Darko Milicic Signs With Memphis

Aside from Jay Williams, all were more productive by the time their 4th season was complete, and Jay Williams had a much better rookie showing than Darko, and probably would have been better at this point in his career if he hadn't been injured. Aldridge and Williams have already been more productive than Darko despite only being in the league for 1 and 2 years respectively.

At this point in his career, aside from the injured Jay Williams (who was more tragedy than bust) he's the least productive 2nd pick of the last ten years.

And who of those players was 21 by the end of their fourth season...just saying.

ok i take my shit back. 21 million is fucking too much over 3 years. darko is not worth contracts of 2 quality players.

wow great news for darko.

If Darko is overrpaid with $21 mil./3 yrs, than what is Rashard with $110 mil./6 yrs? A superman?

If Darko is overrpaid with $21 mil./3 yrs, than what is Rashard with $110 mil./6 yrs? A superman?

i wouldn't say darko is overpaid but overrated
i would say shard is overpaid not overrated

I think the Grizzlies got a potential bargain & I think the Magic are stupid for letting him go for nothing....

Shannon, if Darko is a bust then Marvin Williams is a bust....it's as simple as that....

Kapono is getting about 6 mill per year, I'd prefer to give Darko 7 mill than Kapono 6 mill per year....Rashard Lewis getting what he's getting is ridiculous....he's a 2nd fiddle player....no All-Star berths as a SF....even Kirilenko has All-Star berths as a Western SF....ridiculous....

I will continue to stand up for Darko....don't blame him for the Pistons taking him number 2 & shelving him for 2 years....last season with the Magic was his rookie season....the potential is there, & hopefully Gasol gets in his head & ignites some fire, then it will be good to see....

I don't know why everyone is getting upset either, the Grizzlies only have a 3 year deal on him....if he hasn't panned out by then, then they aren't locked into a 6 year deal (like the Magic)....it's also a tradeable contract....I think the Grizzlies did well in the signing....I'd prefer Darko at that money than say Varejao....

Donnie Darko lives on

Shannon, if Darko is a bust then Marvin Williams is a bust....it's as simple as that....

Marvin is 21 years old, playing on a team that is loaded at his position, a 2 year pro and putting up 13/5/2. Darko is 22, a four year pro (I know you say it's actually his soph season, but he went head to head with some of the best at his position in the NBA back in Detroit during practice. Two years of practice despite not playing much at all, he should till have improved alot during that time) and putting up 8/5, alongside a guy that drew a hell of alot of attention away from him in Dwight Howard.

How is Marvin a bust when he is putting up better numbers than everyone in his draft class bar Chris Paul, Deron Williams and (barely) Andrew Bogut?

Guys seem to be all over Danny Granger, yet his numbers are no better than Marvins. Marvin is on the Granger/Felton/Villanueva/Lee/Jack level, and probably the best of that bunch.

EDIT: Forgot Monta Ellis, he is up there with Bogut/Williams/Paul. However, I gaurantee that if Marvin Williams played for the Golden State Warriors, you would be seeing something along the lines of 18/7/3 and he would have solidified himself as one of the big young up and comers in this league.

I really don't see how these guys compare. One guy is a year younger, 2 years less experienced and putting up better numbers across the board for a team full of guys at his position, than a guy that is 7 foot and has disappointed for 4 straight seasons, depite playing next to Dwight Howard who will take alot of pressure off you and give him oppurtunities to score.

I know this game isn't all about stats, but 8/5 is just terrible for a 7 footer as "skilled" as Darko. In my eyes, he is a bust.

To put it into perspective, Derek Fisher is rumored to have signed a deal worht $14M over 3 years, or almost $5M a year.

Derek....Fisher.

I'm not the least bit surprised a team is giving Darko more than Derek Fisher.

How is the number 2 pick in a loaded draft not a bust

pretty much sums it all

you cant put this on darko. its not his fault he was picked second. no one thought he was really worth it at that point, everyone put him on potential. you cant bench a player with potential, bury him behind players who dont believe in him and are angry that he is even there cause they could have had bosh or wade or whatever. its not his fault detroit liked the team they had and only wanted a player who would sit back and enjoy the ride. the only thing that has been a bust was the pick itself. detroit should have taken wade. also dont give me that crap that they didnt need wade to start, they didnt need anyone to start with the team they had which means they should have taken the best talent available end of story.

is darko a bust? i dont think so yet, he has time to improve. he will never be as good as people were saying he would, thats just silly to even think. however not being a all star every single year does not make one a bust. if he gets up to 15 and 10 then he is by no means a bust.

Darko is shit because he doesnt work. All reports from Detroit, watching him in games, he showed no heart. He took what he was given on a silver platter, and expected to get more.

For that reason, he will always be a bust.

It sucks to be a Memphis fan.

why was he even selected number 2 back then?well you can't say the future.

Shannon, Marvin Williams is obviously not a bust, I was just being sarcastic....I like Marvin Williams & think he'll do well & be better than say, Rudy Gay

I wouldn't call Darko a bust either....I'd call Reece Gaines a bust, Jerryl Sasser a bust, Olowokandi a bust, Skita is a bust, Samaki Walker is a bust....Darko is only 22 years old (I think), he's young & improving, sure he has a very, very long ways to go, but he's still in the league & has a chance to prove himself....he is not a bust....if you said he was on his way to being a bust, well then I couldn't argue with you on that....but we'll have to wait & see....I think playing alongside Gasol will help his game, but I could be wrong & if I am, I'll be the first to admit it....just like I was wrong with John Wallace & will be wrong again....I just haven't lost faith yet....

Darko is shit because he doesnt work. All reports from Detroit, watching him in games, he showed no heart. He took what he was given on a silver platter, and expected to get more.

For that reason, he will always be a bust.

It sucks to be a Memphis fan.

I think Memphis fans will be happy....if he doesn't work his butt off, then they won't....if we see some of the Serbian heart from now on, he can turn it around....

as a Pistons fan you should be more upset with Joe Dumars for passing on Bosh or Wade rather than on Darko....I understand Darko was very immature & didn't handle himself like a man, but then again, he was still only a kid....

the thing with it is, if you were good enough to be a top 5 pick in the nba draft, then you got drafted second, then got told to sit on your ass and enjoy the show for a year or 2, would you be happy and maintain your confidence?

then again he might just be a lazy shit who will take his millions why people still see him as potential then when they dont see the potential he just goes home.

i thought grizzlies as one of the team that could make playoffs in 08
but i should say chance just got slimmer wasting 21 mil on darko
i just dont see him fit playing wid pau, warrick, stro rotation

once again, i have a feeling grizz will underachieve this upcoming season

I love how everyone's bitching about Darko getting too much money, yet no one seems confused as to why the hell Amir Johnson just got a $12 million, 3 year contract. The man has only played 11 NBA games over 2 years, so he's going to make over $1 million for each game he's played to date.

I wish I was really tall. Then I could get paid $12 million to hardly play.

What the hell ya'll talking about that he got too much money $$$? I wasn't that big on signing Darko, but I believe he would compliment Pau well once giving a starting role and he is just 22 years old. His deal is only 3 years and I believe Memphis did an excellent job on making it a 3 year deal so it wouldn't such a risk of keeping for an extra 3 years if he turned out to be a bust. 6 or 7 million is what the Grizzlies wanted to spend on any FA because they basically offered that to Nocioni, Varejao and Darko and Darko was the one they got. Now if they gave him 9 million or so, then that would've been stupid, but what you expect? It was only a little bit over the MLE anyways.

Things keep getting more interesting for the Grizzlies especially with good player by their young players in the summer league. Iavaroni got what he wanted in a player that can compliment Pau in the frontcourt so now they basically have two frontcourt players that block shots, rebound and post up. I wish they could still bring in a big man that won't let them be bullied around thats the ONLY thing I missed about Lorenzen Wright They're still trying to get Navarro as well from what I hear and if they pick him up as well, they will be definitely be a playoff team next year. I don't see how you can get worse as a team when you haven't lost any of your players and you've just been adding key players...Of course he will more than likely start or recieve plenty of playing time because they wouldn't have signed him if he wasn't. Stro either isn't going to play or be traded somehow. The 3 big men the Grizzlies would use would be Gasol, Darko and Warrick. I've also heard that they will try to work Rudy at the 4 sometime as well since Iavaroni is teaching them a Suns style of play.

Maybe it would've been better if Memphis trades Darko to Cleveland for Verajao

I hope Durant doesn't continue the recent trend. All those number 2 picks there haven't made quite a superstar impact at this level...of course, a few can be forgiven (youngsters, Jay Williams etc.) and Bibby and Francis have been decent players, but no absolute superstars listed in those number 2 picks.

Right now the money feels excessive. I'd like to see Darko perform first before making a second judgement though.

I love how everyone's bitching about Darko getting too much money, yet no one seems confused as to why the hell Amir Johnson just got a $12 million, 3 year contract. The man has only played 11 NBA games over 2 years, so he's going to make over $1 million for each game he's played to date.

I wish I was really tall. Then I could get paid $12 million to hardly play.

Amir isn't ready yet, and they know that. He has the chance to be really special, but they wanna lock him him and keep him in Detroit until the time is right. He's just 20 years old and the team obviously sees something in him. If he was sent to Orlando this season and played two years next to Dwight Howard, putting up 8/5 as his best season on a bad percentage, then yes they probably made a mistake.

I don't think they want Amir to turn into the next Jermaine O'Neal mistake.

They are simply locking up a player who could become very good, until it' time to start him. That time is coming with the Pistons aging - especially Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

I love how everyone's bitching about Darko getting too much money, yet no one seems confused as to why the hell Amir Johnson just got a $12 million, 3 year contract. The man has only played 11 NBA games over 2 years, so he's going to make over $1 million for each game he's played to date.

I wish I was really tall. Then I could get paid $12 million to hardly play.

Amir isn't ready yet, and they know that. He has the chance to be really special, but they wanna lock him him and keep him in Detroit until the time is right. He's just 20 years old and the team obviously sees something in him. If he was sent to Orlando this season and played two years next to Dwight Howard, putting up 8/5 as his best season on a bad percentage, then yes they probably made a mistake.

I don't think they want Amir to turn into the next Jermaine O'Neal mistake.

They are simply locking up a player who could become very good, until it' time to start him. That time is coming with the Pistons aging - especially Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

So, how can you say Amir isn't ready and they signed him to a 3 year deal, but the Grizzlies signed Darko to a 3 year deal as well. Darko is just 22 years old and has been in the league for 4 years now so obviously they see something in him as well especially playing beside Gasol. Darko wasn't playing beside Dwight Howard and he came off the bench for the entire season except 16 games. Why is his shooting percentage so bad when for his career he is shooting 44% and the last 110 games he has played with the Magic he has averaged around 47% from the field? Darko has just as good as a chance to be good as you may think Amir might be.

Darko is shit because he doesnt work. All reports from Detroit, watching him in games, he showed no heart. He took what he was given on a silver platter, and expected to get more.

That's what bothers me about Darko. He seems to feel he's owed star treatment despite having done nothing to earn it yet. I can kind of understand his anger at the Magic going back on their word because I've had employers do the same thing to me before and it sucks, but I still went in there, did my job and was professional about it while exploring other job opportunities. The comments Darko and his agent have made about never playing for the Magic as long as Otis Smith is the GM, how he should have been the top priority and how it's good to be going to a team that will appreciate him are good examples of a player believing his own hype in my opinion.

That's not to say Smith couldn't have handled the situation better because it seems he did go back on his word and that's not being very professional either. But if Darko and his camp expect to be the top priority when a team is courting a major free agent when he's putting up numbers that are "solid" and "promising" at best then they're going to be disappointed. And until he gets over the idea that he's owed the world on a silver plate, he's probably not going to be happy anywhere else either.

Having said that, Memphis will probably be a good opportunity for him. If he's not happy with his playing time or touches he could be on the move again though.

the thing with it is, if you were good enough to be a top 5 pick in the nba draft, then you got drafted second, then got told to sit on your ass and enjoy the show for a year or 2, would you be happy and maintain your confidence?

True, and as I said before the situation in Orlando isn't entirely his fault because it would seem Smith did go back on his word. But it seems as though Darko has resigned himself to complaining about his situation rather than working hard to overcome the obstacles that prevent him from gaining more PT. It's always about how he's unappreciated, never about having to work hard and improve his game.

I don't like to be a Homer and bring Bulls players into every discussion but for the sake of a contrast, that's one of the things I like about Ben Gordon. He's endured being in and out of the starting lineup and being yanked for missing a couple of shots while players like Adrian Griffin are given ample opportunity to stink it up at the offensive end simply because Scott Skiles likes their hustle but there's no trade demands or public tantrums with claims of being unappreciated and ultimatums to try and oust Skiles. He continues to work hard to get better and it's paid off. His improvement obviously hasn't gone unnoticed since he's now given more freedom to make a mistake or two without being immediately benched.

Dorell Wright is perhaps a better example since Gordon has still been given a decent amount of minutes since his rookie campaign. When given the opportunity Wright has looked like he could be quite a good player but he's used very sparingly on a Heat team with a lot of veteran players. There have been stories about his eagerness to play, prove himself and improve himself but no tantrums or potshots at Pat Riley or anyone else in Miami.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into what Darko and others in his camp are saying or taking the words out of context but it just seems to me that he's intent on pointing the finger at everyone else for his shortcomings thus far and doesn't seem interested in putting in any effort to change the situation. He seems content to sulk and make demands rather than strive for improvement.

I love how everyone's bitching about Darko getting too much money, yet no one seems confused as to why the hell Amir Johnson just got a $12 million, 3 year contract. The man has only played 11 NBA games over 2 years, so he's going to make over $1 million for each game he's played to date.

To be fair the Darko story broke earlier than the Amir Johnson signing but I agree. I suppose the only real difference is that the Pistons are in a better position than the Grizzlies, signing Johnson isn't their big offseason move and they can afford to gamble on the potential they perceive him to possess. It's still giving a lot of money to a player who's shown less than Darko though so I would agree that it's definitely no better and arguably much worse. Detroit is simply in better shape to cut their losses if things don't pan out.

I love how everyone's bitching about Darko getting too much money, yet no one seems confused as to why the hell Amir Johnson just got a $12 million, 3 year contract. The man has only played 11 NBA games over 2 years, so he's going to make over $1 million for each game he's played to date.

I wish I was really tall. Then I could get paid $12 million to hardly play.

Amir isn't ready yet, and they know that. He has the chance to be really special, but they wanna lock him him and keep him in Detroit until the time is right. He's just 20 years old and the team obviously sees something in him. If he was sent to Orlando this season and played two years next to Dwight Howard, putting up 8/5 as his best season on a bad percentage, then yes they probably made a mistake.

I don't think they want Amir to turn into the next Jermaine O'Neal mistake.

They are simply locking up a player who could become very good, until it' time to start him. That time is coming with the Pistons aging - especially Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

So, how can you say Amir isn't ready and they signed him to a 3 year deal, but the Grizzlies signed Darko to a 3 year deal as well. Darko is just 22 years old and has been in the league for 4 years now so obviously they see something in him as well especially playing beside Gasol. Darko wasn't playing beside Dwight Howard and he came off the bench for the entire season except 16 games. Why is his shooting percentage so bad when for his career he is shooting 44% and the last 110 games he has played with the Magic he has averaged around 47% from the field? Darko has just as good as a chance to be good as you may think Amir might be.

Yes, Darko was playing beside Dwight Howard. Both of them were on the court at the same time alot in every Magic game I watched. He did come off the bench, but he played 24 minutes per game, that's plenty of time. 44% is bad. Very bad for a 7 footer that plays in the post. You know who shots better than 44%? Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Mo Williams and Ricky Davis. All permiter orientated guards that are known as low percentage "chuckers".

Amir isn't ready, they just signed him to keep him in Detroit till he is ready. The fact that the Pistons are aging, especially their power forwards - Rasheed and Antonio (which Amir will replace in due time), is why he is so important to them. Soon enough, the Pistons will reach rebuilding level and Amir will get his playing time. He simply isn't ready right now, but he could become a very good player soon enough. The whole point in giving him a 3 year contract is to make sure he is there long enough to see if that potential turns him into something.

If this was Darko in Amir's situation, I wouldn't have a problem. The problem I do have is that Darko has had his chance for 2 seasons now in Orlando, and still sucked. He was just an average (or worse) player and didn't do anything special at all. Amir is still waiting for his oppurtunity, which won't come until Rasheed and Antonio are gone. Amir didn't get 2 seasons in Orlando playing 24 minutes and still didn't do anything. Amir is an "unkown" talent, and Detroit is giving him the contract to make sure that if he does blow up - it's in Detroit. If he does, that rebuilding process they are eventually gonna reach is gonna be alot easier with the departure of Rasheed and Antonio being filled by their young guys like Amir and Jason Maxiell.

I was really expecting Darko to develop into a decent complimentary player to Dwight since his interior shot blocking really helps out with Dwight's so-so defence. I think people will always view him as the second overall bust, but he's not some tall white stiff who doesn't know how to play. He's better than most people give him credit for.

I'm also super pissed that the Magic blew all that cash on Lewis, which ultimately led to the breakup between the Magic and Darko. What on earth were they smoking? They might as well give Travis Diener a max deal too.

well, now that a team has signed him to a deal it would seem clear they intend to use him. if darko does not come out and put up better numbers next season and pretty good numbers by end of season 2 then i will join the crowd in labeling him a bust.

well, now that a team has signed him to a deal it would seem clear they intend to use him. if darko does not come out and put up better numbers next season and pretty good numbers by end of season 2 then i will join the crowd in labeling him a bust.

I think this sums it. He'll be playing on European Championship this summer, I'll keep eye on him and post stats over here.