<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Reading the tea leaves and the lines between Brian Hill's comments, it looks as if Darko Milicic has supplanted Tony Battie as the starting power forward. Hill said after Milicic's career-high 21-point game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night that Milicic would remain the starter for the Magic's next game even if Battie can come back and play with a splint on his hand. "If he's ready to play in the first game, I think Darko will probably still be our starter alongside of Dwight (Howard) and we'll see what Tony can give us," Hill said. Key phrase: See what Tony can give us. If Battie can play, even with a painful hand, why not start him? It's not like Battie is going to be an offensive focal point anyway. Hill is always cautious and intentionally vague when it comes to lineup changes. He doesn't want to insult his veterans and he'd rather keep other teams guessing. But this is Hill's perfect chance to make a change. Milicic offers more offensive promise than Battie, and while he is not as stout a defender down low, his length gives him an opportunity to block more shots. The prospect of pairing him with Howard is why the Magic made the trade exactly a year ago today anyway. And, don't they need to see how Milicic performs as a starter, considering they have to decide how much he is worth when he hits the free agent market this summer? They'll also get to find out more about Darko in the heat of a playoff run.</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">The One & Only Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Finally, Brian Hill gets a clue. No offense to Battie, but his injury was a blessing.</div> Yep. Darko is finally starting to get his chance and he has produced for the most part in it.
Like I've said, Brian Hill doesn't really have a clue how to coach. He needs to understand when players are doing good, play them.
