Does Darko Still have a Role?

Putting aside playing against Dwight Howard, exactly what will be Darko's role on the Celtics?

On Wednesday, Boston acquired guard Leandro Barbosa, giving them 5 players who are legitimate guards, all of which could be described as combo-guards, though one doesn't shoot all that well, but can definitely be offensive-minded when necessary. Add to the storyline Doc Rivers' increasing affinity for "small ball" and the fastbreak, and all of a sudden you start to wonder where Darko Milicic fits in.

Darko on the Fast Track

Well, Darko, I'm not sure how you did it.

You somehow managed to take my 5 Milestones for Evaluating Your Progress, which, at the time seemed slightly out of reach for you, and, quite frankly, I'm not sure you've even achieved one of them, and created your own path to success.

Where Lex thought it was reasonable to see if you could manage to lose weight, regain some of your mobility from 2 years ago, and possibly make the Boston Celtics active roster when the basketballs fly in November, you've leapfrogged your way to being named a strategic spot starter in games, gasp, long after the 2012-13 season kicks off.

Huh.

Who knew you were all that?

Still, if I might be so bold as to offer the 7-1, 300 pound giant one tiny bit of advice?

Make sure you show everyone you deserve what Doc has bestowed upon you. Earning the PT isn't the end. It's just the beginning. Helping the Celtics win games and becoming a presence in the pivot and on the high post, these are your goals. If you do that, you've finally found yourself a home.

Now go get after it.

Heat were also Talking to Darko

 

The Miami Heat are kicking the tires on a number of big men to round out its 2012/13 squad, one of whom is a member of the illustrious draft class that produced LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Darko Milicic's agent told the Sun Sentinel last week that the Heat have inquired about Milicic after he was released via the amnesty clause by the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We have had some conversation," Marc Cornstein said to the Sentinel. 

"We've certainly talked about it." Milicic's agent called the Heat's overtures just "preliminary conversations," but his status as an amnestied player gives Miami some help in signing him. The 7-foot Milicic offers a size advantage over Turiaf, but Miami could still go with recent draft pick Justin Hamilton or reserve center Dexter Pittman as well. 

"He's at a real pivotal point of his career, and this is a very big decision for him, and I think he's taking it as much," Cornstein said, "and I certainly don't think money will be the deciding factor.

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The Darko Chronicles continue.

Doc Playing Shrink with a Deft Touch

Sometimes reading the tea leaves isn't all it's cracked up to be. I know Danny recently said something to the effect of no big has done anything but excel in Doc's system. Many of us begged to differ. Some of us rattled off, oh, I don't know, let's just say a dozen or so exceptions.

I'd like to focus briefly on one. Patrick O'Bryant, or POB for short. POB had a few older Celtics fans excited when the Celtics signed him. He started his career in Golden State. At 7-0 with a reach that went to the heavens, he had all the raw elements you could ask for in a big. Critics said that he lacked motivation and focus, that he lacked heart. No problem, we thought. He's coming to the Celtics, home of some of the great reclamation projects in NBA history. The name Robert Parish ring a bell?

Alas, it wasn't to be.

Why it didn't work out was always a bit of a mystery, to me anyway. It wouldn't have been unreasonable to conclude, until recent revelations, that Doc never gave him a chance. POB never played any meaningful minutes, and was discarded almost as quickly as he was acquired. "Doc doesn't know how to coach bigs" was a sentiment whispered among some fans and pundits alike.

Turns out we didn't know jack.

This Darko Thing Just Might Work Out

Nine years later, he is still only 27, and his reputation as an underachiever has been cemented. Milicic understands that stardom or even widespread respect probably never will come. At this point in his career, he just wants to be comfortable, appreciated, and not constantly reminded about 2003.

Milicic says he just wants to be accepted and allowed to be himself. He has a naturally shy demeanor, and the past nine years haven’t exactly helped him overcome his insecurities.
 
But the Celtics have welcomed him heartily. At Wednesday’s practice, Rivers joked with Milicic as he stood on the sideline, taking a break from the scrimmage, trying to get him more comfortable with the team concept. Milicic appreciated the gesture.

“Everybody is here for you. Everybody is sticking together, playing together, fighting for each other. That’s what the team is all about. “It’s not about one guy trying to make big money, a contract. Here they don’t care about that. “That’s what I see when I play against them and now that I’m here, that’s what it is.”

Milicic, who signed a one-year deal with the Celtics last month, needs only to come into games to spell Kevin Garnett — to rebound, play defense, and use his massive size (listed at 7 feet, 275 pounds) to his advantage. If he does that, he will have satisfied the Celtics’ requirements after spending the first nine years of his career leaving his teams and fans wanting more, much more.

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First there was the picture of Darko laughing with KG (above). Then there was video of Darko playfully inserting himself between Celtics who were exchanging words. Now we have Doc making an effort to have the Dark Lord feel welcome.

I've been hot and cold with this acquisition. I'm rooting for him because of the name on the front of his jersey. It's the name on the back that left me hot and cold. One day I post reasons to like the signing, the next day the opposite. Somewhere in the middle I suggest at the very least the signing gives us comedy relief. Those days may be over for me. I may be ready to start the Darko Bandwagon in Beantown.

Here's why.

The Darko Chronicles: Where FlCeltsFan May have a Point

Over the weekend, I was somewhat troubled by the report that Kevin Love’s earlier reference to “bad blood” being removed from the Timberwolves’ locker room may have been a reference to Darko Milicic, and not just Michael Beasley. The Darko barometer here on my blog again plummeted, forecasting storm clouds and rain for the 2012-13 NBA season.

On the one hand, it shouldn’t have come as a great shock. We already knew that Milicic had a falling out with head coach Rick Adelman, and it really isn’t that far of a stretch to go from problems with the coach to problems in the locker room. On the other hand, reports like this disappoint me because Minnesota’s Darko problem sounds a little like Boston’s Mark Blount problem from a few years back. This is to say, Minnesota overpaid for a player who showed flashes of talent and dedication, only to see that promise disappear over time, becoming victim to injury, attitude, and conditioning issues. The word “cancer” comes to mind.

How’s that for a thought to kick off the work week? 

Florida Celts Fan (FCF) has done her best to lift us out of the Darko doldrums.

Inside Darko's Head (part 96)

April 10, 2011

DENVER - Timberwolves center Darko Milicic is about to complete a season that he says is unlike any of his first seven in the NBA.Yet, many of the same questions remain about a player who played well against some of the league's best centers, and finished the season fifth in the entire league in blocked shots. "It wasn't great, but it was OK," Milicic said. "I feel much more comfortable playing basketball. I think this is the first season where I really believed somebody, really believed the people here. I think it's the first time I'm really looking forward to next season."

"He didn't have the season where he regained all of his confidence," Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said. "There's a lot more to his game that he didn't show this year."That's going to come over time. After having spent so many years whatever he went through to lose that confidence, it's going to take a while to get it back."

I find this fascinating.

We start to delve into the inner psyche of Darko Milicic, a player, who, as everyone knows, was drafted second overall in 2003, when the other four top-five picks included LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. Obviously, Darko didn't hold up his end of the bargain. Now that Celtic fans are forced to root for Dear Darko, I'm sure most of us are like, well, you weren't worth a #2 pick, but, you know, shake it off, and be productive like you were in 2010-11, and you'll be a folk hero in Beantown.

Starting with a "clean slate" sounds easy enough. But let's step into Darko's shoes for a minute.