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Darko won't play for Magic as long as Smith is GM; I guess so much for Darko..
Topic Started: Jul 3 2007, 08:29 PM (1,236 Views)
ec23456
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If I were Otis I might pay 5 Mil for Darko if that but no more than @5 Mil
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ec23456
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Didn't Portland recently release Jammal Magloire?? If so lets go after him! I always thought he was going to be a very good big man he has been.
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Ben Q Rock
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They haven't released him, and his career averages of 9 points and 7 boards are unimpressive. I don't see why we'd make a play for him.
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ec23456
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he's impressive on NBA Live 2007 {PS2}
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The Archduke
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Sixth Man
Ben Q Rock
Jul. 4 2007 03:07 PM
They haven't released him, and his career averages of 9 points and 7 boards are unimpressive. I don't see why we'd make a play for him.

Not trying to be antagonistic (if that is the right word for it), but what about Darko really impresses you? His scoring and rebounding have been far from impressive. Magloire is another experienced big. But if they haven't released him, it's a moot point.
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TheFalcon
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I'm not too worried about getting another dominant big man. I don't really feel that we need to get an impressive guy, just someone who is consistent, is a good defender, and wants to play for cheap.
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True Magic
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TheFalcon
Jul. 4 2007 06:09 PM
I'm not too worried about getting another dominant big man. I don't really feel that we need to get an impressive guy, just someone who is consistent, is a good defender, and wants to play for cheap.

Same here, as long as the guy hustles and plays good defense... I'm satisfied.
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The Archduke
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Sixth Man
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Jul. 4 2007 06:13 PM
Same here, as long as the guy hustles and plays good defense... I'm satisfied.

Maybe Gortat or Augustine could step up and fill that role....like I've said, Battie will probably get the nod as starter, so maybe one of those two can step up and show something as a defender and rebounder.
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MAGICMANEVAN
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Augustine and Gortat are no where ready to start. Augustine will be lucky to play in half the games next season. We need to sign a cheap but athletic big to defend and rebound in the backup PF position.
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True Magic
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Agreed, and some occasional scoring wouldn't hurt.
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Shareef
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Sixth Man
The Archduke
Jul. 4 2007 08:56 AM
I wanted to keep Darko, too.  But this is where we have to be honest with ourselves:  if these reports of Darko wanting to be in a situation where an offense is run through him are true, then would he have really been happy here?  I haven't seen a tremendous improvement in his offensive game over the course of the past season and a half.  He is a very good interior defender....that's the only area where I will miss him. 

But we don't need an ego situation from a role player.  If this was Dwight, or Jameer, or even TURK, I might be able to swallow it.  Not from Darko's camp.  Not from a guy that owes Orlando everything for giving him the shot that the Pistons were never going to give him.  If this is his agent (I'm holding out hope that it is and that Darko can fire the dude before the bridges are ashes), then that's one thing.  But if it's Darko....well, if it is, let him go somewhere else and realize no one is going to build an organization around him.

You also mentioned "two superstars" not working in Houston.  Luckily, Orlando is in the East.  You CAN win over here with that.

In recent years it has shown in the east that it does not take 2 superstars but takes 1 superstar who does everything for their team or a team filled of allstars ala Lebron, Wade or the pistons to go far in the east. Right now the magic have a potenial superstar in Dwight and a very good player in lewis. I really don't expect Dwight to become a superstar in this point of his career when he has a whole lot to improve on. Nor do i think this team will have a boat full of allstars so i don't think this team will go far in the playoff next season. I could see this team going far in 2 to 3 years, if they make the right moves, but not now.

And i hate the fact that people think that Darko has some kind of ego, lol. He only wanted to be more in volved in the game where his talent could be used, if that means more touches so be it. He also said that he would like to play beside Dwight and he thinks he and dwight would be great together. This doesn't sound like a man that has an ego, this seems like a men that just wants to play.

Looking at his situation I do not blame the Darko for speaking up. He was put on the bench behind Battie, got very few touches, shot very few jumpers he basically did not get to play his game. The guy has an offense game that is just as good if not better then Dwights, if they just give him some touches we could see his game and confidence improve big time.

I have seen Darko and Dwight kill opposing teams in the paint, with a good wing player such as Lewis they will go far. As much as i love lewis and want him on the team if we can not have both him and Darko i would pick Darko for the simple reason it would make our young guys more retainable. By Signing Lewis and Dwight both to make max contracts it will make it almost near impossible to keep our young guys or get f/a's there for keeping us from improving. I really don't see how a Lewis and Dwight team makes us contenders unless Dwight enters a superstar level next year. Unless we could keep the core of Ariza, Darko, Dwight and Nelson together i really do not agree with signing of Lewis, he is just not worth it i would rather see this team grow then break it up. I fear in the future that magic will be in the same situation with Cleveland due to so many big contracts they will be unable to improve the team, I hope i am wrong.
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The Archduke
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Sixth Man
Shareef
Jul. 5 2007 04:36 AM

In recent years it has shown in the east that it does not take 2 superstars but takes 1 superstar who does everything for their team or a team filled of allstars ala Lebron, Wade or the pistons to go far in the east. Right now the magic have a potenial superstar in Dwight and a very good player in lewis. I really don't expect Dwight to become a superstar in this point of his career when he has a whole lot to improve on. Nor do i think this team will have a boat full of allstars so i don't think this team will go far in the playoff next season. I could see this team going far in 2 to 3 years, if they make the right moves, but not now.

And i hate the fact that people think that Darko has some kind of ego, lol. He only wanted to be more in volved in the game where his talent could be used, if that means more touches so be it. He also said that he would like to play beside Dwight and he thinks he and dwight would be great together. This doesn't sound like a man that has an ego, this seems like a men that just wants to play.

Looking at his situation I do not blame the Darko for speaking up. He was put on the bench behind Battie, got very few touches, shot very few jumpers he basically did not get to play his game. The guy has an offense game that is just as good if not better then Dwights, if they just give him some touches we could see his game and confidence improve big time.

I have seen Darko and Dwight kill opposing teams in the paint, with a good wing player such as Lewis they will go far. As much as i love lewis and want him on the team if we can not have both him and Darko i would pick Darko for the simple reason it would make our young guys more retainable. By Signing Lewis and Dwight both to make max contracts it will make it almost near impossible to keep our young guys or get f/a's there for keeping us from improving. I really don't see how a Lewis and Dwight team makes us contenders unless Dwight enters a superstar level next year. Unless we could keep the core of Ariza, Darko, Dwight and Nelson together i really do not agree with signing of Lewis, he is just not worth it i would rather see this team grow then break it up. I fear in the future that magic will be in the same situation with Cleveland due to so many big contracts they will be unable to improve the team, I hope i am wrong.

1. LeBron has Larry Hughes. You may laugh, but adding Hughes helped them reach the finals. Dwyane Wade has Shaq. No need to laugh there....Shaq is still a star and can be dominant at times. 2 stars can do it, and seems to be the magic number in the East. The Pistons have/had an assortment of players. They are the only real "team" in recent history to represent the East.

2. Dwight is very close to superstardom, on the INTERIOR. All he needs to work on is free-throws and turnovers.

3. A "boatful" of All-Stars has nothing to do with going deep into the playoffs. See:Detroit Pistons. Cleveland Cavaliers.

4. Either Darko has an ego or Cornstein is making it seem like he does. His output hasn't merited any sort of increased involvement in the offense as of yet. He's been nothing more than depth in the frontcourt, with the occasional flash of double-digit point output. He can't put the ball on the floor, is a shaky rebounder, and is hit-or-miss from midrange. His best asset is his interior defense.

If all he does is want to play alongside Dwight, the mouth should not have been running yet. If he wants to be here, patience should be a part of the plan. Adding Rashard Lewis bolsters an offense that was borderline pathetic at times last season. Darko's presence would be nice just from the standpoint of depth on the front line.

Darko's speaking up (or Cornstein's, as I've said, we don't really know who is behind this rant) only makes sense if he wanted out of Orlando all along. He hasn't shown the interior toughness or desire that Battie shows night in and night out, which is why he's on the bench. As for not "getting to play his game", he's been an integral part of the 2nd team....a few steps up from basically being "towel boy" for Detroit. He gets plenty of touches when in the game, but never seems aggressive enough to do anything about it. When he does, it's as often a missed shot/turnover as it is a successful scoring play.

Darko or Lewis? Lewis every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. He's a proven player. Darko has a high ceiling...I'm just not sure he's got the mentality to reach it. He's soft. His passive play on the floor stunts an offense. Defensively, I think he's an above-average player and doesn't allow himself to get down if things don't go his way. Offensively, he's never shown that he has confidence in his own shot or abilities.

Let me be clear: I want Darko to be here. I'd love for him to cut ties with Cornstein and be a part of this franchise for years to come. But not because I think he's the next Dirk Nowitzki or because I think he'll mature into a double-double guy. I want him here because I think he will be what he is now for the rest of his career: A good interior defender with the potential to have an offensive outburst every now and again. This team shouldn't be built around a Darko Milicic. Nor should any team. And Darko needs to understand that more than anyone else.

BTW, not looking for a fight. :happy:


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TheFalcon
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Air Gortat
Shareef
Jul. 5 2007 04:36 AM
In recent years it has shown in the east that it does not take 2 superstars but takes 1 superstar who does everything for their team or a team filled of allstars ala Lebron, Wade or the pistons to go far in the east.

I'm sorry, but I disagree with just about your whole post. In the Eastern conference, you can win with just about anything. There is no magic formula. However, history would seem to suggest that the more "superstars," or "allstars," or whatever that you have on your team, the better off you are. Looking at the last few years, the Cavs have one, and they got to the NBA finals. The Heat have two, and they won the NBA championship. The Pistons have/had four, and they've been dominant the last 6 years, went to the finals twice, and won the NBA championship once.

I think adding Lewis, another all-star caliber player, only pushes us one step closer that level. Sure, losing Darko hurts. He was a valuable player and a good contributer, but can we survive without his 8 points and 5 boards a game? I think so.

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And i hate the fact that people think that Darko has some kind of ego, lol. He only wanted to be more in volved in the game where his talent could be used, if that means more touches so be it. He also said that he would like to play beside Dwight and he thinks he and dwight would be great together. This doesn't sound like a man that has an ego, this seems like a men that just wants to play.


Darko has openly stated, more than once, that he wants to play on a team where the offense is centered around him. Generally, a team's offense is centered around their best player. Either Darko isn't aware of this, or he thinks he is the best player. I'm going with the latter. Throught his career, he has continually had a whiny attitude about playing time, touches, and coaching. He went through the same things many young players do, but for some reason he felt entitled to more. Not to mention his outrageously high salary demands this offseason. I hope for his sake that he gets what he's looking for, but it doesn't look like it so far.

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Looking at his situation I do not blame the Darko for speaking up. He was put on the bench behind Battie, got very few touches, shot very few jumpers he basically did not get to play his game. The guy has an offense game that is just as good if not better then Dwights, if they just give him some touches we could see his game and confidence improve big time.


We all know that Darko has a good offensive game, but the reason he was behind Battie and had fewer minutes was because he is still very rough. He fails to do the little things, which Battie never falters on. When was the last time Battie didn't box somebody out on a rebound? When was the lst time Battie didn't hustle down the court? When was the last time you saw Battie let his frustrations with the refs hurt his game? Battie was the veteran presence in that offense. He pulled aside the young guys when they were out of line, he maintained his cool under pressure, and he was a very positive influence on Dwight. Darko has a good offensive game, and he's a good shot blocker, but the intangibles that Battie brought to the table were also very valuable. Instead of adopting the JJ Redick attitude of "I'm going to practice and get better, learn from my experiences, and I'll be ready whenever they need me," Darko picked up his own attitude of "I'm better than this and I deserve more touches." There is a big difference.

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I have seen Darko and Dwight kill opposing teams in the paint, with a good wing player such as Lewis they will go far. As much as i love lewis and want him on the team if we can not have both him and Darko i would pick Darko for the simple reason it would make our young guys more retainable. By Signing Lewis and Dwight both to make max contracts it will make it almost near impossible to keep our young guys or get f/a's there for keeping us from improving. I really don't see how a Lewis and Dwight team makes us contenders unless Dwight enters a superstar level next year. Unless we could keep the core of Ariza, Darko, Dwight and Nelson together i really do not agree with signing of Lewis, he is just not worth it i would rather see this team grow then break it up. I fear in the future that magic will be in the same situation with Cleveland due to so many big contracts they will be unable to improve the team, I hope i am wrong.


I've seen Darko and Dwight play in the paint together too, and last year, that got us 40 wins and a sweep from the first round. At some point, we need to add firepower from the wing. We could have kept Darko this year, and finished with a similar record, and we'd be in the same predicament next offseason. In order to succeed in the NBA, you have to be well rounded. Teams that are stacked with guards (Denver), and teams that are stacked with low post players don't regularly win championships. By aquiring Lewis and losing Howard, we are making a move towards becoming less one-dimensional. The Pistons beat us in the playoffs by focusing all of their attention on Dwight and Darko. What happened? They shut them down and our wing players aren't good enough to pick up the slack.

As far as keeping our young players, I'm not sure it would have made a ton of difference. We signed Lewis to around 15 million. Darko is asking somewhere between 10-12. So, by choosing Lewis over Darko, its a 3-5 million dollar risk in the future. Hopefully, that's not enough to break up the core.

Ideally, it would be nice to save cap room to keep the core together, but you can't do that at the expense of being successful. What's the use of keeping the core together if the core is only going to be mediocre? Hopefully, by adding Lewis, we have added to our core, and we now have a 5-6 year window to make a push for a championship.

Sorry about my ramblings, I'm under the influence of Nyquil.

EDIT: Oh yea, I'm not looking for a fight either ;)

And Archduke, we made remarkably similar posts 1 minute apart... Great minds think alike, huh? :D
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The Archduke
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Sixth Man
Ha ha ha. It's amazing. I feel like I won some kind of race!
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Black and Blue
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TheFalcon
Jul. 4 2007 05:09 PM
I'm not too worried about getting another dominant big man. I don't really feel that we need to get an impressive guy, just someone who is consistent, is a good defender, and wants to play for cheap.

I agree. Big men earn a LOT in the NBA but 10 million is just stupid. We can and will do better with a cheaper, more experienced option.
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