Former 2nd Pick Leaving NBA

Picture Provided by ESPN.com
Darko Milicic was the 2nd overall pick in the 2003 draft. The Detroit Pistons selected him from Yugoslavia. Darko was predicted to be the next great big man. He is seven foot tall and weighs 275. Coming into the draft they said he had everything needed. The experts said he had the down low moves to dominate and the shot to go along with it. They also said he had the instincts needed and the agility to go along with all of that. The experts predicted he was a sure thing coming into the NBA but he has not lived up to all the hype around him. Many other players drafted after him have accomplished much more then he has so far. Even Though Darko is only 24 years old people are saying he will never be any good in the NBA. At the age of 24 some players are only second or third year players usually. No one says those things about players that fresh to the NBA. At 24 years old it is possible Darko will get the hang of things but it is not looking very bright for him.

Darko has gone from team to team since being drafted and he has not played much. Darko is contemplating going back to Europe were he came from and playing there. He thinks he will be much happier there and will actually play. He has recently been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and they have stated that he will play. They have also said they hope he decides to stay in the NBA rather than go to Europe. Darko is going to get another chance during the rest of this season to show he belongs. If teams believe he is a good NBA player he will get the chance to play somewhere and maybe not be forced to go back to Europe. This will also remove the label of being a bust if he can become a serviceable player. The Timberwolves plan on playing him so he will be able to showcase his skills and maybe even have a little fun playing the game he loves. If he plays and has fun he might decide to stay in the NBA rather than go play in Europe. At the end of the year when his contract is up we will discover his decision on the matter of staying in the NBA or going to Europe.