Need we even go through the list of Top 10 busts in the lottery for the National Basketball Association? All of you know where it leads, because all roads lead to Darko. That is truly a shame. Darko seemed to have it all. He was young, not even 18 when everyone was talking about him. He was tall, over 7 foot. He was athletic and could easily dunk the ball. Darko Milicic even appeared to have moves.

He’s the total package. His name eases right into the lame jokes (”you could get yourself another Dar-ko Milicic; you know what I mean? This guy knows what I’m talking about!”), he’s been an underachieving flameout, he only rose to prominence by taking advantage of well-sourced but not entirely basketball-savvy (at least, then) hoops scribes who were smitten by his ability to spin and dunk in an empty gym.
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Joe Dumars could not pass him up. Who could? Those that talk about taking Carmelo Anthony forget that Anthony came out of a college system where they played strictly zone defense and to this day he shoots too much and can’t guard my grandmother. Those that say Joe should have picked Chris Bosh forget that he was not that heralded coming out of college and those that say Joe should have picked Dwyane Wade forget that Wade came from Marquette and was a tweener height. You knew he could not be a true point guard and seemed a tad small for a shooting guard. Who knew?

Topping the Top 10 Lottery Busts - Darko Milicic

There is no question now that Wade, Bosh, and Anthony are all great players, but Darko is nothing but a bust. Just take a look in the mirror before you blame Joe Dumars.
Image: Zuma Press

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Post from: NBA Obsessed

Zach Randolph only equals a Darko and a Marko?

How can this even be a real trade?

Memphis is looking to trade Darko and Marko? What? Come on.

No, as reported in Hoopsworld, …

The deal, which has been on the table for quite some time, had the Knicks sending Zach Randolph to the Grizzlies for Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric. As we’ve discussed at length in this space, the positive for the Knicks in what would otherwise seem like a lop-sided trade, would be the possibility that Mike D’Antoni’s expertise with European players might be just what Milicic needs to finally arrive as a productive NBA player.

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Zach’s value went down under Isiah Thomas and could go up under Mike D’Antoni or could not. Anyway, that seems to be the holdup on this trade. What is Zach really worth?

By the way, go to Hoopsworld. It is a fun read.

photo source newscom

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Post from: NBA Obsessed

Check out this list of free agents.

Now you can see why the Pistons, Nets and other teams are clearing off salary cap room for next year:

PLAYER	TM	TYPE
LeBron James	CLE	player option
Dirk Nowitzki	DAL	player option
Josh Howard	DAL	player option
Dwyane Wade	MIA	player option
Michael Redd	MIL	player option
Amare Stoudemire	PHX	player option
Joe Johnson	ATL	unrestricted
Ben Wallace	CLE	unrestricted
Marcus Camby	DEN	unrestricted
Richard Hamilton	DET	unrestricted
Amir Johnson	DET	unrestricted
Antonio McDyess	DET	unrestricted
Tracy McGrady	HOU	unrestricted
Jermaine O’Neal	IND	unrestricted
Darko Milicic	MEM	unrestricted
Steve Nash	PHX	unrestricted
Shaquille O’Neal	PHX	unrestricted
Manu Ginobili	S.A.	unrestricted
Carlos Boozer	UTA	unrestricted
Mehmet Okur	UTA	unrestricted

Player option: Player has right to opt out of contract if he wants.

It is just amazing to even think about it.

It could become the most talented free agency class ever in professional sports in that there will be five players — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson — with already one NBA championship, two NBA Finals, four U.S. Olympic team invitations and 16 All-Star appearances among them and not one of them will be older than 30 in 2010.

If that doesn’t whet the appetite, then there will be an available 32-year-old former league MVP (Dirk Nowitzki) and a just-turned-31 Michael Redd, one of the game’s deadliest perimeter sharp shooters.

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Post from: NBA Obsessed