CLEVELAND -- Darko Milicic might have felt out of place in his first practice with the Orlando Magic on Monday. He certainly looked the part. He resembled a tourist who had returned from a weekend in Miami, sporting a nasty sunburn and peeling face. "I fell asleep on the beach," he said, sheepishly. It's just one of the many adjustments Milicic will have to make now that he's playing with a Florida-based team. Milicic couldn't help but smile. He had left the cold -- and perhaps the cold shoulders -- behind in Detroit. He knew it was time to find a new team, a new city and a new chance to prove himself. And if he can burn the legions of skeptics along the way, all the better. "This is the chance," Milicic said after practice at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Magic face the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. "I feel good about it. Good guys, good players, good city. I want to show Coach how hard I want to play." Last week the Magic acquired the 7-foot Milicic and point guard Carlos Arroyo from the Pistons for center Kelvin Cato and a first-round pick. Magic Coach Brian Hill said Milicic and Arroyo both could play tonight. "I'd like to get them out there," Hill said. That's fine with them. Playing time -- or rather the lack of it -- was the issue with Milicic and Arroyo in Detroit. Milicic, 20, took more heat because the Pistons invested a No. 2 draft pick in him in 2003, passing up the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. Milicic was sentenced to the bench by then-coach Larry Brown, seeing only mop-up minutes for 2 1/2 seasons. He was lampooned as a bust. In fairness, he was playing behind Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and, later, Antonio McDyess. The Pistons assembled a championship team and won the title in the 2003-04 season, leaving Milicic with little opportunity. The Serbia native has played in only 96 games in his career, averaging a microscopic 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds. His spirits crushed, his attitude soured. Milicic and the Pistons knew it was time to part. "At the end, he was frustrated," said Marc Cornstein, Milicic's agent, on Monday. "Anyone in life would be. I think that happened with Darko.
for playing more mins last night then any 5 games put together for the pistons he should he can play. Now he needs some conditioning and just a lil bit of confidence. Arroyo came in at the end at was dishing the ball nicely. Just cuz of that im gonna go to the seattle game on friday. Also get to see what new players we have. im pissed I just bought a new francis jersey and have another just sittin there. I hate the magic, for trading away players. We never get better with trades, its like we are forced to make it.
I know Darko has only played a whooping 3 minutes. Brian Hill is still trying to get this team into the playoffs, but don't be surprised he gets the message from up above to give Darko a lot more playing time. The GM needs to assure Brian Hill his job is secure, so Hill can start developing his two young big men and not worry about getting fired for a losing season.
Darko will get more mins soon that is almost a given, how well he does that is just up to him, it should be interesting either way
