Do you remember the person from your last middle or high school basketball team with the longest arms? Okay, weird question, I know. How about the one who could make the most unguarded 3-pointers alone in a gym? Me either, on both counts; I may even have been the latter guy, I don’t know. But That Guy — or who That Guy would be if you grew up outside of Novi Sad, Serbia — just got PAID. Memphis Grizzlies fans, if you liked Stromile Swift, wait until you get a load of the Serbian-Montenegrin Stromile Swift, only with frostier tips and less dunking. As with all things Darko Milicic, Chad Ford is there first at ESPN, reporting that Darkman 2 (peace, Larry Drake) has signed on with the Grizzlies for a three-year hitch. Marc Cornstein, come on kick it!
“We are extremely excited for this new opportunity,” Cornstein said. “Darko’s going to a team that really wants him. He’s going to a young team with an exciting bright future much like his own. We’re very excited Darko gets to learn from coach Marc Iavaroni. We believe he’s one of the best big men coaches in the game. And we couldn’t be happier that he has found a new home where he’s appreciated.”
Milicic was recently waived by the Orlando Magic to clear the cap room necessary to sign Rashard Lewis.
“Memphis has really pursued Darko since the moment he became an unrestricted free agent last week,” Cornstein said. “And I’m grateful for the opportunity they’ll be providing for Darko at this stage of his career.”
Milicic was traded to the Magic in February of 2006 and began to turn around his career. He averaged eight points and 5.5 rebounds in 23 minutes per game for the Magic last season. But he upped his average to 12.3 points per game in the playoffs this year.
I don’t know, it seemed like Cornstein was kind of sticking it to Orlando a little bit, there. With a career stat sheet that looks like this, it’s hard to imagine why the Magic might’ve treated Darko somewhat disimissively. I know Darko’s 7-foot and was the second pick in the best NBA Draft in recent memory and all, but if we’re just going by stats then Portland acquiring James Jones is a much bigger deal.
I dunno….this guy blocks shots like crazy, he can hit the short range and shorter middle-range jumper, he has a nice touch inside, he works hard, he gets hella rebounds. Let’s give this guy a chance to succeed rather than burying him right off the bat. Gasol gets a lot of rebounds and I think Darko will be a nice compliment to him. Combine that with Rudy Gay who is practically a human pogo stick…..Mike Miller and Mike Conley Jr…..that’s a decent starting five.
No, they’re probably better for the signing, and clearly better off than they would be if they’d signed Varejao, who really can’t do anything. I still don’t think Darko is any better than Hakim Warrick, though, and that’s not saying terribly much. The thing with Darko that’s discouraging, and admittedly it’s something he may well grow out of, is his attitude. He gets frustrated, dials out, and has yet to put together a really good stretch of games in his career (he scored more in the Magic’s brief postseason appearance this year, but also grabbed a robust 4.5 RPG in that series). I’m not looking to cast stones on the inconsistency and outhinking-oneself tip. I have this with my writing and other things, but it’s a different game, and obviously no one is offering me eight figures. I’m just not really sure I see what separates Darko from Stromile, except that he’s a few years younger and obviously less versed in Louisiana folkways.
If the Grizz can deal Gasol — whether for Ben Gordon and Ty Thomas or something like that or any other young talents — they’ll be better off. If they go into the season with Darko, Gasol and Gay as a front line, they’ll still be better than they were last year. But there are a lot of holes there. Like with the Kings, who I was writing something about today, they were a playoff team until all of a sudden they weren’t, and drafted accordingly. I wouldn’t expect a playoff bid this year, although I wouldn’t hang that on Darko.