with his vastly superior basketball skills.
But with each basketball lesson Wallace and fellow NBA All-Star Ben Wallace handed out, there was a message to the often-brooding Serbian: Keep the faith, because your time will come.
After three years of being mostly chained to the Detroit Pistons' bench, Milicic's opportunity has presented itself.
Traded to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday along with point guard Carlos Arroyo, Milicic will finally have a chance to escape the shadow of the Wallaces in Detroit and prove he was worthy of being the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
His playing time was so sparse in Detroit that he was derisively nicknamed "The Human Victory Cigar," because he rarely got into games until the outcome was decided. Milicic has had everything from his passion to his basketball IQ questioned. He also has been called other not-so-flattering names, but Rasheed Wallace predicts those jabs will eventually prove to be foolish.
"I know everybody thinks Darko is a big ol' bust and they make jokes about him, but the joke is going to be on them someday," Wallace said. "Trust me when I say this: 'Darko is going to be all right.' "
Because Milicic didn't play college basketball in America and has seen so little playing time with the Pistons, many in the NBA are still uncertain whether he can reach the stardom initially projected for him.
The ones who have seen him play the most, the ones who know best what makes the 7-foot, 245-pounder tick, are the Pistons. And almost to a man, All-Stars Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed and Ben Wallace feel all that has held Milicic back has been actual playing time.
"I know Darko pretty well, and he really wants to go out there and prove himself to everybody," Ben Wallace said. "He's ready to show everybody that he can play in this league. And I think he'll do well in Orlando."
The Magic, 19-32 and losers of six straight before the All-Star break, hope by pairing Milicic with blossoming star Dwight Howard they will someday have two of the NBA's most athletic, versatile big players.
Taking the chance of Milicic is a gamble, assistant general manager Otis Smith said, but the Magic deemed it worthy of a chance.
Since being drafted ahead of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony -- who have since achieved greatness -- Milicic has played in just 96 games or the equivalent of one Pistons season. He's scored a mere 152 points in his career, roughly twice as much as Wade had in two games against the Magic earlier this week (74).
In 25 games of mostly mop-up duty this season, he's averaged 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds.
Milicic's situation led some to speculate his confidence was irreversibly shattered. Even his former Pistons teammates and coaches wondered if he had accepted his fate as a lowly reserve.
"I think it was more the frustration building up because he couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel and wondered when he'd ever play," Detroit head coach Flip Saunders said. "When that happens, it becomes difficult to ever get motivated.
"He had to feel like it was Groundhog Day, waking up every day and it was the same. That's why the change will be good for him."
Things were supposed to be different this season under Saunders, the replacement for Larry Brown. Brown despised playing youngsters, especially error-prone ones such as Milicic, who was slow to grasp the defensive rotations.
But after a promising preseason in which Milicic averaged 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks a game, he was sent back to the bench.
"I saw Darko get better and make improvements the last couple of years, but just as he started getting better, he'd get frustrated and become disinterested because the opportunity to play wasn't there," Billups said. "Hopefully, that improvement will show now because you know he's going to play in Orlando."
Added Richard Hamilton: "Some guys learn better by watching and some learn by playing. The guy just needs to get out there and play. Now he doesn't have to worry about waiting and he can show everybody he can play."
Finally fed up, Milicic orchestrated his exit out of Detroit last month when he asked his agent, Marc Cornstein, to get him out of Detroit. Pistons president Joe Dumars, whose mistakes have been few, was willing to admit drafting Milicic was a mistake. But the Pistons didn't have Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess at the time of the 2003 Draft.
Dumars predicted it won't come as surprise to him if Milicic eventually blossoms into the kind of player who makes the Pistons regret trading him.
"Make no mistake, we're going to look up and see some 18-point, 10-rebound, four-block nights from Darko at some point," Dumars told reporters in Detroit.
Saunders was quick to gush about Milicic's soft hands and shooting range, but he will wait to see if the 7-footer can muster the maturity to weather the grind of a NBA season.
"He's got the skills to do it, but a lot of guys have skills in this league. He's got to take those skills now and be consistent," he said. "The biggest thing you wonder is if he's going to be able to compete on a nightly basis. That's something you're only going to know when he gets out there to play."
Darko and Howard are going to huge. This will be very interesting especially read the quotes from Rasheed considering he played along side J.O. aswell. Damm I wish we would have traded for Darko. We could use a person that could get 18pts 10reb 4blks in a game.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060218/SPORTS/602180319/1002/sports
HOUSTON - For three seasons, Rasheed Wallace has practiced almost daily against Darko Milicic, often pounding the unproven power forward into submission with his vastly superior basketball skills.
But with each basketball lesson Wallace and fellow NBA All-Star Ben Wallace handed out, there was a message to the often-brooding Serbian: Keep the faith, because your time will come.
After three years of being mostly chained to the Detroit Pistons' bench, Milicic's opportunity has presented itself.
Traded to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday along with point guard Carlos Arroyo, Milicic will finally have a chance to escape the shadow of the Wallaces in Detroit and prove he was worthy of being the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
His playing time was so sparse in Detroit that he was derisively nicknamed "The Human Victory Cigar," because he rarely got into games until the outcome was decided. Milicic has had everything from his passion to his basketball IQ questioned. He also has been called other not-so-flattering names, but Rasheed Wallace predicts those jabs will eventually prove to be foolish.
"I know everybody thinks Darko is a big ol' bust and they make jokes about him, but the joke is going to be on them someday," Wallace said. "Trust me when I say this: 'Darko is going to be all right.' "
Because Milicic didn't play college basketball in America and has seen so little playing time with the Pistons, many in the NBA are still uncertain whether he can reach the stardom initially projected for him.
The ones who have seen him play the most, the ones who know best what makes the 7-foot, 245-pounder tick, are the Pistons. And almost to a man, All-Stars Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed and Ben Wallace feel all that has held Milicic back has been actual playing time.
"I know Darko pretty well, and he really wants to go out there and prove himself to everybody," Ben Wallace said. "He's ready to show everybody that he can play in this league. And I think he'll do well in Orlando."
The Magic, 19-32 and losers of six straight before the All-Star break, hope by pairing Milicic with blossoming star Dwight Howard they will someday have two of the NBA's most athletic, versatile big players.
Taking the chance of Milicic is a gamble, assistant general manager Otis Smith said, but the Magic deemed it worthy of a chance.
Since being drafted ahead of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony -- who have since achieved greatness -- Milicic has played in just 96 games or the equivalent of one Pistons season. He's scored a mere 152 points in his career, roughly twice as much as Wade had in two games against the Magic earlier this week (74).
In 25 games of mostly mop-up duty this season, he's averaged 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds.
Milicic's situation led some to speculate his confidence was irreversibly shattered. Even his former Pistons teammates and coaches wondered if he had accepted his fate as a lowly reserve.
"I think it was more the frustration building up because he couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel and wondered when he'd ever play," Detroit head coach Flip Saunders said. "When that happens, it becomes difficult to ever get motivated.
"He had to feel like it was Groundhog Day, waking up every day and it was the same. That's why the change will be good for him."
Things were supposed to be different this season under Saunders, the replacement for Larry Brown. Brown despised playing youngsters, especially error-prone ones such as Milicic, who was slow to grasp the defensive rotations.
But after a promising preseason in which Milicic averaged 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks a game, he was sent back to the bench.
"I saw Darko get better and make improvements the last couple of years, but just as he started getting better, he'd get frustrated and become disinterested because the opportunity to play wasn't there," Billups said. "Hopefully, that improvement will show now because you know he's going to play in Orlando."
Added Richard Hamilton: "Some guys learn better by watching and some learn by playing. The guy just needs to get out there and play. Now he doesn't have to worry about waiting and he can show everybody he can play."
Finally fed up, Milicic orchestrated his exit out of Detroit last month when he asked his agent, Marc Cornstein, to get him out of Detroit. Pistons president Joe Dumars, whose mistakes have been few, was willing to admit drafting Milicic was a mistake. But the Pistons didn't have Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess at the time of the 2003 Draft.
Dumars predicted it won't come as surprise to him if Milicic eventually blossoms into the kind of player who makes the Pistons regret trading him.
"Make no mistake, we're going to look up and see some 18-point, 10-rebound, four-block nights from Darko at some point," Dumars told reporters in Detroit.
Saunders was quick to gush about Milicic's soft hands and shooting range, but he will wait to see if the 7-footer can muster the maturity to weather the grind of a NBA season.
"He's got the skills to do it, but a lot of guys have skills in this league. He's got to take those skills now and be consistent," he said. "The biggest thing you wonder is if he's going to be able to compete on a nightly basis. That's something you're only going to know when he gets out there to play."
