Darko & Arroyo: Should we have made a play? Detroit only wanted expiring deals so we could have given them Lo Wright who earns a similar amount to the player they got, Cato. I'm not a huge fan of Darko, don't think he'll be as good as projected, but he's a big body which is what we need. Carlos Arroyo would also have been rather handy, certainly a step up from Chucky Atkins. Anyway, just throwing it out there.
I have a feeling there will be a lot of teams kicking themselves at how easily Detroit did give up Darko. Didn't Orlando give up a first rounder too though? That certainly makes them more attractive than Memphis as a trade partner in this one.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sir Desmond:</div><div class="quote_post"> Didn't Orlando give up a first rounder too though? That certainly makes them more attractive than Memphis as a trade partner in this one.</div> Ah, did not know that. I'm not so much kicking myself, moreso just wondering. I've long been a critic of Darko but when i saw the deal it got me thinking about how we could have probably gotten it done as well.
Orlando gave up Cato (Expiring 8.7 million) and a top 5 protected pick in 07 or unprotected in 08 (if they are top 5 in 07)
I would have loved to take a risk on Darko Milicic, even if it meant giving up a first round draft pick. Two or three years down the road, I still believe he's going to be a stud. What you have to realize is that he's just twenty years old right now. He's younger than Adam Morrison, J.J. Redick, Chris Paul, and Andrew Bogut. So take that into consideration, and then consider the fact that he's playing on the best team in the NBA, which has a frontline of All-Stars with Antonio McDyess, a former All-Star, coming in off the bench. None of us know anything about his actual talent. We're just going on hype. However, the scouts do know. They've seen him play in Europe, and they saw something in him that led the Pistons to draft him over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. So I wouldn't be scared at all by his lack of playing time. In my mind, he's a very valuable commodity.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Voodoo Child:</div><div class="quote_post">they saw something in him that led the Pistons to draft him over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.</div> I don't buy that. Joe Dumars simply drafted Darko knowing that Larry Brown would likely not play a rookie. If they had drafted Wade or Carmelo (both coming off Final 4 appearances) and then not played them, the media would have had a field day with it. Instead they drafted Darko, who nobody had seen play. If the Pistons sucked people couldn't really blame it on Darko's lack of minutes because nobody knew what he could or could do. In retrospect drafting Wade would have been a brilliant move on Dumars' part. Lindsey Hunter is a solid backup pg but only because he plays good defense. A combo guard like Wade would have made the Pistons that much more deadly.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't buy that. Joe Dumars simply drafted Darko knowing that Larry Brown would likely not play a rookie. If they had drafted Wade or Carmelo (both coming off Final 4 appearances) and then not played them, the media would have had a field day with it. </div> I don't mean any offense, but that may be the most illogical and naive statement I have ever heard.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Chuck:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't mean any offense, but that may be the most illogical and naive statement I have ever heard.</div> I must agree. Detroit obviously saw something in him and if you look at pre-draft comments the vast majority were tipping him to be a superstar. He's shown me that he's out of his depth, fumbling when he gets the ball, not running plays correctly etc., but there is obvious talent there, especially on the defensive end. Perhaps the confidence of some extended playing time (assuming Orlando try him) will let him become the player many expected. Either way we'll soon know if he's a huge bust or legit.
You guys can feel free to disagree, but then explain to me why the Pistons chose to pick up Sheed? Before Detroit Sheed was always known as a great player who was underacheiving and detrimental. Picking him up moved Darko farther down on the depth chart (even though they "saw something in him"). Sure Sheed was established, but if they really had as much faith in Darko as you seem to believe, why not give him minutes? Don't give me the age excuse. If that was an issue then they shouldn't have drafted him. The Pistons quickly became a contender, they were not in the process of rebuilding, so why pick up a guy who is nothing but a project and gets in during garbage time? Because of Larry Brown. The Olympics prove my point as well, we all saw how childish Carmelo can act when he doesn't get time. All the evidence supports my theory, none of you have said anything logical to refute it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">You guys can feel free to disagree, but then explain to me why the Pistons chose to pick up Sheed?</div> Because it was obvious Darko wasn't ready to be a starter at NBA level? Because they wanted to win a title and knew they couldn't do it was a big, raw rookie having to play 40 minutes a night? <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post"> Don't give me the age excuse. If that was an issue then they shouldn't have drafted him. </div> Excuse? Utter bollocks. Plenty of players get drafted for the future, plenty get drafted too early and plenty aren't prepared for the NBA. Marvin Williams isn't ready, is too young and isn't fully prepared for the NBA. Should he not have gone early simply because of that fact? <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post"> All the evidence supports my theory, none of you have said anything logical to refute it.</div> You intimated that Larry Brown wouldn't have played Carmelo and also said their decision on drafting a player at pick 2 was based purely on potential public reaction and then have the gall to talk about logic? Dear me.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">Because it was obvious Darko wasn't ready to be a starter at NBA level? Because they wanted to win a title and knew they couldn't do it was a big, raw rookie having to play 40 minutes a night? Excuse? Utter bollocks. Plenty of players get drafted for the future, plenty get drafted too early and plenty aren't prepared for the NBA. Marvin Williams isn't ready, is too young and isn't fully prepared for the NBA. Should he not have gone early simply because of that fact? You intimated that Larry Brown wouldn't have played Carmelo and also said their decision on drafting a player at pick 2 was based purely on potential public reaction and then have the gall to talk about logic? Dear me.</div> True that. They drafted him because they wanted him. It was a huge decision at the time that Joe D. had to make. They didn't draft Carmelo because Tayshaun was breaking out. Wade wasn't expected to be as good as he was: he's arguably as good as LeBron. Bosh was not regarded as versatile as Darko was. They picked him up because they were building for the future. . . Nobody before that Season would have told you that they Detroit was going to win a title, but Joe D. saw it near the trade deadline, and made a deal for Rasheed where the Pistons lost no one. Nobody would pass up such an opportunity. Now I do mean a bit of offense, your statement is retarded: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't buy that. Joe Dumars simply drafted Darko knowing that Larry Brown would likely not play a rookie. If they had drafted Wade or Carmelo (both coming off Final 4 appearances) and then not played them, the media would have had a field day with it. </div> The Pistons caught a lot of Heat for drafting Darko, plenty of esteemed analysts saw it as the wrong move, but Joe D what he thought was right for the model of the team he was building. I don't think we should be second-guessing him.
At the end of the day, you don't want to be the team that passes on the next Jermaine O'Neal. Detroit didn't need immediate help, they lucked out getting the second pick with the Otis Thorpe deal, and at the end of this season, they'll likely have two championships and a third game seven finals loss since picking Darko.
I recall the reports on Darko pre-draft and in the days after: The physical size and athleticism and length, a taller more athletic Nowitzki. The problem with drafting such an unproven player is: if he's really good, you play him (e.g. Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett); if he's not as good as advertised, but one day could play in the NBA, say in 2 years: you haven't played him much, so you make up reasons like he's had to adjust to the language and the different style of play, but he won't bring much in a trade (e.g. Darko), or he could just have been a great salesman and stick you, maybe a Kwame or a Kandi? I probably would be the worst GM in history, but I'll take the first team All-American or the Conference player of the year if the kid has a heart, hates to lose and can finish. I think Memphis will bring in some guys who can really fill it up over the next two years so they can compete with Houston & T-Mac, the Spurs & Ginobli, the Mavs & Howard, the Suns & (man are they going to be good) and yes, even the Hornets & CP3.
Maybe if I start spelling out every word of every post people will understand what I am saying. Am I second-guessing Dumars? Of course not, especially not after Detroit's success. How can you say that they drafted Darko based on potential, and then in the same sentence say that he wasn't NBA ready? Doesn't make much sense in a draft where they could have had Bosh at the same position. If Darko is better than Bosh within the next five years, come back to this thread and say I told you so. Until then you can't really argue this point. Of course analysts saw it as the wrong move, that's my point. At the same time those analysts hadn't seen him play. They expected the NCAA champ to be a higher pick. All I'm trying to do is explain why Carmelo and Wade, even Bosh are not in a Pistons uniform right now. It's not about hating on Darko. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sir Desmond:</div><div class="quote_post">At the end of the day, you don't want to be the team that passes on the next Jermaine O'Neal.</div> Are you kidding me? This has got to be the worst comment in this thread so far. If they thought that he was the next Jermaine O'neal why would they intentionally make the same mistake that the Blazers did with JO? Draft him, sit him on the bench, and then lose him a couple years later? That's exactly what happened, so I don't get where you're coming from with that statement.
First off Joe Dumars did not draft Darko Milic. The decision was made by the top international scout in the league, Tony Ronzone. He's the scout who, discovered Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas and Mehmet Okur. He still believes in Darko having a star career in the NBA, but Detroit was not going to be the place for him to develop correctly. He also said the situation would have been the same if the Pistons had drafted Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh. The only player who, would have received any playing time with the Pistons was LeBron James. The Pistons have a unique situation, Darko is playing behind 3 All Star forwards, Big Ben, Sheed, and McDyess. Basically there was no room for error with Darko in Detroit because the Pistons are a title contender.
