Darko headed to the Magic?

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  • HMcCoy
    All Star
    • Jan 2003
    • 8212

    #31
    Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

    Originally posted by OneBadMutha

    - People were still debating who would go #1 between Darko and Lebron even 6 months prior to the draft.
    There wasn't a team in the league that would have even remotely entertained the thought of Darko over Bron. Even if the concensus was that Darko had bigger upside, which it wasn't, no GM would pass on the opportunity to cash in on LeBron's hype for a Euro kid no one had had ever heard of, IMO. People may have debated who would go 2nd, Darko or Melo, but the #1 pick was a lock.

    Bottom line with Darko is that if you are mentally tough, you make the best of your circumstances. He is not behaved as someone who is mentally tough. Joe D wasted a pick, just like Washington blew a pick on Kwame, another mental softie. Yeah, Detroit didn't need him to remain a top team, a tribute to Joe's ability, but as its been said, he missed a great opportunity to secure a great player...even if that player came off the bench for a couple years. In the end, he came away from the strongest draft in a decade with cap room.
    Last edited by HMcCoy; 02-16-2006, 04:38 AM.
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    • OneBadMutha
      Pro
      • Sep 2003
      • 632

      #32
      Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

      Originally posted by HMcCoy
      There wasn't a team in the league that would have even remotely entertained the thought of Darko over Bron. Even if the concensus was that Darko had bigger upside, which it wasn't, no GM would pass on the opportunity to cash in on LeBron's hype for a Euro kid no one had had ever heard of, IMO. People may have debated who would go 2nd, Darko or Melo, but the #1 pick was a lock.

      Bottom line with Darko is that if you are mentally tough, you make the best of your circumstances. He is not behaved as someone who is mentally tough. Joe D wasted a pick, just like Washington blew a pick on Kwame, another mental softie. Yeah, Detroit didn't need him to remain a top team, a tribute to Joe's ability, but as its been said, he missed a great opportunity to secure a great player...even if that player came off the bench for a couple years. In the end, he came away from the strongest draft in a decade with cap room.
      Then let me rephrase that. People were still debating who had the better upside that final year leading up to the draft. Darko was supposed to be the surest thing to ever come out of Europe. He was supposed to be the best European ever drafted. It didn't happen but I still believe a lot had to do with circumstance. He didn't expect his situation and didn't know how to handle it when it happened. If the kid went to another team that allowed him to play facing the basket, we'd likely have a different view of Darko. He was ahead of players like Gasol and Nowitski at the same ages but actually regressed instead of improved.

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      • Shaver
        Legend
        • Jul 2002
        • 10148

        #33
        Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

        Originally posted by Admiral50
        Well hopefully they take another below average player because they wouldn't want a good player to change the dynamic of the team now would they?
        Right... because Detroit took Darko because they thought he was a bad player.

        Was it sarcasm, humor or ignorance... I couldn't tell????
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        • Shaver
          Legend
          • Jul 2002
          • 10148

          #34
          Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

          The bottomline is... the NBA is no longer built on the draft like it was 15 years ago. A good GM find veteran talent and negotiates good contracts. The NBA is a WIN NOW league. Building for the future really doesn't happen anymore because you can't groom a young player long enough before their first contract expires and they're on the first thing smokin'. The NBA, like most pro sports, is about the money. That's why good players will go to bad teams for a MAX deal versus a great team for less money (the exception being people in their late career).

          Darko was not resigning in Detroit after his option year.

          And, on a basketball note, he made a few huge mistakes...
          - He negated the "Larry Brown doesn't play young players and Euros" excuse when he couldn't get time on Flip's team
          - He got outplayed consistently by Elden Campbell and Dale Davis
          - He showed no hussle or heart especially compared to other youngsters trying to play for the 'Stones (e.g. Jason Maxiel).

          I still think Darko has the tools and raw talent to be a 18 & 9 type of player and a great shotblocker. But, you can't teach heart. And he's had 2 of the best teachers in the NBA the last 2.5 years. LB tough love didn't work. Flip's player's coach/mentor style didn't work. Maybe the kid just wants free reign and the ball.

          Time will tell.

          But PLEASE.... don't lower the IQ of the board by trying to predict the future or by making arguments in hindsight.
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          • catcatch22
            Or should I
            • Sep 2003
            • 3378

            #35
            Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

            People brung this up before about darko and I can't help but see a striking resemblance to Jermaine O'neal when he was drafted out of high school by Portland. With Rasheed Wallace, Sabonis and Brian Grant all on the team and portland being championship contenders and playoff stalworths, O'neal in 3 years got no playing time. For some reason Pacer management trades for him and he ended up getting his playing time and bloomed pretty quickly. You could tell that really burned the Blazers for making such a mistake that they seemingly forced Randolph into the lineup and gave him more time as to not make the same mistake twice and give up on a young talent too soon.

            I'm not saying Darko is J O'neal but the similarities of their situations is there.

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            • Brankles
              Banned
              • May 2003
              • 5113

              #36
              Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

              Originally posted by OneBadMutha
              Then let me rephrase that. People were still debating who had the better upside that final year leading up to the draft. Darko was supposed to be the surest thing to ever come out of Europe. He was supposed to be the best European ever drafted. It didn't happen but I still believe a lot had to do with circumstance. He didn't expect his situation and didn't know how to handle it when it happened. If the kid went to another team that allowed him to play facing the basket, we'd likely have a different view of Darko. He was ahead of players like Gasol and Nowitski at the same ages but actually regressed instead of improved.
              I remember that, too.

              "Darko or Lebron" was a big dilemma between a few teams with that high lottery pick. Imagine Lebron on the Pistons today, instead of Darko... LMAO.



              I'm glad the Magic got Darko. I'm glad we took a risk on a guy like that, and I hope we'll be able to re-sign him in the offseason. I'm also glad we got Carlos Arroyo... he'll be 10 times better then Keyon Dooling, Travis Diener or Deshawn Stevenson running the point off the bench.


              Now... can we please trade Steve Francis?

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              • keRplunK
                MVP
                • Jul 2002
                • 4080

                #37
                Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                I'm just happy everyone might finally see the reason why he was drafted in the first place.

                I still remember reading those Chad Ford workout reports.

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                • 23
                  yellow
                  • Sep 2002
                  • 66469

                  #38
                  Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                  I mean great, now we get to see if Steve turn O ver will pass him the ball.

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                  • videobastard
                    MVP
                    • Aug 2004
                    • 3388

                    #39
                    Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                    Cato wasnt playing for the magic anyway. It was a good trade for the magic. They can develop darko alongside howard and a have a decent PG in Arroyo.

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                    • poster
                      All Star
                      • Nov 2003
                      • 7506

                      #40
                      Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                      I wonder if Joe D will make a move to pick up a point or will we see Alex Acker get some time in certain situations?

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                      • Slymm
                        Th* m*n...
                        • Nov 2002
                        • 3406

                        #41
                        Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                        I was listening to WDFN(?) from Toledo to East Lansing and Joe D was on. He said that this was part 1 of two deals. But if they can't get a backup pg he is happy with what they have right now .
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                        • koolman899
                          Rookie
                          • Dec 2005
                          • 63

                          #42
                          Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                          And yet the best thing in this trade is detroit gettin the first round pick...the magic are terrible and wont get any better this year so maybe detroit could get a good pick(hopefully not another Darko)

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                          • OneBadMutha
                            Pro
                            • Sep 2003
                            • 632

                            #43
                            Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                            Originally posted by koolman899
                            And yet the best thing in this trade is detroit gettin the first round pick...the magic are terrible and wont get any better this year so maybe detroit could get a good pick(hopefully not another Darko)
                            Maybe I'm in the minority but I just don't see the Magic being terrible that much longer. If Darko can be just serviceable next year, they could be what Chicago and Washington were last year. Howard looks like he's about to turn into a Superstar. Nelson is a solid point guard. It still remains to be seen what the Magic get for Francis, if their 2005 draft pick plays next year, who their 2006 draft pick will be, if Hill can ever give them anything again, and who they aquire in the off-season.

                            IMO, they will be an attractive destination for free agents because they got a big man who'll command double teams in the middle and who does all the dirtry work, a solid point guard, and another big man who likes to pass and space the floor. I'd be surprised if they didn't get at least one decent swing man with their MLE this off-season.

                            It wouldn't shock me if their 2007 draft pick was around 20.

                            The reason I hate this trade with the Magic is because they are on the rise and Detroit may have helped them get better even sooner. I would've been much more comfortable seeing Darko going somewhere like Toronto who should be hopeless until the end of time.

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                            • Pointguard
                              MVP
                              • Jun 2005
                              • 2977

                              #44
                              Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                              ^I agree.

                              If they trade Francis, they'll still need some help at SG and some big men off the bench next season, assuming Darko is ready to start, but they have talent on that team. A solid draft and a good MLE signing and they can easily have a playoff team.


                              Originally posted by poster
                              I wonder if Joe D will make a move to pick up a point or will we see Alex Acker get some time in certain situations?
                              I dont know why they'd do that. I saw Acker a few times in pre-season and he looked lost and nothing special right now. Detorit it trying to win a 'ship and seeing if he's ready is not the right move.

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                              • poster
                                All Star
                                • Nov 2003
                                • 7506

                                #45
                                Re: Darko headed to the Magic?

                                Originally posted by Pointguard
                                ^I agree.

                                If they trade Francis, they'll still need some help at SG and some big men off the bench next season, assuming Darko is ready to start, but they have talent on that team. A solid draft and a good MLE signing and they can easily have a playoff team.




                                I dont know why they'd do that. I saw Acker a few times in pre-season and he looked lost and nothing special right now. Detorit it trying to win a 'ship and seeing if he's ready is not the right move.
                                I guess they might be trying to get Brevin Knight or Speedy Claxton according to the Detroit News. Knight has a year left on his deal and Claxton does not. They like Acker, but I agree that for now they need another guard so that they dont have to rely on the rook.

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