lazyberbs

IMO, it makes great sense. I think both teams win. Make it happen!!

Having been one who really liked the trade that brought Darko to Orlando, and was very disappointed when they let him walk, I would love it if he came back. I think that when he believed he was going to get a real shot at being an important cog in the machine (during that second half of the season he came there), he was very motivated and did well. And the Magic did well. Then, during the second season, when he was stuck behind an inferior player and the situation became Detroit X2, he got somewhat unmotivated. But he still played better than Battie who was starting ahead of him, and helped Dwight become a better player when they played those rare minutes together. As for the infamous 'counting the minutes', I believe if it is true, it is counting the minutes to be able to play on a team which values your contributions. He is not that family-oriented, it seems to me. His family never visits him over here and he never goes home except when it is time to play with the Serbian Team. I think the deal that has been discussed would be good for both teams because it seems from what I hear, Gasol 2 is expected to come in and take over on his own and just outplay everyone within sight. Well, when Darko played against him in Europe, he outplayed Marc and was only slightly outplayed by Pau. I like Pau and have followed the Lakers much more since he want there. But I long for the days when I followed the Magic and watched what I fully believed would be a terrible twosome with Dwight and Darko, in Orlando. Still not too late!!

I too think the only weakness is the PG. Not Orlando nor anyone else is going to win an NBA 'ship with Nelson starting. He has to come off the bench so that he is playing against the other team's bench. That is the only way his lack of defense will not hurt us. But I do not know a way to fix that in the near future unless they go overseas for that one PG that we talked about earlier. He might be one of the best PGs outside the NBA and is better than quite a few IN the NBA. I would look to trade Nelson in this sign and trade deal instead of Arroyo or Deiner. I would start Deiner and have Arroyo as backup, and tell Deiner that if he takes a shot before each and,everybody else on the team has 2, he had better have a darned good reason like a wide, wide, wide, gaping wide open shot.

I have two dreams. One of them is to sign Darko at about $8 million for 5 years. The other one is to trade Jameer for Pavlovic, even up or any other way we could. Those two things happen, I am one happy camper.

First of all, I really hope that I am wrong about Jameer. I have never really seen him as an NBA PG, but I hope the people who think he can play the speed up game are right. That would save a major trade. And I have liked Grant for a long, long time, longer than he has been a Magic(ian), but if he starts this next season, he will seriously set Ariza back. He should be coming off the bench behind both Ariza and Hedo, and never play the SG again. JJ should get all the minutes he can handle backed by Kebo and Keyon. Everybody in their right minds know that Darko and Dwight must be starting their run as the twin towers, and I hope James can garner a little more respect so that he and Tony can be good backups. If Gortat comes over, let him try to get PT ahead of those two. But with D&D playing all the minutes they can handle, let's get it on. Whether we start out 13-2 again is doubtful but I would bet money that they would finish up much better next season. They would have a better record, be higher in the standings, and go further in the Post-Season. No trades necessary, at this point.

I guess I am just not smart enough but I cannot see how anyone can make any sort of educated guess at next season before we know: (1) Is Darko staying or going? (2) Will there be any large scale changes? (3) Will Jameer grow another 4-6 inches? (4) Will Hedo still have the mystery flu? (5) Will Grant agree to come off the bench? And there are many other questions. I hope we do not get another free agent at the expense of what we have now, unless it is a good PG. That would gain us about 4-7 shooters without any further trades. You guys so ahead and guess but I am not that smart.

I guess the difference in how you see Lambs is whether you rooted for his team or for teams he provoked and discombobulated into submission. He was a player who made the most of his talents and even though he did not have leaping ability and speed, made a very long and successful career in the NBA. He stood up for his teammates (like taking the Mailman out for what he did to Isiah) and was in most ways a very good player. Mixed in with his basketball talents, his mental toughness and tenacity would serve him well in coaching. I find it very petty to be putting him down for coaching in the WNBA. That seems to be better to me than being an assistant in the NBA, preaching some other coach's philosophy instead of his own. And coaching in college does not seem to translate that well in the NBA. I am convinced that Bill Laimbeer should have been made the coach of the Pistons this last coaching change, and since he was not, it just leaves him available to the Magic.

I will tell you this, "I am SOLD". By the time a two or three year deal is up, Papa should have Deiner ready to take over. That is, if Deiner is allowed to come off the bench behind him. We could get rid of Jameer and Carlos, both or either. We have backup up in Deon and Kebo, and maybe even Hill, if he stays for the low, low price. Imagine a 6'7" PG who can pass to other people, can run pick and roll, play defense, run the fast break and the half court. A dream come true, and he is not just out of college. Who do I have to sign up with to get this deal rolling?

I would hope that the people on the Magic staff who are to make the decision about who is the next coach, know enough about basketball to hire Lambs. And the people who are the ticket-buying public will come around soon enough when the team gets tougher, more interesting, and winning consistently. I might be more favorably inclined towards him from being a long-time Piston fan all through these many years. Some of us were trying to get Lambs when the Pistons were looking for a coach after Hitler (LB) left. Coaching women's basketball is tougher than men's. They can't dunk so they have to rely on real ability and plans to score. Bring on Laimbeer and we will turn this franchise around. He has always had a very hardworking reputation, he has been defense oriented, run when you get even a small chance, and his mental game is as good as his physical game. You should have read the news articles the Portland journalists were writing when the Pistons went out there to finish off the Blazers for their second 'ship. They talked about Laimbeer so much and their players were so engrossed in his phyching them out that they could talk of little else. He was only the third best player on the team (maybe behind Joe D and Isiaih) but he captured most of the attention. And it worked. He is mentally tough, physically sound, and a worker like no other. He was never blessed with the ability to jump out of the gym but he made his abilities work. He would be an asset here, no doubt in my mind at all.

I would love to see Bill Laimbeer here as the new head coach. He would be very good for Dwight and Darko, as well as Augustine and Battie. He also knows very well the importance of a good PG who can do what good PGs do. Playing with one of the better all-time PGs for all those years, I am sure, brought that home in a big way. Carlisle would be my second choice. After all, he is the one who trained the Pistons thru two 50 game seasons so that Larry Brown could come in and ride into a championship on the team's collective coattails. The even added Sheed to make sure that happened. Brown would leave this team in far worse shape if he were brought in to coach them. There is one guy who did not get his first NBA 'ship until he took over Rick's team.

I hear this a lot, "let's get a coach to make Dwight better". I have a great idea. Why not get a big man coach and let him teach and work with Dwight PLUS Darko, maybe Battie, and even Augustine. Seems a waste of time and money to get a coach just for Dwight.

6th man? Jameer? No way. How about as 9th man? That sounds a whole lot more like it. Like bring him in when the opponent brings in a slow 5'5" PG and let them go at it. I see JJ as the 6th man; I see Carlos as the 6th man; I see Grant Hill as the 6th man; I see anyone who fills a specific need for a specific game as the 6th man. JJ would be that guy more often, if he is not starting. I don't want him to be crowded out by playing Jameer ahead of him. It would be bad enough to crowd Vince Carter ahead of him, or Grant Hill. I would really like to try Deiner or Dooling as the starting PG with the other coming in to relieve him; JJ or KeBo starting and the other as sub; Hedo and Ariza in the same situation; Of course, Dwight and Darko starting with Battie and Augustine getting floor time. Either Dwight or Darko should be on the floor at all times; both as much as possible. Grant could work out at the 2 and 3, and get enough time to matter. By all-star break, this team would be ready to break out, with the right coach. If we could manage to get a decent, physically capable PG, so much the better, but I don't see it happening.

That is only one side of the Darko story in Detroit. I have told the other side and heard the other side ad nauseum, but suffice it to say he got a lot of practice and not much PT, and after they said good things about him, he still did not get to play. His attitude got bad AFTER all the lack of PT and broken promises, so he asked for a trade. The fans in Detroit did not support him and most of the forum posters ridiculed him so much that he was glad to be gone. It was embarrassing for him, I am sure, to be yelled for when the end of the game was coming up and he was due for another DNP. I don't blame him. I never heard from one credible source that he came here with a big head and an impression that he should be given everything on a silver platter. I heard only forumites saying things like that and they were not in a position to know, most of them, any more that I did. Anyway, that is the way I saw it over the years.

Joker, I think you have some very good points in your last posting. I think the idea of putting Battie on CWeb and Dwight on Sheed is good, at least, until if and when Sheed starts pulling D-12 outside by shooting 3s. I agree about Darko coming off the bench although I think it is good because Battie does not change a game by coming in. Darko does. Then when DMC comes in, he can take Sheed and Dwight would be on Webber, unless Dyce comes in at that time. But the main switch that should be made will not be made. Jameer will not be able to guard either CB or Rip. Just forget that; it will never happen. But he could come in with the second unit with Darko, Ariza, etc. Dooling or Bogans should start off on CB and Grant on Rip.

I for one would not have a problem with Darko taking as many shots as Dwight, not counting the shots Dwight gets from putbacks. Not only would Darko's percentage go up considerably but he has Dwight there to clean up his misses. It would not hurt this team at all if Darko shot the ball 3 or 4 times from the outside and 3 or 4 times from the inside. And it certainly would not hurt this team to have him hitting boards harder. I know that Grant yells at him when he goes to the boards too soon and gets in "Grant's Lane", but tough. We should be using his rebounding ability more and maybe he would get some more putbacks, too. As for the main theme of this thread, I do not disagree that Darko is more of a complete player after being forced into the inside game, but that does not mean that his outside game should have been taken away completely. That, in my mind, just made a waste of his use for a full season. Sure, keep him inside most of the time but get him some shots in there. And let him shoot a couple from the outside. That opens up not only his own inside game, but that of Dwight and Tony, as well.