Milicic Craves Opportunity

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic quickly reversed the ball from one side of the court to the other, catching the Houston defense out of position and setting up Darko Milicic for an open 15-foot jump shot.

But just as the ball hit Milicic's hands, it suddenly headed in another direction. Without him even looking, Milicic's touch pass ended up in the hands of Magic center Dwight Howard, who finished with a dunk.

It was just one moment in the Magic's frantic fourth-quarter rally Sunday, but it lent some insight into the enormous promise Orlando sees in the 7-foot Milicic.

Despite not playing much the past two-plus seasons while buried on Detroit's bench, Milicic already has shown the kind of instincts and heady play that have the Magic believing he can be the perfect complement to the bruising Howard.

More encouraging is the fact that he was willing to pass up a shot so that Howard could have an even better one from point-blank range.

"Even after the first practice with us, you could tell that he just has such a great feel for the game," Magic coach Brian Hill gushed. "It's those types of plays where he sees how the defense is reacting and he's thinking one play ahead. He knows what the play is going to be, even before the ball gets to him.

"That's priceless. Some guys you can explain it and show them on tape all year long and they never get it. Others just see it and react instinctively."

One of the Magic's missions on the upcoming five-game, eight-day road trip that starts tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers is to ensure that Milicic's minutes continue to climb. Hill hopes to develop the Serbian power forward to the point where he's using the instincts that the Magic are salivating over, rather than having to think his way around the court.

Playing the first meaningful minutes of his NBA career, Milicic has been impressive in his three games since coming to Orlando in the Feb. 15 trade for Kelvin Cato. In 45 minutes of playing time, he has swatted six shots, grabbed eight rebounds and scored 14 points. He has been credited with only two assists, but many of his passes have set up Howard to get to the free-throw line.

Milicic says what he's accomplished so far is just a sliver of what's possible, once he grows more comfortable with his new teammates and surroundings.

"It's going to take some time. I can't just come in and be like Michael Jordan after three years of not playing," Milicic said. "It's still going to take time to get the feeling back, get my conditioning back, get everything back."

The Magic (20-35) are just 1-3 since acquiring Milicic and point guard Carlos Arroyo from Detroit, but that record belies how well the two have played. Arroyo, already a fan favorite because of his Puerto Rican heritage, has averaged 12 points and 3.3 assists.</div>

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