[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

 

Myth: Detroit Pistons picking Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft was an avoidable blunder

By Dan Feldman • 3:31 pm • September 13, 2010

 

Welcome to Myth Week at PistonPowered. This is the first in a five-part series of posts addressing what we see as myths involving the Detroit Pistons.

I firmly believe most teams in the NBA would have drafted Darko Milicic with the second pick in the 2003 NBA draft. In fact, although I’m less sure of this, I believe every team would have taken Darko second.

Of course, Darko was a tremendous bust. The three players taken after him – Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade – are stars. Those are facts I won’t dispute.

But it’s not fair to blame the Pistons for picking Darko. They were just the team unfortunate enough to land the No. 2 pick.

Not an unknown

Too many people think Darko was a late riser, who overtook Melo with a couple dazzling workouts. That wasn’t the case.

Yes, Darko wowed in his individual workouts, but that only confirmed what everyone already (thought they) knew. Darko was the second best player in the draft behind LeBron James.

Sports Illustrated first mentioned Darko on Dec. 23, 2002. The magazine wrote:

One scout counted at least 10 times that James failed to get back on defense. Added one G.M., "You have to worry that his sense of entitlement is so great after being spoiled by the AAU system, the agents and all the publicity."

There are no such worries about the potential No. 2 pick, Darko Milicic of Yugoslavia, who sleeps on a pullout bed, is warmed by a space heater and earns approximately $20,000 for the small club Hemofarm. A 7-foot lefthander with size-18 feet, Milicic can do it all—score inside and outside, run the floor, pass and block shots.

Tim Leyden wrote an article on Melo in the same issue, but it made no mention of the Syracuse forward’s draft position. Rather, the story hit on the uncertainty of the freshman’s place in basketball.

It wasn’t until March 31, 2003 that a scout declared Melo’s draft position had solidified:

He’s going to be the Number 3 pick in the draft [after LeBron James and Darko Milicic] because he’s a throwback guy with the skills to play multiple positions.

LeBron was the consensus No. 1 pick since his junior year of high school. Darko became the consensus No. 2 the winter before the draft (and important to note in this timeline, before Detroit “won” the second pick in the lottery). Carmelo solidified his No. 3 spot in the spring, on the way to leading Syracuse to a national title. During the pre-draft process, Chris Bosh set himself apart as the fourth-best player in the draft. The real mystery began with the Heat’s fifth pick.

And I don’t think any of that would have changed – no matter which teams had the first four picks.

Safe pick

Obviously, no player is a sure thing. But calling Darko the high-risk, high-reward pick and Melo the safe pick can only be done with the befit of hindsight – or a lack of understanding of the draft at the time.

Let’s start with the latter.

When the Pistons landed the No. 2 pick in the lottery, many fans assumed they would take Anthony, the player who had just spent a season dominating the college game. But those fans thought that way because they had never heard of Darko.

Darko wasn’t playing on national television. He wasn’t carrying a well-known Syracuse team to six wins in March. He wasn’t written about in newspapers across the U.S.

So, most of those fans who wanted Melo at the time felt that way because they didn’t know Darko. Melo was a safe pick because they knew him. Darko was risky because they didn’t.

But NBA teams knew Darko, which leads us to the problem with using hindsight.

At the time, Europe was seen as the place to find polished players. Pau Gasol, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had recently entered the NBA ready to compete after earning their stripes playing against older competition abroad. The 2003 draft probably ended that line of thinking, and the notion had begun to unravel beforehand – but not completely. Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated:

But several years of fishing by the NBA has depleted the talent pool. Other than 7-foot Darko Milicic, an 18-year-old from Serbia-Montenegro who will probably be one of the top three picks, there is no player overseas perceived as a safe choice.

Thomsen wasn’t the only one smitten with Darko’s apparent ability to make an immediate impact.ESPN’s Chad Ford:

Darko is really one of a kind. He runs the floor, handles the ball, shoots the NBA 3 and plays with his back to the basket, so you can slot him in at the 3, 4 or 5 positions. OK, a few other guys can do that too; what sets Darko apart is his toughness in the post. You have to love a guy who has the footwork to spin by an opponent but still prefers to lower a shoulder and bang. Fact is, Milicic plays in attack-mode at both ends of the floor. The more you push, the more he pushes back. While he won’t be asked to carry the Pistons, he’s capable of doing this earlier than you think.

Ford also wrote an entire article full of Will Robinson praises for Darko. Among them:

"He’s going to own the game. Own the game," Robinsons exclaims. "We’re going to have to build a new arena. The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman."

…

"I’ve seen a lot of kids come through here in my day," Robinson says. "And none of them have ever played like that. That kid’s going to be a star. He’s a 7-footer that plays like a point guard. That kid’s something special."

…

Yes it is. Like just about anything else Robinson says, it’s awfully hard to argue with 92 years of experience.

In a league that can be swayed by the whims of trends and fleeting success stories, it’s nice to have an anchor that keeps the ship from straying too far beyond shore.

Will Robinson is sold on Darko Milicic. The question, for the unbelievers still out there, is why aren’t you?

Like I stated above, I think the first for picks would have been LeBron-Darko-Melo-Bosh no matter which teams had them. But that doesn’t mean everything was certain at the time – and I don’t mean just according to the uneducated “The Pistons have to take Melo because I’ve heard of him, and not this Dorko guy” fans.

Thomsen found a scout to say this:

"He has the makings of the most dominant center in Europe since Arvydas Sabonis," says an NBA scout who isn’t sure that James should be picked ahead of Milicic.

And as much as I’ve been pumping up Darko, it’s not like Melo was perfect. ESPN’s Jay Bilas found a couple faults:

“does not blow by people off the dribble and is suspect defensively.”

In fact, the Nuggets actually toyed with the idea of taking Pavel Podkolzine, according to both ESPN’s Andy Katz and Chad Ford. Ford:

After Pavel Podkolzine’s unbelievable workout in Chicago, a few were quietly whispering that Nuggets’ GM Kiki Vandeweghe might grab the 7-foot-4 Siberian.

If Anthony were such a sure thing, that never would have happened. Clearly, the Nuggets had some pause for the same reasons the Pistons knew they didn’t want Melo over Darko.

The Tayshaun Prince factor – or lack there of

I don’t believe the Pistons having Tayshaun Prince had anything to do with their decision to pass on Anthony.

As I’ve detailed above, I think the reason was solely based on Darko being seen as the best player available.

But the Pistons have never seemed bothered by letting their rookies sit on the bench, anyway. Larry Brown was coaching them at this point, after all.

If Dumars thought Melo was better than Darko but not as good as Prince, the Pistons would have drafted Melo and played him behind Prince.

In fact, they did something similar with Darko. The Pistons signed Elden Campbell that summer, and he started. Mehmet Okur was the backup, and Darko was out of the rotation.

The Pistons also traded for Rasheed Wallace that season, but you could argue they only did that after they knew what they had in Darko.

Either way, the Pistons didn’t shy away from Darko because they already had a crowded frontcourt. So, I doubt they would have passed on Anthony only because they believe they were set at small forward.

What went wrong

Darko was a colossal bust. I’m not sure whether the pre-draft reports of his humble attitude and mean streak were exaggerated or he lost his edge in America, but he never showed those traits in Detroit.

The big question I have whenever a draft picks fails is whether it could have been avoided. In this case, I think the answer is a resounding no. Although the Pistons could have picked Melo, Wade or Bosh, that would have gone against the very strong conventional wisdom of the time.

Blame chance for the Pistons getting stuck with the No. 2 pick in a 1-3-4-5 draft. But don’t use hindsight to blame them for picking Darko.

 

http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/09/myth-detroit-pistons-picking-darko-milicic-over-carmelo-anthony-with-the-no-2-pick-in-the-2003-nba-draft-was-an-avoidable-blunder/

Thought that it was an interesting article about what was actually happening at the time. Don’t believe it? Here is one I found and vividly remember reading before the 2003 draft (I had gotten some code to Insider, it was back when you could put a University and the team name to get on it). The scout Chad Ford talks about, Will Robinson was a Detroit Pistons legend. He was the scout who noticed Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman, and gave his absolute endorsement on Darko. Granted, he was 92 at the time, but he was not alone in his opinions on Darko, who was 17, over 7 feet, had nearly the same vertical as Carmelo Anthony and supposedly, a major competitive edge and mean streak. 

 

Darko receives ringing endorsement

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By By Chad Ford
NBA Insider

Editor’s Note: NBA Insider Chad Ford is in Detroit this week chronicling the process of pre-draft visits as several prospects work out for the Pistons.

DETROIT — Meet Will Robinson.

Robinson is the assistant to the president of basketball operations for the Pistons. He is the NBA’s oldest scout, at the ripe age of 92. He has been inducted into 24 Halls of Fame. He has coached the likes of Doug Collins and Spencer Haywood. He was the first African-American head coach in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.

And if you listen to him, he invented such things as the full-court press and the fast break.

It’s tough to find anyone who’s been around long enough to dispute that.

You’ve heard of six degrees of separation? Robinson plays about three. Rumor here in Detroit has it that he cut the hole in James Naismith’s peach basket.

He comes to work every day, watches game film and never misses a workout. Robinson has sat through the Pistons’ draft workouts for the past 28 years, witnessing the auditions of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman and Grant Hill.

Dumars, now the Pistons president, smiles when he sees Robinson walk onto the court Wednesday in preparation for Darko Milicic’s individual workout. Call him a comfort blanket.

"Let me tell you something about Will Robinson," Dumars says. "He’s seen it all. You can’t fool Will Robinson. Nothing gets by him."

Robinson’s a little early today for a reason. He’s a late-comer on the international bandwagon. He has listened to the talk radio hosts and local writers imploring the Pistons to take Carmelo Anthony over Milicic with the No. 2 pick in next month’s draft. Like the rest of them, he has yet to see the young Yugoslavian in person.

"In the past, when we brought in the guys from overseas, Will would sit there, shake his head and say ‘Send him back … he needs to spend more time in the oven,’ " Dumars says with a laugh.

 

APDarko Milicic has impressed the Detroit Pistons both on and off the basketball court.

Robinson takes his seat courtside, crosses his legs and stares Darko down as he begins warming up. For the next 45 minutes, his eyes never leave the 7-footer.

 

From agility exercises (Darko ranks in the top 15 percent) to tests that gauge lateral quickness (Darko ranks in the top 2 percent), vertical jump (a little above average) and upper and lower body strength (OK on the first, above average on the second), Robinson is watching Milicic’s every movement.

It isn’t until Milicic picks up a basketball and starts effortlessly draining NBA-range 3-pointers (remember, his coach in Yugoslavia wouldn’t let him take European 3s, let alone from the NBA distance) that Robinson begins speaking up. He doesn’t stop talking until well after the workout.

"We hit the jackpot," Robinson says with a smile. "Jackpot!"

Milicic moves into the post and begins hitting jump hooks, first with his left hand. Then with his right. Robinson can’t tell whether Milicic is left- or right-handed. That’s a good thing.

"How’d that boy learn to shoot with both hands?" he asks.

 

	“	He’s going to own the game. Own the game. We’re going to have to build a new arena. The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman. ”
		— Will Robinson, on Darko Milicic

Interesting story. Milicic was born left-handed, but his parents and teachers encouraged him to do everything with his right hand. He shoots 3s with his left, signs autographs with his right and handles the ball equally with both.

 

"That’s just unfair. Very few players can do that."

At one point, a clearly exhausted Milicic bends over and, for a moment, looks like he can’t go on. He sips a glass of water, slaps his hands together and gets back on the court.

"Did you see the way he just gutted that out?" Robinson says. "That’s the type of kid you want to coach. If I was coaching him, we’d go to the moon."

Soon Darko is running the floor, handling the ball on the break and finishing with thundering dunks.

"He’s going to own the game. Own the game," Robinsons exclaims. "We’re going to have to build a new arena. The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman."

Another big dunk, and Robinson gets up from his chair and begins walking toward Dumars.

"I’ve seen all I need," he says.

"Take him," he screams at Dumars.

The Pistons aren’t through with Milicic yet. After lunch with Dumars and Co., Milicic is back at the workout facility receiving his homework assignments from strength and training coach Arnie Kander.

Kander isn’t taking the usual approach to tall, skinny Europeans. Over the few hours since Darko’s audition, Kander has been devising a workout plan for the kid that will get him up to speed for minicamp.

Milicic and his agent, Semi Pajovic, have asked for the help. Until now, Milicic has been living on a steady diet of 200 push-ups and 300 sit-ups per day.

Kander’s plan calls for no weight lifting, fewer push-ups and zero protein supplements. Kander is blown away by what he calls "Darko’s tremendous gift of speed."

"He’s got a naturally strong body," Kander says. "I don’t want him to bulk up. If he does that, he’ll lose that quickness he’s been blessed with. I just want him to get a little stronger, work on his base and improve his flexibility. I love his body for a 17-year-old. I just want to let it grow."

Kander prescribes a number of exercises meant to give Milicic upper body strength, better balance and more explosiveness in his jumping ability.

 

	“	That kid’s going to be a star. He’s a 7-footer that plays like a point guard. That kid’s something special. ”
		— Will Robinson

 

He also gives him a tip or two about rebounding by pulling a page out of Ben Wallace‘s book. The key to Wallace’s rebounding prowess, according to Kander, is the way he always keeps his arms bent. It allows him to free himself from defenders and get to the ball quicker. Kander shows Milicic exercises that will get him in the right position to rebound. Nothing like learning from the best.

"He has all of the physical tools to exceed," says Kander, who has been testing draft prospects for the Pistons the last 10 years. "My job is to teach him how to use them."

Kander lectures Milicic on everything from posture to shooting form to push-up positions. Darko eats it up. He had nothing even remotely close to this in Yugoslavia. Kander promises that if Milicic faithfully follows the regime four times a week, he’ll be in NBA shape by the start of summer league.

After the workout, Milicic measures out bigger than expected: 7-foot-1, 253 pounds.

Robinson has found religion.

"I’ve seen a lot of kids come through here in my day," Robinson says. "And none of them have ever played like that. That kid’s going to be a star. He’s a 7-footer that plays like a point guard. That kid’s something special."

From the looks on the faces of the rest of the Piston brass and assistant coaches, they’re on the same page.

"Welcome to the Pistons, young fella," Robinson tells Darko after the workout. "Ain’t youth a wonderful thing?"

Yes it is. Like just about anything else Robinson says, it’s awfully hard to argue with 92 years of experience.

In a league that can be swayed by the whims of trends and fleeting success stories, it’s nice to have an anchor that keeps the ship from straying too far beyond shore.

Will Robinson is sold on Darko Milicic. The question, for the unbelievers still out there, is why aren’t you?

Posted: May 30, 2003

http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1560334

 

 

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 I still don’t get it. 

So what happened? Did the scouts never watch any game film? Because I don’t think Darko really ever put up big points or rebounds in any games prior to being drafted. 

But with all these tools, how come he has never developed to become at least a decent starting NBA center?

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

But, Darko was indeed playing pro, and not doing badly. The thing is, he more than likely would have done really well as a Center in Europe. I do not know if it was work ethic, but it seems like his attitude and the mental game never really came to Darko as a NBA player. It happens, has happened before, will happen again. You really are never certain about how a player will develop, and Darko looked like he could develop into an All-Star level Center, that is the reason he was taken ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

Larry Brown seemed to really mess with his confidence, but honestly, it seems like most coaches have had difficulty getting the most out of Darko. He could not hack it as a PF next to Dwight Howard and he did very little on Memphis and New York to make one think he was the answer as a Center. He can block shots, but has little offensive game outside of garbage baskets and he is an average at best rebounder. He also has issues with mistakes and fouls (sound like anyone else?). Still, when players play beyond their years, especially at 7 feet, than they seem like pretty exciting prospects.

Here is more Chad Ford BS, showing that Darko did indeed play some Euroleague ball:

 

 

Milicic not your typical European teen phenom

Yugoslavian phenom Darko Milicic has the skills to make the jump to the NBA. All David Stern has to do is say when.

Darko Milicic isn’t used to visitors in the small, windswept town of Vrsac, Yugoslavia. The occasional NBA scout drifts into town on occasion, but even most of them wait until his team KK Hemofarm travels to Belgrade to play a team like Partizan.

 

 

 

 

"What are you doing here?" Milicic asks with a smile on his face.

Of course, he knows. Like most of Yugoslavia’s young guard of elite players, he follows ESPN closer than many of his American counterparts.

"Shouldn’t you be watching LeBron James?"

 

At 17, Darko Milicic is busy developing his low-post skills to go with his long-range J.

Touché.

 

While the rest of the world tuned in breathlessly to the first national broadcast on ESPN2 of a LeBron James game, I was navigating through the snow and ice to get a peek at the kid many think will be the second player selected in this year’s NBA draft.

Milicic, who is actually six months younger than LeBron, is trying to get his arms around the hype. "He’s like Magic?" he asks. "Kind of," I respond. "Like Jordan?" he counters. "Sort of," I say. "What about Kobe," he says. "Maybe" is the best I can do.

 

 

The truth is, we still don’t know what James is. He dominates high school competition like few ever have. But he’s playing against boys every night. Kwame Brown was beating the stuffing out of boys like that a few years ago.

Milicic smiles even wider as I struggle to explain LeBron to him. He is rubbing a sore calf muscle. He’s just hours removed from banging in the low post against a bigger, stronger 28-year-old defender.

"I play against men," he says matter of factly.

Then he drops the bomb. "So who do I remind you of?"

Uh-oh. Milicic had just dropped one his most impressive performances of the year against a Euroleague team.

Milicic scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked five shots and handed out three uncredited assists (they don’t count assists the same way in Europe as they do in the U.S.) in just 15 minutes. He picked a good time to put on a masterpiece. Scouts from the Pistons, Sonics and Bucks were also in attendance.

Darko keeps pressing. He wants comparisons.

Vlade Divac. Pau Gasol? Dirk Nowitzki? Arvydas Sabonis. He doesn’t like any of them.

Milicic, who stands 7-foot and carries a solid 245 pounds, is tough to pin down. He’s still too young to play for the national team, so he hasn’t had much opportunity to work with Divac orPeja Stojakovic. He knows them and respects them, but he doesn’t try to be them. He is his own player. Comparisons quickly escape him. Is he Gasol? No, he’s much stronger. Is he Nowitzki? Again, he’s stronger and a much more physical player. Maybe Sabonis? He laughs and puts his head in his hands.

So who exactly are you, Darko Milicic?

"I like Kevin Garnett," Milicic begins. "He plays like Yugoslavian players play, with heart."

The Garnett reference isn’t surprising if you spend much time with any of the young European bigs. Vlade is the great grandfather. Peja is the father. They have paved the way. But Yugoslavians today don’t just watch Kings games. They like the ferocity and versatility that Garnett displays on a nightly basis. They love a guy who scores 22 points, grabs 13 boards and still has time to dish out six assists.

European players, like most African-American players, are stuck with stereotypes. You know the code words. Skills, fundamentals, great feel for the game. Milicic is all of these things, but he’s not only these things. He’s fast, athletic and will dunk it in your face.

Right now, the NBA is still far from Milicic’s mind. And it should be. The NBA has ruled that Milicic is ineligible for this year’s draft. The league requires that international players be 18 years old before entering the draft. Milicic does turn 18 before the draft, but he’ll miss the NBA’s 45-day window to declare by three weeks. The league feels that makes him ineligible

Milicic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, has been working for over a month trying to convince the NBA Players Association to file a collective bargaining agreement grievance. The NBPA had a conference call this week with its executive committee. While some in the association feel that they should take up the cause, the NBA veterans that make up the executive committee aren’t so sure. Why open the floodgates to 17-year-olds, when so many veterans are losing their jobs?

If the NBA Players Association won’t lead the fight, Milicic and Cornstein are probably out of luck. Milicic will have to wait until 2004 to get his shot at the NBA. He doesn’t really grasp the political ramifications of such a move.

In America we’ve convinced ourselves that the NBA is a man’s game. College is the game for kids. In Europe, it’s different. Kids go pro at 14. Milicic has already traveled throughout Europe and Asia. He understands life on the road and lives in a world where only the strongest survive. He doesn’t need to be coddled.

"I think I am ready," he said.

 

	“	The people from the NBA who come to see me think I’m ready. Why does David Stern not think I’m ready. He’s hasn’t seen me play. ”
		— Darko Milicic

 

Darko isn’t cocky, but he’s definitely confident in his game. "The people from the NBA who come to see me think I’m ready," he said. "Why does David Stern not think I’m ready. He’s hasn’t seen me play."

Milicic quickly is becoming a big name in NBA circles, but he’s still a relative unknown in Yugoslavia. Hemofarm doesn’t get the same publicity as higher-profile Belgrade teams like Partizan and Red Star. Milicic’s coach doesn’t run plays for him, the guards dominate the scoring and Milicic spends most of his time setting cross screens. Coaches in Yugoslavia love control, and Milicic has been largely a victim of his own success.

These days, Milicic is just trying to keep his demanding coach happy. The restrictions on him clearly frustrate him. His coach has told him to quit shooting from beyond the arc. During one game, he took and made a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down. His coach pulled him from the floor during the next stop in action. Darko spent most of the remaining time on the end of the bench.

Milicic isn’t complaining. "The coach is trying to make me a better player," he said. "He’s trying to establish me as an inside player. He tells me the shots there are easier. He’s right."

Milicic says he actually prefers to play in the paint, a rarity for Yugoslavians who usually thrive on the perimeter. He likes the contact, the jockeying for position and the footwork drills. But most of all, he likes to be a team player. Asked whether he preferred to shoot 3s or dunk, Milicic chooses neither.

"I like the assist," he said. "When I make a good assist, my coach is proud. He tells me that I see the floor very good. I want to help my teammates win."

Milicic trains between five and six hours every day. He shoots for at least an hour, works on his ball handling and lifts before he goes to bed each night.

It’s that raw determination, coupled with a wealth of experience for a kid his age, that has NBA scouts and general managers drooling over Milicic.

"When you look at 17-year-old big men in the States, you’re basically looking at kids trying to grow into their body," one NBA scout told ESPN.com. "They are so much bigger than the local competition that they just end up being lazy and dunking all of the time. Darko’s biggest advantage is that he’s played against players who are his equal or better for a long time. That’s how players, especially big men, get better. LeBron lapped his competition sometime last year."

Unlike the Nuggets’ Nikoloz Tskitishvili, the fifth overall pick last summer, Milicic is actually playing for his team. NBA scouts feel that he’ll have a much smoother transition — think Gasol — than most young players.

But what really excites them is his mature low-post play. "More than Nowitzki, Gasol or even Divac, Darko has a nasty streak in him that will help him succeed in the post," a league executive said. "A lot of the Europeans are really threes in the pros. He’ll be a true low-post player. His coach is doing us a huge favor by forcing him to develop those skills now. He already has moves that remind me of (Hakeem) Olajuwon in the post. Once we get a hold of him, the sky’s the limit."

 

 

That is, if David Stern ever lets him come out and play.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1490974

 

Also found this little tidbit:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/draft/2003-power-forwards.htm

Darko averaged 9.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg for Hemofarm, as a 17 year old. Jonas Valanciunas was at 7.6 and 5.4 this past year at 18 (Not saying he is going to be Darko, just listing the numbers at the two different ages). Granted, we do not have the analytics of the numbers Darko put up, but when a 17 year old of Darko’s size and athleticism does that, it definitely opens eyes.

 

 

[hiphopismylifeParticipant]

It is still baffling, because I remember Ben Wallace raving about his work ethic in Detroit, so it’s not like he just became lazy. They said he’d never leave the weight room and was dying to get better. I gotta think not having those early years to gain experience with the mentality of a future franchise player did major damage to his confidence at the NBA level and he never really recovered.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

It’s easy to see what happened to this kid…

1. Larry Brown was his coach, who’s known for being hard on players.

2. He was drafted to a veteran ball club with veteran players at his position. Similar to Jermaine O’Neal back in Portland, he didn’t get to see the floor.

3. The pressure of expectations crushed him. Being drafted before Melo, Bosh and Wade is tough. He was doomed.

4. Confidence. He was VERY young. Not only did he have to adjust to a new league, he also had to adjust to a new culture. When you add being coached by a tough coach, not playing, pressure, a new culture, etc… He lost confidence in himself. Confidence is everything in the NBA. If you lack it, you’ll be eaten alive.

So there goes the story of Darko Milicic.

[juicejc1Participant]

Because we will never know if the same thing would have happened to Bosh or Melo, if the Pistons go the other way with this pick we may be talking about the bust that was Carmelo or Bosh. 

[RafterParticipant]

IndianaBasketball hit the nail on the head for me.

If a prospect like Darko appeared for the next draft, scouts would be going crazy about how impressive he was, even for a young kid, he was physically very advanced and ran the floor like a guard (seriously). He was also very consistent.

Still, Darko had the tools to be successful, the best would get up after being knocked down, sure he had some tough times, but you have to adjust, if he really wanted it, he could’ve made it. He was still young enough to leave Detroit, put what happened behind him and play for another team, he’d still be one of the younger guys. But he cracked, understandably, after seeing how LeBron, Melo and Wade exploded onto the scene and how they’ve developed over the years, but it would be foolish to think Darko wasn’t aware of the talent in the 03′ draft, he could’ve skipped that draft and declared a year later, he didn’t, he wanted to be part of that incredible talent pool.

He wasn’t mentally ready, another year in Europe would’ve been really helped, because the NBA would be a shock to any 17 year old kid, even LeBron had to adjust. He was a kid and he was treated like a kid on a contender, they’re not going to let a kid get a chance on something guys have been working all their basketball lives for. It’s not like he was a franchise’s next hope like LeBron, Melo and Wade were. Darko had to wait his turn, it really hurt his player growth.

Like Kwame Brown, he showed fragments of what he could’ve been. I remember last season against the Lakers, Darko was simply breath-taking. He had 23pts, 16rebs and 6blks. I know it was one game and i didn’t expect his career to suddenly turn around after that, but it just shows, everynow and then he can be very impressive. He’s 26 now, he is one of the top shot blockers in the league and still has something to offer. Nothing ground-breaking but at least he’s stayed in the league and you have to give David Kahn some props, Darko was going to pack in the NBA until the T’Wolves came calling.

 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2003/draft/news/2003/06/24/milicic_pistons_ap/

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Pistons aren’t the only NBA team raving about Darko Milicic.

They are the one that plans to make 7-foot, 245-pounder from Serbia and Montenegro the second player taken in Thursday night’s draft.

If the Utah Jazz had the first pick, Alberto Dal Cin, their director of international scouting, would make a strong push to draft Milicic ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first overall choice of LeBron James.

"Personally, I would take Darko ahead of LeBron James because he has more skills and can play more positions," Dal Cin said. "There are very few can’t-miss players, but I have no doubt that Darko is a can’t-miss player.

"I think Darko can play center, power forward or small forward. Nobody knows if LeBron is a point or a shooting guard. And Darko will not bring the same kind of problems and expectations that LeBron will because he has already signed a $90 million shoe contract."

Donn Nelson, Dallas’ president of basketball operations, said the rest of the Eastern Conference must be wincing that a team as good as the Pistons are set to add a player like Milicic.

Nelson said Milicic impressed him and a slew of NBA scouts last year in Dallas during the Global Games, a competition featuring high school stars from all over the world.

"For his size and frame," Nelson said, "his quickness, agility, skill and power are staggering."

Nelson would take James if Dallas had the top pick, but said the Mavericks would discuss the possibility of drafting Milicic or former Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony, who is expected to go to Denver with the third pick.

"If your need is center or power forward, Darko is your guy," Nelson said.

That’s why the Pistons have had their eyes locked on Milicic since Memphis landed the second pick in the NBA draft lottery and had to give it to them to finalize a six-year-old trade for Otis Thorpe.

"It’s been my dream to play in the NBA," Milicic said through an interpreter Tuesday. "I’ve been waiting for this day for so long."

Detroit was the only team in the Eastern Conference with 50 wins last season, but it was swept by New Jersey in the conference finals in part because of a lack of scoring options. The Pistons desperately need a power forward or center to score next to Ben Wallace, who became an All-Star by just defending and rebounding.

"When you see his ability to do things at that height and size, it gives you cause to be excited about what he could be," Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations, said of Milicic.

Dumars and Marc Cornstein, Milicic’s agent, are undeterred by the lawsuit Milicic’s European team has threatened against Cornstein and any NBA team attempting to sign the 18-year-old because it has him under contract through 2009.

NBA teams are not prevented from drafting players under contract to foreign teams. However, league rules stipulate an NBA team can pay no more than $350,000 toward buying out a player’s contract.

"It’s a negotiations ploy," Cornstein said Tuesday. "There will be a settlement and Darko Milicic will be a Detroit Piston."

Picking Milicic seems to be a popular choice in Detroit even though fans have seen only highlights of him shooting 3-pointers and dunking.

"The more tape you watch of this kid, you realize you’re watching something very unusual," Dumars said. "The highlights really don’t do justice.

"We’ve seen him in extended workouts. We try to put guys in every possible situation to see how they respond. At some point, they have to show strength and they have to show athleticism. I will try to temper it, but he’s been exceptional with the stuff we’ve put him through."

Dal Cin first saw Milicic two years ago in Europe, where he has played professionally and lived on his own since he was 14. His first salary was $100 a month.

"He caught my eye right away and I’ve loved his game and his attitude ever since," Dal Cin said. "He can score inside and out. He can put the ball on the floor. He passes like [Sacramento’s] Vlade Divac."

Nelson has been impressed with Milicic’s demeanor.

"The thing that makes him special beyond his physical package is his toughness," Nelson said. "There’s something about being from the former Yugoslavia that makes you have a lot of street toughness. With his background, he will not back down from anybody in the league and will push himself to succeed."

Dumars said he would be surprised if Milicic fails to handle the pressure, expectations and newfound riches in a foreign country.

"I’m telling you, he’s a different type of 18-year-old," Dumars said. "When you’re living through wars and you’ve been on your own in an apartment since you’re 14 years old, that tends to make you mature a lot faster."

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

He loved Darko than, but I guess even he jumped off of the bandwagon. Chad says he believes that Darko does not have "heart", which I guess is saying that he does not play with the desire to win and be the best. Kind of hard to disagree. Yes, confidence could be included in this, but I think that you often hear teammates giving each other credit. I have a really hard time believing Larry Brown destroyed this guy, or that he was destroyed by the accomplishments of others. But, neither seemed to drive him to be any better than he is now. All we know is that the original concept of Darko having a "mean streak", did little to help him become the player everyone expected.

Here is Chad Ford’s response today on ESPN 5-on-5 regarding the Timberwolves:

. Trading for and re-signing Darko Milicic to a four-year contract.

 

 

 

 

A. Great move
B. Good move
C. OK move
D. Bad move
E. Awful move
 

Chad Ford, ESPN.com: E. Awful move. I get slammed on a weekly basis because I was in awe of the talent of an 18-year-old Darko in 2003. He had talent then, and he has talent now. What he doesn’t have is heart. By 2005, I and the rest of the league understood that. Somehow in 2010, that fact still escaped David Kahn.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-110914/nba-minnesota-timberwolves-david-kahn-best-moves

By the way, I am hearing the "Wrath of Kahn" is just about over, as Adelman does not really want to work with this guy. Word is he will take over Kahn’s duties, and Kahn will probably eventually be the GM who aspires to draft the next Darko for some other poor franchise.

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