As I watch the Pistons play the Celtics in the ECF and see Stuckey playing so well and knowing what Maxiell does for the Pistons, I'm left wondering how in the hell did the genius Joe Dumars convince himself to take Darko. Obviously no one is perfect and every good GM makes a blunder or ten, but in terms of history, this is just a tremendous mistake. I wonder how many times a year Dumars wakes up screaming "NO I DRAFTED DARKO"
I look at that Darko pick as the tail end of just bad scouting of European prospects. NBA teams have really put more of an emphasis on game production since then, and its made a big difference.
Darko was a luxury pick for them....they were already an established championship contender, they had the 2nd overall pick, and Darko looked like a super talent that would take some time to develop, similar to all the Euro stars that end up in the NBA....I think playoff contenders with an established rotation, who end up in the lottery because of a trade, often will talk themselves into taking a gamble on a prospect that isnt ready, but may become better in time.....they figure they are storing him for the future and he doesnt need to play meaningful minutes, because they are set for a few seasons....sometimes you talk yourself out of a better player though as they did, passing on Carmelo, Bosh and Wade....heres the real question, in my opinion, if Dumars could do it over again, which of those 3 would you take?
Funny you made this thread, becouse I was wearing my Darko jersey today. I think being the number 2 pick and having to ride the pine has had a negative affect on him. This isnt the only draft pick Joe "messed up" He also drafted Rodney White, Mateen Cleaves and Carlos Delphino.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Big Frame @ May 22 2008, 11:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Funny you made this thread, becouse I was wearing my Darko jersey today. I think being the number 2 pick and having to ride the pine has had a negative affect on him. This isnt the only draft pick Joe "messed up" He also drafted Rodney White, Mateen Cleaves and Carlos Delphino.</div> Mateen Cleaves wasn't a mistake. The league just wasn't ready for his talent. I agree with TheBeef to an extent though. Had the Grizzlies kept the pick (remember, it was originally theirs but was forfeited to the Pistons through an ancient Otis Thorpe trade that gradually lost its protection), Carmelo Anthony would definitely be playing in Memphis right now. However, the Pistons weren't the only team that had Darko rated so highly. Most of the lottery teams had him near the top of their draft boards, and if the Pistons had passed on him, he would have surely still gone in the #3-5 range. He was a product of the Eurohype at the time. Also, you have to factor in that he did have potential. He just never realized it, much like Kwame Brown. Some unproven players pan out, and some fizzle. Their success depends on their mentality and their enviroment. With a prospect that you draft based on their raw abilities, you have to factor in their growth potential, and Darko never had the right mentality nor was he nurtured properly in Detroit's Larry Brown era. Either way, there's no denying the raw potential was there though.
I'm well aware other teams had him at the top of their draft boards. Kiki was hoping that Darko was going to fall to the Nuggets at 3 as he had him rated above Melo too. However, there is a world of difference between Kiki and Dumars.
Dumars didn't want Darko, but he trusted his top European scout, Ronzone's argument for drafting Darko. They were comparing him as the left-handed version of KG at the time. Dumars actually wanted Bosh and Larry Brown whined for them to draft Carmelo Anthony.
I think Darko can still be like Joe Smith - an overall #1 who didn't pan out but still isn't the butt of any jokes.
