Darko Milicic is considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history. The seven-foot Serbian was picked ahead of the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in the 2003 NBA Draft, but his career never panned out the way he would have liked.
But the thing with Darko was that you couldn't put the entire blame on him. That's because if you asked the players on that Pistons team, they would tell you he was good. However, he never really got the opportunity to prove his worth on the basketball court.
Chauncey Billups , the 2004 Finals MVP, recently spoke with ESPN about Milicic's tough spot in Detroit.
"Man, he had a good potential," said Billups. "We were just trying, we were so ready to try to win the championship, we had championship aspirations. Most of the time, young guys can't, you got no room, you don't have the time to develop them because you lose three or four games because this guy made the mistakes, and now you're the three seed, not the one seed and you don't have home court advantage against a tough team. So it was a tough situation."
The Pistons were going for the championship that year
The Pistons were ripe for success the same season they drafted the Serbian youngster. The team won 50 games in each of Rick Carlisle's first two campaigns in Detroit. They clinched the Central Division title and were coming off a year where they lost to the Nets in the ECF. Ben Wallace won back-to-back DPOYs while Carlisle was coach of the Year in 2002 and Joe Dumars Exec of the Year in 2003.
But because of the Otis Thorpe trade with the then-Vancouver Grizzlies, the Pistons had the luxury of owning the Grizzlies lottery pick that year. The pick became the No.2 overall selection in the draft, and Dumars decided to go for an 18-year-old Darko.
"I don't know how they could have handled him any better," added Mr. Big Shot. "But to be honest with you, other than just say 'Hey, we got to take our medicine,' just play him, just give him 20 minutes a night, play him and see if he develops, how quickly he does. But man, we just had so many goons over there, ready to go, and we were trying to get it."
Related: "I can name several coaches who said he would never make it in the NBA." - Pete Maravich once gushed over Larry Bird being the best despite having evident flaws
Darko didn't get enough playing time
Surrounded by stars like Big Ben, Sheed, and Elden Campbell, Darko saw limited action, averaging only 4.7 minutes per game as a rookie and 5.8 minutes over three years with the Pistons. Yet, Rasheed swore that Milicic was an impressive young talent.
"To the credit," said Wallace. "Darko wasn't chop suey. Like, I just wish the NBA could have seen him, but in practice, Darko was going at me and Ben all the time. Me, Ben, and Elden all the time. And I'm talking about athletic, he can give you the windmills, the between the legs, all that. You know, reverse dunks and all that. He could shoot the three. He could put it on the floor."
Milicic went on to post solid numbers with other teams, but it was clear his Detroit experience had taken a toll on him. With players like Sheed and Chauncey praising his talent, it's unfortunate he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, unable to showcase and nurture his true potential.
Related: "Instead of taking me to the court to practice, he dragged me around nightclubs" - Darko Milicic on his relationship with Rasheed Wallace
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