Jae wrote:Just look at him on the international stage for Serbia where he is a 20 ppg scorer. Darko just did not get an opportunity in the NBA.
That doesn't make sense. If he's good enough to be scoring 20ppg for Serbia why is he playing like a scrub in the NBA? He's getting opportunities and has for a few years now, he had three seasons where he was getting around 20mpg. He isn't as good a player as he could've ended up because Detroit screwed him around so much but at the same time if he's able to play like that for his country why is he so shit in the NBA. It's not like he's backing up Pau and Bynum either, I mean he's playing for the Knicks.
Well, after deeper look, 20 ppg was a bit of a stretch but he averaged 16 ppg, 9 rpg for the Serbian national team at the World Championships. Granted, they weren't a very good side but he was still close to averaging a double double in international play where statistics are lower as well due to the play. When I said he didn't get an opportunity, at the start he just didn't get a chance to play in Brown's system. I think that must have messed with his head. In recent years, he just has not seemed to show much improvement and I will have to admit we can't blame that on anyone.
But you look at him with the Knicks now and D'Antoni isn't playing him... however it's the same with Nate Robinson who has not gotten off the bench since start of the month I believe. So like Robinson, Darko isn't getting the chance to play. That's not to say there's anything wrong with that; the coach is the one who decides if the team needs them. And it also does not reflect on whether they are good enoguh players. The premise of my argument is that Darko either has landed on teams that don't need him and on teams that do let him play - he has been average.
So coming back to him being one of Serbia's leading scorers, rebounders, shot blockers - I don't think he is on the national team anymore - it also makes me ask why he can't play at a high level in the NBA. Maybe the answer lies with his mental capacity to cope with playing in the NBA? Because skill-wise, I'm sure he is good enough to stick around and that's why NY picked him up over the Summer. Ever since he left Detroit, the most I was thinknig he would become was a solid starter who grabbed close to 10 boards a night and could lead his team in shotblocking.
EDIT: Also agree with the people in here who said the argument of 'Darko got picked earlier than Melo, Wade, Bosh makes him a bust'... As I said it's a bit unfair because you wouldn't know how those three would have turned out if they went to Detroit and played under Larry Brown. Don't forget the Athens olympcis when the young gusy barely got off the bench for Team USA. Who knows - Darko might have turned out a decent player if he went to a really shitty team and no one would be calling him a bust now.
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