So you think we are done with Darko or what?

[Grits n Gravy]

darko was really starting to become a good to very good starting center pre injury. i'll be happy to give him another season or half a season to see how he goes at starting...we'll probably need him too anyway as the only way we will probably get a new center is through a young guy who is not ready in the draft. he is being paid back up money and if we do find an upgrade to start he will instantly become a very good back up and a pretty valuable guy to bring off the bench. darko's future probably does point to him being a back up unless he can re-capture that form he had earliier in the season, if not, i hope that he will be professional enough to accept it.

I find it interesting that most people use Beasley's injuries as the main reason why he struggled laast season, but then ignore Milicic's injuries when he had many of the same struggles last season.

exactly sir

[jade_hippo]

If Darko is replaced by an upgrade - Noah, Bogut, Bynum, Howard, Kanter - how many can replace what he does on the team? Those guys (with the possible exception of Kanter) are at least better than him as centers (in some cases much better), but how many of them can cover for Love? Darko not only initiates the offense, he also protects the rim and as we've recently discussed covers the best/most mobile big man. Can any of those guys be asked to guard Aldridge, Griffin, Boozer, KG, etc...? Now, looking at the team's record, you might say Darko himself isn't too successful in this assignment - I just don't see how too many other traditional centers do it as well or better than him.

This is a problem, not an good thing, and is one of the many reasons our offence stagnates at times. 1.5 assits and 2.2TO a game from the guy that is supposed to be a "Vlade like passer" who is the originator of our offence?? we should probably have one of our PGs doing these things.

[Esohny]

darko was really starting to become a good to very good starting center pre injury. i'll be happy to give him another season or half a season to see how he goes at starting...we'll probably need him too anyway as the only way we will probably get a new center is through a young guy who is not ready in the draft. he is being paid back up money and if we do find an upgrade to start he will instantly become a very good back up and a pretty valuable guy to bring off the bench. darko's future probably does point to him being a back up unless he can re-capture that form he had earliier in the season, if not, i hope that he will be professional enough to accept it.

I find it interesting that most people use Beasley's injuries as the main reason why he struggled laast season, but then ignore Milicic's injuries when he had many of the same struggles last season.

It's helps that Beasley had more than a few games where he wasn't garbage before being hurt.

[Breakdown777]

We're not done with Darko. We signed him to a 3 (possibly 4) year deal knowing full well that he was planning on leaving the NBA and that few (if any) other teams were interested in him. The only way he'd be included in a deal is as filler or instant buyout at this stage in his career.

As far as his role on the team is concerned....as long as Rambis is here I think he'll still be a crucial part of our system. If a new coach steps in and doesn't see the same things Rambis and Kahn see, then he'll most likely be relegated to a diminished role (which most likely won't set well with his confidence and mindset, leading to low performance). I think Darko is real good at times, but he is such a high maintenance player that it's difficult to fully support him knowing his performance can change sporadically and is easily affected.