RealGM

According to league source, Detroit Pistons director of basketball operations Tony Ronzone will become Minnesota's assistant GM next month.

Also from Amick's twitter account:

Move is unrelated to departure of Fred Hoiberg, the T-Wolves' former VP of basketball ops who is now head coach at Iowa State.

Darko Miliminutes wrote:Darko and Tony Ronzone have a fair amount of history. He was involved in the decision to draft Darko. IIRC he and Darko are/were pretty close. Ronzone started scouting Darko when he was pretty young.

J_Era_3 wrote:

Darko Miliminutes wrote:Darko and Tony Ronzone have a fair amount of history. He was involved in the decision to draft Darko. IIRC he and Darko are/were pretty close. Ronzone started scouting Darko when he was pretty young.

We all know Darko is a well skilled player, but Tony picked him ahead of Melo, Bosh, Wade, Kaman (I think Darko could be up there with Kaman had he gotten a better chance early in his career). That's my only concern with him, and especially with this team, we cannot afford that to have that happen to us. Hope he learned from his mistake. I would hate to see that we got the 2nd pick and he chose Donatas Motiejunas, which I don't think he's that dumb to do, well hopefully not.

J_Era_3 wrote:

Darko Miliminutes wrote:Darko and Tony Ronzone have a fair amount of history. He was involved in the decision to draft Darko. IIRC he and Darko are/were pretty close. Ronzone started scouting Darko when he was pretty young.

We all know Darko is a well skilled player, but Tony picked him ahead of Melo, Bosh, Wade, Kaman (I think Darko could be up there with Kaman had he gotten a better chance early in his career). That's my only concern with him, and especially with this team, we cannot afford that to have that happen to us. Hope he learned from his mistake. I would hate to see that we got the 2nd pick and he chose Donatas Motiejunas, which I don't think he's that dumb to do, well hopefully not.

revprodeji wrote:To be fair, Darko was not considered a reach at the time. He was considered a bigger KG. The majority of teams would have taken him above Mello. (many considered him the next Glenn Robinson)

Darko Milicic at No. 2? Tell us something we don't know.

(James' and Milicic's jerseys were already available at concession stands at Madison Square Garden.)

Carmelo Anthony? Yeah, we're mellow, all right.

Even Chris Bosh going to the Raptors at No. 4 was expected, although Dick Vitale loudly (sorry, that's redundant) disagreed.

Then things got interesting.

"And with the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft," Commissioner Stern said, "the Miami Heat select ... Dwyane Wade."

What the? Whoa, some intrigue in NBA Draft 2003. Wade? Wasn't he supposed to fall to Chicago at No. 7? He did in our scouts' mock draft.

Weren't the Heat supposed to take a point guard (T.J. Ford and Kirk Hinrich were available) or a big man, like Maciej Lampe?

Yeah, Lampe. What happened to Lampe? His was the biggest story of the night not featuring Jordan or "the next Jordan" (a.k.a. "LeBron").

No. 2: Detroit Pistons (from Memphis)
Likely pick: Darko Milicic, PF, 7-0, 245, Hemofarm Vrsac (Serbia & Montenegro)
West scout: "They need scoring. I see them taking Darko and moving Ben Wallace to four."
East scout: "With Milicic, they can't go wrong. They also need a backup point guard."

No. 5: Miami Heat
Likely pick: Maciej Lampe, SF, 6-11, 240, Universidad Complutense (Spain)
West scout: "With 'Zo's situation, they need a center. They had a great find last year in Caron Butler. They also desperately need a point guard."
East scout: "Like Denver, they need scoring. They may look at a point guard like T.J. Ford. He's not that great defensively, so they may pass on that and go big."

Krapinsky wrote:Interesting read from the 2003 draft --

http://www.nba.com/features/clickandroll_draft2003.html

Darko Milicic at No. 2? Tell us something we don't know.

(James' and Milicic's jerseys were already available at concession stands at Madison Square Garden.)

Carmelo Anthony? Yeah, we're mellow, all right.

Even Chris Bosh going to the Raptors at No. 4 was expected, although Dick Vitale loudly (sorry, that's redundant) disagreed.

Then things got interesting.

"And with the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft," Commissioner Stern said, "the Miami Heat select ... Dwyane Wade."

What the? Whoa, some intrigue in NBA Draft 2003. Wade? Wasn't he supposed to fall to Chicago at No. 7? He did in our scouts' mock draft.

Weren't the Heat supposed to take a point guard (T.J. Ford and Kirk Hinrich were available) or a big man, like Maciej Lampe?

Yeah, Lampe. What happened to Lampe? His was the biggest story of the night not featuring Jordan or "the next Jordan" (a.k.a. "LeBron").

http://www.nba.com/draft2003/lottery_scouts.html

No. 2: Detroit Pistons (from Memphis)
Likely pick: Darko Milicic, PF, 7-0, 245, Hemofarm Vrsac (Serbia & Montenegro)
West scout: "They need scoring. I see them taking Darko and moving Ben Wallace to four."
East scout: "With Milicic, they can't go wrong. They also need a backup point guard."

Just for fun ----

No. 5: Miami Heat
Likely pick: Maciej Lampe, SF, 6-11, 240, Universidad Complutense (Spain)
West scout: "With 'Zo's situation, they need a center. They had a great find last year in Caron Butler. They also desperately need a point guard."
East scout: "Like Denver, they need scoring. They may look at a point guard like T.J. Ford. He's not that great defensively, so they may pass on that and go big."

Detroit Pistons
Round 1: Darko Milicic, F, Serbia-Montenegro (No. 2)
Round 1: Carlos Delfino, G, Italy (No. 25)
Round 2: Andres Gliniadakis, C, Greece (No. 58)
How many teams with the best record in their conference end up with the best big man in the draft and a draft-night steal in Carlos Delfino? By now, you know about Darko, but Delfino will also be important down the road. He's tough, a strong shooter and plays aggressive defense. He reminds me a lot of Michael Finley. He could play an immediate role on the Pistons if he stays here next year. Gliniadakis was a nice pickup at the end of the draft. He's a 7-footer who can actually play. The Pistons will leave him in Greece for a few years and bring him over when he's ready.
Grade: A+

New Orleans Hornets
Round 1: David West, F, Xavier (No. 18)
Round 2: James Lang, C, Central Park Christian HS (No. 48)
David West is a solid pick. He'll contribute a little in year one, get some rebounds and block some shots. He's a poor man's P.J. Brown. They didn't shoot for the moon on this pick, nor did they stick out their necks. So they get an average grade.
Grade: C+

LOBO 7 wrote:

Krapinsky wrote:Interesting read from the 2003 draft --

http://www.nba.com/features/clickandroll_draft2003.html

Darko Milicic at No. 2? Tell us something we don't know.

(James' and Milicic's jerseys were already available at concession stands at Madison Square Garden.)

Carmelo Anthony? Yeah, we're mellow, all right.

Even Chris Bosh going to the Raptors at No. 4 was expected, although Dick Vitale loudly (sorry, that's redundant) disagreed.

Then things got interesting.

"And with the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft," Commissioner Stern said, "the Miami Heat select ... Dwyane Wade."

What the? Whoa, some intrigue in NBA Draft 2003. Wade? Wasn't he supposed to fall to Chicago at No. 7? He did in our scouts' mock draft.

Weren't the Heat supposed to take a point guard (T.J. Ford and Kirk Hinrich were available) or a big man, like Maciej Lampe?

Yeah, Lampe. What happened to Lampe? His was the biggest story of the night not featuring Jordan or "the next Jordan" (a.k.a. "LeBron").

http://www.nba.com/draft2003/lottery_scouts.html

No. 2: Detroit Pistons (from Memphis)
Likely pick: Darko Milicic, PF, 7-0, 245, Hemofarm Vrsac (Serbia & Montenegro)
West scout: "They need scoring. I see them taking Darko and moving Ben Wallace to four."
East scout: "With Milicic, they can't go wrong. They also need a backup point guard."

Just for fun ----

No. 5: Miami Heat
Likely pick: Maciej Lampe, SF, 6-11, 240, Universidad Complutense (Spain)
West scout: "With 'Zo's situation, they need a center. They had a great find last year in Caron Butler. They also desperately need a point guard."
East scout: "Like Denver, they need scoring. They may look at a point guard like T.J. Ford. He's not that great defensively, so they may pass on that and go big."

Interesting stuff.
I just remembered I have a copy of SLAM magazine with our boy Darko (bleached blonde) on the cover, and that came out pre-draft. I should dust that puppy off and flip through the article again.

If Miami had taken Lampe over Wade, now THAT would have trumped Darko over Melo, easy.