Epic Thread: Darko Pekovic Jefferson Love

[cpfsf]

Milicic, now it's up to you to prove that you deserve your upcoming 3 year 14.7 million salary.

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=999496

Here's a thread on the Spurs forum dedicated to Darko

[cpfsf]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/89747177.html?page=1&c=y

Darko, your new nickname is Mr. D

"I like it here," he said after the Timberwolves practiced Thursday. "There's nothing they've done to not make me stay here, but you never know. If these guys want me to stay, be on the same page for next year, why not stay here?"

"You never know, it's the NBA," Milicic said. "You never know what will happen in the summertime, how things can go. Next year? Until I sign it, I can't tell you if I'll be here or not."

When told Milicic said he wants to remain if the team wants him back, Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said: "It's pretty easy then, isn't it? Especially since it's not my money."

Milicic called next season "crucial" for his conditioning and his game, wherever he plays.

"It's tough, almost the end of the season, you're not in shape," he said. "When I come back, I'll get in great shape from the beginning, all season long. That's what I'm looking for, all season long. This season, I'm just trying to finish strong and see what I can do."

Don't expect the Wolves to bring back unrestricted free agents such as Sasha Pavlovic or Oleksiy Pecherov next season, but second-year forward Nathan Jawai could be re-signed and perhaps play for the Wolves' Vegas Summer League team, depending on what other moves the franchise makes this summer.

Rambis created a word Thursday to describe Corey Brewer's big steal late in Wednesday's game. Brewer stole the ball from Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans and provided an emphatic slam dunk to secure the streak-snapping victory.

"It was very Trevor-esque," he said.

There's more at the link, but I just removed the ST commentary.

[Basti]

they intend to resign Jawai?

[C.lupus]

they intend to resign Jawai?

My exact same reaction

[Calinks]

Ok I have been listening to a lot of audio from Darko and Al lately. Both players seem to have praise for one another and they both have talked about enjoying playing together. One thing both players really seem excited about is that Al has a great right hand while Darko has a great left hand. Al mentioned that playing with Darko makes both of them more dangerous because Al can play more on the right and Darko liked to play on the left. He and Darko will rarely bud heads trying to play on the same block.

Al said that he has just about as much faith in Darko's left than he has in his right hand. He called himself the right hand of Darko and Darko the left hand of Al Jefferson. Basically, they really love the right hand/left hand situation they got going.

Darko thinks Al is a good defender. He think Al plays hard and he likes it.

Al says he needs to get a lot better on defense. He says that its on him to improve in that area and be an example for the team. Darko's D rubs off and he realizes that when he plays good D it rubs off as well. Al said he needs to do a better job of passing out. He said all his life he has split double teams and he loves to make teams pay but he has to get the ball out more often. Now he is seeing the pass out opportunities but sometimes he still makes the choice not to make the pass out of habit.

He called Darko a PG in the post, he says that Darko has opened his eyes up more as to how a player can pass out of the post effectively. Al also mentioned that he feels a big difference going back to the PF spot and playing those players. He thinks Darko will be a beast when he gets conditioned and teams will not be able to double he or Darko consistently.

[shrink]

Draft Express updated its rankings of rights held for euros'

http://www.draftexpress.com/rankings/NBA-Rights-Held/

1 Ricky Rubio PG
19 years old, 6' 4" 180lbs.
DKV Joventut

2 Josh Childress F
26 years old, 6' 8" 205lbs.
Stanford

3 Tiago Splitter C
25 years old, 7' 0" 245lbs.
Caja Laboral Baskonia

4 Fran Vazquez PF/C
26 years old, 6' 10" 229lbs.
Regal FC Barcelona

5 Linas Kleiza SF
25 years old, 6' 8" 233lbs.
Missouri

6 Sergio Llull PG
22 years old, 6' 3" 176lbs.
Real Madrid

7 Nikola Pekovic C
24 years old, 6' 11" 243lbs.
KK Partizan Belgrade

I was kind of surprised to see Pekovic down at 7 .. I thought he'd be higher. I believe he was #3 on the list two years ago. He's been successful since then, and besides Llull, its not like younger players moved in front.

[horaceworthy]

Ok I have been listening to a lot of audio from Darko and Al lately. Both players seem to have praise for one another and they both have talked about enjoying playing together. One thing both players really seem excited about is that Al has a great right hand while Darko has a great left hand. Al mentioned that playing with Darko makes both of them more dangerous because Al can play more on the right and Darko liked to play on the left. He and Darko will rarely bud heads trying to play on the same block.

Al said that he has just about as much faith in Darko's left than he has in his right hand. He called himself the right hand of Darko and Darko the left hand of Al Jefferson. Basically, they really love the right hand/left hand situation they got going.

Darko thinks Al is a good defender. He think Al plays hard and he likes it.

Al says he needs to get a lot better on defense. He says that its on him to improve in that area and be an example for the team. Darko's D rubs off and he realizes that when he plays good D it rubs off as well. Al said he needs to do a better job of passing out. He said all his life he has split double teams and he loves to make teams pay but he has to get the ball out more often. Now he is seeing the pass out opportunities but sometimes he still makes the choice not to make the pass out of habit.

He called Darko a PG in the post, he says that Darko has opened his eyes up more as to how a player can pass out of the post effectively. Al also mentioned that he feels a big difference going back to the PF spot and playing those players. He thinks Darko will be a beast when he gets conditioned and teams will not be able to double he or Darko consistently.

Then the rest of the league needs to be put on notice, along with the people that believe technology will someday rise up against us, because the post scoring machine known as Al Jefferson has become self-aware.

[C.lupus]

[Krapinsky]

Ok I have been listening to a lot of audio from Darko and Al lately. Both players seem to have praise for one another and they both have talked about enjoying playing together. One thing both players really seem excited about is that Al has a great right hand while Darko has a great left hand. Al mentioned that playing with Darko makes both of them more dangerous because Al can play more on the right and Darko liked to play on the left. He and Darko will rarely bud heads trying to play on the same block.

Al said that he has just about as much faith in Darko's left than he has in his right hand. He called himself the right hand of Darko and Darko the left hand of Al Jefferson. Basically, they really love the right hand/left hand situation they got going.

Darko thinks Al is a good defender. He think Al plays hard and he likes it.

Al says he needs to get a lot better on defense. He says that its on him to improve in that area and be an example for the team. Darko's D rubs off and he realizes that when he plays good D it rubs off as well. Al said he needs to do a better job of passing out. He said all his life he has split double teams and he loves to make teams pay but he has to get the ball out more often. Now he is seeing the pass out opportunities but sometimes he still makes the choice not to make the pass out of habit.

He called Darko a PG in the post, he says that Darko has opened his eyes up more as to how a player can pass out of the post effectively. Al also mentioned that he feels a big difference going back to the PF spot and playing those players. He thinks Darko will be a beast when he gets conditioned and teams will not be able to double he or Darko consistently.

Do you have links to some of this audio -- or is this jsut timberwolves.com stuff. I would like to listen too please.

[Breakdown777]

After those last few posts, I don't really want to trade Al anymore. I'd also like to resign Darko (but something tells me this won't happen) Either way, I want a good passing, good D playing, left handed Center.

Love either needs to get used to 25 minutes a game off the bench, become a C or SF, or quietly accept being moved for a young wing.

[Krapinsky]

After those last few posts, I don't really want to trade Al anymore. I'd also like to resign Darko (but something tells me this won't happen) Either way, I want a good passing, good D playing, left handed Center.

Love either needs to get used to 25 minutes a game off the bench, become a C or SF, or quietly accept being moved for a young wing.

I still think we should trade Love for Wes Johnson. Then we have a shooter at the 3 with a quick release who can really help out Jefferson and Milicic in the post and make people pay for double teaming.

[Calinks]

Ok I have been listening to a lot of audio from Darko and Al lately. Both players seem to have praise for one another and they both have talked about enjoying playing together. One thing both players really seem excited about is that Al has a great right hand while Darko has a great left hand. Al mentioned that playing with Darko makes both of them more dangerous because Al can play more on the right and Darko liked to play on the left. He and Darko will rarely bud heads trying to play on the same block.

Al said that he has just about as much faith in Darko's left than he has in his right hand. He called himself the right hand of Darko and Darko the left hand of Al Jefferson. Basically, they really love the right hand/left hand situation they got going.

Darko thinks Al is a good defender. He think Al plays hard and he likes it.

Al says he needs to get a lot better on defense. He says that its on him to improve in that area and be an example for the team. Darko's D rubs off and he realizes that when he plays good D it rubs off as well. Al said he needs to do a better job of passing out. He said all his life he has split double teams and he loves to make teams pay but he has to get the ball out more often. Now he is seeing the pass out opportunities but sometimes he still makes the choice not to make the pass out of habit.

He called Darko a PG in the post, he says that Darko has opened his eyes up more as to how a player can pass out of the post effectively. Al also mentioned that he feels a big difference going back to the PF spot and playing those players. He thinks Darko will be a beast when he gets conditioned and teams will not be able to double he or Darko consistently.

Do you have links to some of this audio -- or is this jsut timberwolves.com stuff. I would like to listen too please.

Yea its on Timberwolves .com. The majority of this is from the Sac post game audio and the latest shoot around. One of Al's interviews is like 6 minutes. Darko talks in a shoot around one. I usually put them on my MP3 and give them a listen when I am doing some mundane task.

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/th ... 04_01.html

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/Wo ... 03_31.html

[Krapinsky]

Sweet, thanks

[the_bruce]

I still think we should trade Love for Wes Johnson. Then we have a shooter at the 3 with a quick release who can really help out Jefferson and Milicic in the post and make people pay for double teaming.

Agree

[prefuse73]

Im scared. Im starting to really buy into this Darko/Jefferson combo. They are the same age and fit together literally perfectly on both sides of the ball. I don't think Love would be willing to be a long term bench player, nor do I think he actually is an ideal fit.

With that said, I am down with a Love for Wilcox and Detroit 1st trade. Select the two best wing players in the draft in Turner and Johnson. Use the Charlotte pick on a Darko/Big Al compliment. Who do think, provided they are available, are the best compliment.. Whiteside, Larry Sanders, or Solomon Alabi. I am leaning towards Sanders. Whiteside seems to have a lot of off the court issues...

Milicic, Hollins
Jefferson / Sanders / Wilcox
Turner / Johnson
Brewer / Ellington
Flynn / Sessions

[Chuck Diesel]

As a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks who also closely follows the Euroleague, I would be thrilled if we traded our first round pick to you guys (which could be as high as 11) for Nikola Pekovic. No question in my mind he will be a highly productive NBA big man for the next 6-7 years. I'd also do the same deal for Love.

[Klomp]

"He hit me with a Darko pass," Flynn said about one of Jefferson's three assists. "It's tough for everybody learning this system, knowing what you can and can't do. When Al sees Darko make a pass like that, he sees what's possible. It's definitely rubbing off."

Said Jefferson: "I see myself looking at passes now that I never would have looked at before. [Milicic] helps me open my eyes up to the game because he can pass, he can score, he does all the right things on offense. I see the things he does in games. Now, I think I'm a lot better making the right decisions."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolve ... anchO7DiUr

[TheProdigy]

"He hit me with a Darko pass," Flynn said about one of Jefferson's three assists. "It's tough for everybody learning this system, knowing what you can and can't do. When Al sees Darko make a pass like that, he sees what's possible. It's definitely rubbing off."

Said Jefferson: "I see myself looking at passes now that I never would have looked at before. [Milicic] helps me open my eyes up to the game because he can pass, he can score, he does all the right things on offense. I see the things he does in games. Now, I think I'm a lot better making the right decisions."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolve ... anchO7DiUr

Look at that, he even has a pass named after him now. I'm starting to worry that Darko is playing himself out of the price range we're willing to pay for him. You know that euro teams are watching what he's doing right now. If we get into a bidding war with them, we're probably not going to win. Maybe money won't be the deciding factor though. Maybe he would like to play for Partizan Belgrade which is very close to his hometown. At this point who knows. All I know is that we are a MUCH better team with Darko.

[Foye]

As a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks who also closely follows the Euroleague, I would be thrilled if we traded our first round pick to you guys (which could be as high as 11) for Nikola Pekovic. No question in my mind he will be a highly productive NBA big man for the next 6-7 years. I'd also do the same deal for Love.

I'd pass for Pekovic unless Cole Aldrich is available with your pick. Love is clearly out of consideration.

[Krapinsky]

I would do a Pekovic for Henry swap.