I've been told by bballee that Lex and I have been way too negative about Darko. I haven't meant to be very negative but I guess I just have had my doubts about him and maybe that was what was coming out. Truth is, as a back up to the back up center, he's a good signing, even if he doesn't improve any over his previous play.. His numbers last year, 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game aren't terrible. There are a lot of positives to this signing.
Darko is listed at 7'1" tall and 250 lbs so he is big and solid. He is 27 years old so he is still young. He's fairly athletic. He has great timing and instincts when it comes to shot-blocking. He hasn't been known for his work ethic but maybe that was immaturity. He passed up a 3 year $6 million contract in Europe to play with the Celtics at the vet minimum so this is something he really wants and that may be motivation for him to work harder. The opportunity to play with, and learn from, KG, it may just turn his career around. If he
I guess much of the knock on him has come from the fact that he was the #2
pick and has never lived up to that lofty standard. Maybe if he had
been taken 29th in the draft we'd be singing his praises. He's shown flashes of talent but has never been consistent. The Celtics are hoping he will finally be the player Detroit thought he was when they made him the 2nd pick in the draft. Waiting until the last week of the offseason to get a minimum offer may
be the wake up call that he needed. This may be his last chance as
salvaging his career in the NBA and the Celtics are hoping he takes advantage of it.
Yeah, from what I've read and seen, a lot of his problems stemmed from attitude/immaturity and if he grows up a bit and decides to work hard, he may surprise us all!
