Bad news for Darko, Hill wants to continue starting Battie(Denton blog)

[chosen12]

quote:

Originally posted by SmackDaddy:

quote:

Originally posted by chosen12:

Smack, I am starting to think that my parents had twins, and didn't tell either one of us!! LOL. Also there is one more defining question we must never depart from, and that is the reason Darko's first extension was pulled off the table. The answer Otis gave was to take a full season to establish the kid's value! Well if he or BHill have made the decision to bench this kid, while we are making a run for our playoff lives......is this their way of Summing up Darkos value, and if so I think they just sent the UHaul trucks to his house!!!!

 

There are a number of very relevant concerns that this move could trigger.

 

What really is managements motivation? Is it to make the playoffs this year to save their jobs? Or, is it to build a championship contender? Can they go hand in hand? Can we continue to undermine the confidence of our young players and still develop them into stone cold killers?

 

Has this team given up on Darko? Would management rather that we spend our offseason cap money on an all-star wing player and use our MLE to sign another big man to compliment Dwight?

If Darko isn't the answer at PF, who is?

 

Should Tony Battie be moved back to his more natural backup role with the team in favor of a Udonis Haslem type player? Can Augoe or Gortat be the answer?

 

Whether or not this is a move that lasts one game or the remainder of the season, I think coach Hill may have just ushered in the exit of Darko.

 

Darko is young and still has plenty of time left to prove himself, but I wouldn't blame him if he packed up his bags and went home after playing for 3 different coaches in 3 different years without ever being given a full chance at growing into the player that was expected.

 

This team has not given up on Darko completly, in my opinion. They do not have the faith in this kid because of his inconsistencies. I leave much of that to BHill, but that is another thread for another day. All season long we waited for Darko to break into the starting lineup, to get a good assesment of what he adds to this team. From our (fan) position, we can see his potential, and I love it, in the right system.

 

What else is out there if we trade Darko, or let him walk for nothing?? Not much, because he is another attractive piece of the Magic future that would attract a premire 2g that we need to make teams pay for collasping in the paint.

 

Lastly, let's think for a moment, your the hyped 2nd pick of the 03 class, your 21 yoa, 7" and the rage of Europe....but you get benched for the agged, injured career backup Tony Battie, I think that says it all and I also think it is another huge mistake.

 

Smack, when you get a chance, go to the firebhill.org thread and take a look at that article that I found on hoopsvibe that ranked the coaches. I would post it here but I also think that would be out of place. Take a look and let me know what you think!

[athena]

i don't get it. the team either wants him or not. don't mess with his feelings.

 

yes, he was all the rage back in '03 draft, he was expected to do a lot of things.. he gets benched, his psychology gets trampled on...there is a sense of xenophobia....

he finally gets to show what he's worth, gets promised to have the starting role and then is betrayed when the promise is broken.....

 

so, yeah, i think way to go to drive the poor bloke out of, not only the magic, but out of america.... *totally pissed off*

[christophergentry110401]

Darko is a Puss he isn't worth the money he will ask for. I don't care that he is 21 years old. He is too inconsistant atleast you know what you are gonna get from Battie. Darko sucks let him walk and ruin somone else's future. Larry Brown was right in not playing this guy he ain't got it. All because of a Draft Workout how many guys have had great draft workouts and hten busted in the Real Games. I would rather let Darko GO sign D12 and Jameer (Althought only for a reasonable price.) Go Get Rashard Lewis or VC if not both. VC i could see taking a discount to come home then go get Rashard Lewis.

 

 

Lineup

 

PG Jameer (atleast for now)

SG VC

SF Rashard Lewis

PF Battie (also depends on Draft or Trade)

C D12

 

 

Bench

 

Keyon

JJ

Backup Center

Backup Power Forward

draft pick

 

And two of the bench spot maybe even one or two starting spots will be what we get for trading Carlos "I Love to Dribble" Arroyo and Keith Bogans.

 

that leaves 3 spots open on the bench

[mire]

good luck with battie & brian hill

[Robert56]

quote:

Originally posted by christophergentry110401:

Darko is a Puss he isn't worth the money he will ask for. I don't care that he is 21 years old. He is too inconsistant atleast you know what you are gonna get from Battie. Darko sucks let him walk and ruin somone else's future. Larry Brown was right in not playing this guy he ain't got it. All because of a Draft Workout how many guys have had great draft workouts and hten busted in the Real Games. I would rather let Darko GO sign D12 and Jameer (Althought only for a reasonable price.) Go Get Rashard Lewis or VC if not both. VC i could see taking a discount to come home then go get Rashard Lewis.

 

 

Lineup

 

PG Jameer (atleast for now)

SG VC

SF Rashard Lewis

PF Battie (also depends on Draft or Trade)

C D12

 

 

Bench

 

Keyon

JJ

Backup Center

Backup Power Forward

draft pick

 

And two of the bench spot maybe even one or two starting spots will be what we get for trading Carlos "I Love to Dribble" Arroyo and Keith Bogans.

 

that leaves 3 spots open on the bench

 

What draft pick? We don't have a draft pick! You sure leave a lot of empty spaces and what ifs!

[christophergentry110401]

2nd round picks fool

[christophergentry110401]

you wonder why magic fans have a bad rap, its when they swear there is talent in a guy who doesn't have ****. If Darko has to be motivated everytime he hits the floor he needs to take his *** back to the Euro League. NBA is not his thing. He sucks here and you wonder why Detroit is laughing at us.

[MilitaryMagic]

I think the move to start Battie is the right move. We need consistency from our players.

 

It doesn't matter if Darko can win one game out of 10 for us (yea, as long as Dwight has a 15/15 game too, of course) what matters is that every other game he doesn't show up. He either picks up quick fouls or disappears on the court, missing hook shot after hook shot.

 

I want to win NOW. I don't give a crap about Darko's feelings, he's a grown man, and if he can't handle the pressure then he doesn't deserve a huge contract. The Magic still hold the keys to his future - Darko is WAY too young to demand a trade, no team out there would take a 21 year old immature european player that just DEMANDED to be traded. That's insanity.

 

If some team out there wants to kill their cap and sign him to a Nene or Foyal deal (read: BAD CONTRACT), go for it. I pray it won't be the Magic.

[rdeezy]

I rather start Battie anyway. Hes more consistent. Darko will be better off coming off the bench, where if hes hot, he will make him, and not who cares? Hes only coming off the bench.

[fan for too long]

I can't understand why most of you are saying that Battie is more consistent. I have gone over the games and Battie is just as a inconsistent scorer and rebounder. Battie is also not capable of double figures in scoring and rebounds as Darko is. Darko is a better defender and shot blocker. So why do you think that Battie is better?

 

Here is my take on the matter. Darko has more potential than Battie and then if he has, you assume that he should get a double double every night. While you assume that Battie is just an average big and what he gets is the most you can expect. This is all about expectations. You expect more of Darko and are mad when he doesn't produce like you think he should.

 

Darko has been doing what he can playing out of position. He is a forward trying to play center. Of course Brian Hill does not want him to play his natural face up position for whatever reason. His nature is to play away from the basket and not down low. He is not a post up player and he is being forced to do just that. But still all you Darko haters expect him to play consistent at a position which is unnatural to him.

 

I would like for Darko to be starting at whatever position that the moron of a coach wants over Battie, the numbers bear the facts that Darko is better even though he plays out of position.

 

Also what I wonder is that the organization wants Darko's numbers to be low so they don't have to pay him a big contract next year. If I was Darko I would be wondering the same thing.

[The Ghost of John Gabriel]

quote:

What really is managements motivation? Is it to make the playoffs this year to save their jobs? Or, is it to build a championship contender? Can they go hand in hand? Can we continue to undermine the confidence of our young players and still develop them into stone cold killers?

 

Darko has shown improvement in the starting role. Battie showed up nothing in that role for 50 games. Now because of 1 game that had far more to do with Dooling playing PG & finally giving Redick & Ariza their due Napoleon lumps Battie in with them??? Confusing!!!

 

Battie can come off the bench and it won't affect his game. This is just another case of Napoleon being completely unable to diagnose the success of his team. We played well in one game, so everything I did in that one game is the solution. This is as equally stupid as him thinking the Arroyo/Nelson guard lineup was the solution because it worked vs. San Antiono.

[DarkoHero]

quote:

Originally posted by fan for too long:

I can't understand why most of you are saying that Battie is more consistent. I have gone over the games and Battie is just as a inconsistent scorer and rebounder. Battie is also not capable of double figures in scoring and rebounds as Darko is. Darko is a better defender and shot blocker. So why do you think that Battie is better?

 

Here is my take on the matter. Darko has more potential than Battie and then if he has, you assume that he should get a double double every night. While you assume that Battie is just an average big and what he gets is the most you can expect. This is all about expectations. You expect more of Darko and are mad when he doesn't produce like you think he should.

 

Darko has been doing what he can playing out of position. He is a forward trying to play center. Of course Brian Hill does not want him to play his natural face up position for whatever reason. His nature is to play away from the basket and not down low. He is not a post up player and he is being forced to do just that. But still all you Darko haters expect him to play consistent at a position which is unnatural to him.

 

I would like for Darko to be starting at whatever position that the moron of a coach wants over Battie, the numbers bear the facts that Darko is better even though he plays out of position.

 

Also what I wonder is that the organization wants Darko's numbers to be low so they don't have to pay him a big contract next year. If I was Darko I would be wondering the same thing.

 

Great post. So answer us, Darko haters, how is Battie more consistant, and is that consistancy better than Darko's inconsistancy?

 

Honestly, Darko's off nights are better than Battie's "on nights."