Whats up with this guy??

is he a bust or just someone in lb's doghouse who will likely excel w/ some other team or coach?

please comment, i cant cuse ive never seen him play more than a couple of minutes when the game's decided

Darko has all the talent in the world.. and it shows at times. A lot of people are calling him a bust already.. but i dont think the Pistons would have won the title with Carmelo...

I have seen a lot of improvement when he actually gets some consistant playing time. Im gonna side with Joe D and say give him a couple more years.

i think he's got a cool ass name. and it might be alittle early to call him a bust, isnt he only like 19?

Darko is actually Wilt Chamberlain times a million



parchy's prediction: Darko scores 101 points in one game next year... bank on it

I don't think he's been given a true chance to prove whether he'll be a great talent or he is a bust. I also think the Pistons didn't draft him with the intention of giving him huge amounts of playing time during his first 2-3yrs. They didn't need Carmelo to win a championship, so they drafted for the future because they had that luxury. Until he gets a real chance to play some meaningful minutes, I think all the talk will remain pure speculation.

I'll bite.

I had a discussion about Joe Dumars' choice of players in the 2003 draft with my friend Kyle about this time last year (right before the Wallace trade). My friend, naturally, argued that the Pistons should have drafted Carmelo Anthony. I said that it was too early to determine whether he was correct or not, because Darko hadn't played significant minutes in the NBA to make that determination. I stand by that belief.

Here's why the choice was wise. First, Darko is still only 19 years old. He's developing and growing, and will continue to develop and grow. His place is not on the basketball court to gain experience when there are huge expectations placed on the Pistons given last year's result -- it leaves no room for mistakes and growing pains. We know that players that age very rarely have the talent and ability to make significant impacts on teams. Players likes Tyson Chandler, Eddie Griffin, etc. have huge expectations placed on them, and when they don't produce immediately, fans turn on them. In turn, their games and development suffer even more. Plus, in case you haven't noticed, Carmelo is starting to level off as well.

Second, the Pistons' style of play would not have fit Carmelo Anthony's game. It is much more of a distribution system that relies on defense, rebounding and sharing the ball on offense. With that style, there's no guaranty that Carmelo would have dominated the way he did last year had he been playing for the Pistons. In fact, there's a strong possibility he wouldn't have gotten the number of looks or shots as he got in Denver simply because Detroit had a better cast of players.

Third, the Pistons would not have won the NBA title had the organization drafted Carmelo Anthony last year. They needed Prince and Wallace down the stretch and in the playoffs to succeed. If Anthony was playing, they probably don't trade for Wallace. Also, he would have taken significant minutes away from Prince.

Fourth, Darko will get his minutes in the next couple of years. Because the Pistons don't need him now, and because he's still maturing, it's way too early to be calling him a bust. To the extent people think he's a bust, I can tell them, as a Pistons' fan, I will trade an NBA title for a bust of a player in a draft the year previous any day. I'm sure fans of 29 other teams would do the same. After all, how many titles has Denver won with Carmelo?

As a lifetime Pistons fan....In Joe I Trust.

Like others have said, Darko is only 19. Jermaine ONeal wasn't a superstar at that age either. I'll wait until he's 25 to make my judgment on that pick.

Hell, the draft is a crapshoot anyway. Pervis Ellison anyone?

hes over 7 feet tall, white, and cant speak much english........hes got STAR written all over him.......

he'll probably be a superstar in 5 years with another team

The few times I've seen him play (4-5 times) he looked totally lost out there. Airballs, getting pushed around, turning the ball over, looking as if he has no confidence.

I wish him well but he has not looked good. He does have time on his side.

it's WAY too early to call him a bust.

and after watching how Larry Brown handled the Olympic team last summer, I wouldn't be suprised to see him improve under a different coach.

wait til LB quits at the end of the year, then give Darko two years to play. then evaluate.

Holy fuck, only 19?? I thought he was 22 or something like that

i think he was 17 when he was drafted

He turned 18 the month before the draft.

it was hilarious after they won the title last year, darko stepped up to the front of everyone and was trying like hell to get his hands all over the trophy..ben wallace gave him this look saying "what the fuck??"

I don't understand why everyone thinks the Pistons have given up on him and will move him. Dumars drafted him as a project and future talent down the road. Maybe Larry Brown isn't all that hot on him, but the rest of the organization is more than willing to give him time to develop.

So, why do u draft someone who u need to develop and give a contract extension BEFORE u actually see him play some meaningful games?

Because they had the luxury to do so. They didn't get the #2 pick because they sucked and needed immediate help. They felt they had a team that could win already, which they proved. Why not pick someone you can mold into your system if you think they have the potential to be a consistent all-star for you down the road?