Have the T-wolves found their long term Center?
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010While it might be true that Darko Milicic is properly described as being a great many different things … including, possibly, the biggest bust in the last 10 years of the NBA Draft … it should also be duly noted that he is clearly not one of these, as well:
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For lack of a few crucial stops, Wolves lose 13th straight
Though the Wolves have won only one game since the 7-foot Serbian arrived in mid-February, Rambis said he has seen flashes of a player so promising seven years ago, when he was drafted ahead of [Chris] Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.
“And I think he can be a lot better,” Rambis said. “As he gets in better shape and gets more comfortable and more confident, you’ll see him stretch his game.”
In fact, he’s already done that offensively. Milicic scored a season-high 16 points against the Lakers last Friday, and appeared to be more confident about taking good shots.
“The guys are learning how to use him,” Rambis said. “I’ve told him, whenever he’s comfortable, I’m OK with him shooting inside, outside, [from the] elbow, long distance. But he has to have the confidence to do that.”
For Milicic, who is still only 24 years old despite being a seven-year NBA veteran, it’s a matter of playing the way he was taught back in Serbia.
“I’m just trying to relax. I got used to playing this American way of running crazy, playing too fast. I’ve got to slow it down,” Milicic said. “When I came [to the U.S.], I stopped playing basketball the way I know how to play. Playing too fast, running like chickens without heads.”
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If he can successfully return to the roots of his “multi-headed” individual game … by learning how to slow down and play within the confines of the Triangle Offense, let’s say, with Ricky Rubio/PG, at the helm, beside Al Jefferson/PF, Kevin Love/PF, Corey Brewer/OG-SF and the T-wolves upcoming 2010 Lottery Selection …
Is there really any good reason to believe that Darko Milicic, at the still relatively tender age of 24,
is somehow incapable of putting up “15 and 8″, on a game-to-game basis …
against the other “25 and under” starting calibre Centers, in the NBA today
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EASTERN CONFERENCE |
WESTERN CONFERENCE |
||
|
ATLANTIC |
NORTHWEST |
||
|
Boston |
Perkins, K [25] |
Denver |
Petro, J [24] |
|
Toronto |
Bargnani, A [24] |
Utah |
Fesenko, K [23] |
|
New York |
– |
Oklahoma City |
Ibaka, S [20] |
|
Philadelphia |
Speights, M [22] |
Portland |
Oden, G [21] |
|
New Jersey |
Lopez, B [21] |
Minnesota |
Milicic, D [24] |
|
CENTRAL |
PACIFIC |
||
|
Cleveland |
– |
LA Lakers |
Bynum, A [22] |
|
Milwaukee |
Bogut, A [25] |
Phoenix |
Lopez, R [21] |
|
Chicago |
Noah, J [25] |
LA Clippers |
Jordan, D [21] |
|
Indiana |
Hibbert, R [23] |
Sacramento |
Hawes, S [21] |
|
Detroit |
– |
Golden State |
Biedrins, A [23] |
|
SOUTHEAST |
SOUTHWEST |
||
|
Orlando |
Howard, D [24] |
Dallas |
– |
|
Atlanta |
Horford, A [24] |
San Antonio |
– |
|
Miami |
– |
Memphis |
Gasol, M [25] |
|
Charlotte |
– |
Houston |
– |
|
Washington |
Blatche, A [25] |
New Orleans |
– |
… over the course of the next several seasons?
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