Memphis reaches agreement with Orlando's Milicic
July 11, 2007
CBS SportsLine.com staff and wire reports


Memphis is the latest team to take a chance on unrestricted free agent Darko Milicic.

The Grizzlies are taking a risk, but if they want to play up-tempo, they have pegged the right guy. Milicic, a 7-footer, reached a deal in the range of three to four years and somewhere between $6-7 million, according to the Memphis Commerical Appeal.

He won't be Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade, but he'll make his mark now. Memphis will be exponentially better thanks to this signing.

Milicic averaged eight points per game last season with Orlando, his second with the team. He was drafted by Detroit in 2003.

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Not bad value for the Grizz, at 6-7 million Darko might be alright. Guess that means Gasol goes back to PF. Not bad lineup (if Darko is good) that Memphis has:

PG - Conley
SG - MMiller
SF - Gay or Warrick
PF - Gasol
C - Darko


Could get them back to the playoffs if all goes well

Eh. They got another Stromile Swift; albeit, more skilled and less athletic.

If it all works out for them, Darko should make a good compliment to Pau. Decent. Definately not playoff-worthy in the West, but decent.

Darko might do well in the Grizz's apparently soon to be more open court offense. It all depends on the playmaking abilities of Conley. If he is real good, it will all work and I reckon they'll make the playoffs, if not, they'll struggle to get any good consistency

Conley would have to be Chris-Paul-good to get the Grizzlies into the post season... and I'm not sure he is. He'll be good, but he might have more Deron Williams in him than Chris Paul, so his rookie year might feature more modest numbers.

Here's how I see the playoffs stacking up:

1) Phoenix
2) San Antonio
3) Dallas
4) Denver
5) Golden State (could be high as #2 or #3, baring a KG trade)
6) Utah
7) Portland
8) Houston

And even if any of those teams don't get in, I still see Seattle, New Orleans, the Lakers, and the Clippers getting into the playoffs before Memphis. How do you figure the Grizzlies will get in?

Don't know how good Conley will be. You just never know until they play. He does have ability and, like I said, if he does play well and distributes and playmakes well especially, the Grizz have the talent to be aplayoff team for sure.

The Grizz have more talent now than when they were making the playoffs for three straight years, ending two seasons ago. Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick wil only get better and I see Gay starting at SF and being reall good with Conley as his PG and Gasol working the inside. Gay is the real possibility of improving and rising this season for them. Darko is another player who could improve his contributions this season as well. Gasol will get the defensive attention and Darko will have an easier time doing what he can. Even if Darko just rebounds and blocks shots, the Grizz have a better Center than they probably ever have

I have a hard time betting on Memphis because of all the what-if's...

IF Rudy Gay improves, and IF Hakim Warrick improves, and IF Pau Gasol stays healthy, and IF Mike Conley can come in and distribute, and IF Mike Miller finally gets consistent, and IF Stromile Swift finally fills out his potential, and IF this new coach isn't a joke like the others (which, personally, I don't think he is)... even IF that all happens (which would be dream-like for Memphis fans), I only see them hitting a 6th or 7th seed.

Now, imagine what happens when reality sets in.

Stromile Swift won't be any better. Neither will Mike Miller. Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick will be... but how much better? Because anything under an MIP performance won't be enough. Pau will probably stay healthy (or healthier). Conley is a stud, ready-to-contribute, but nobody's sure what kind of player he's gonna be; can he take over a game by himself? Will his big contributions be in the scoring column or the assist category?

We saw last season what happened to Utah in ideal situations. The season before that, the Clippers had an ideal-situations year. Anything's possible, as these two teams have proven.

32 wrote:I have a hard time betting on Memphis because of all the what-if's...

Yep. Lots of issues with that team. I guess that they have a chance to make the playoffs if everything goes their way... but every team can say so.

btw, Milicic won't improve them that much... He's, as 32 pointed, a slightly more talented and less athletic Swift. Wasted money, if you ask me.

There a fair few what ifs but two players which have been rocks for the Grizz, Gasol and MMiller, are real deals. Darko can't get worse and right now, he is a great shot blocker who is a decent scorer and rebounder for the minutes he played. Conley, Gay and Warrick are the ones that hold the key for the Grizz

migya wrote:Darko can't get worse and right now, he is a great shot blocker who is a decent scorer and rebounder for the minutes he played.

Rebounder?. We haven't seen the same player. Milicic best skill is his shot-blocking... but Foyle is a better rebounder than him.

TMC wrote:

migya wrote:Darko can't get worse and right now, he is a great shot blocker who is a decent scorer and rebounder for the minutes he played.

Rebounder?. We haven't seen the same player. Milicic best skill is his shot-blocking... but Foyle is a better rebounder than him.

8.0pts and 5.5rebs in 23mins53secs a game - I'll take that proportionately over 30-33mins a game from him as a starting Center alongside the likes of Gasol and MMiller. Darko would play his role by getting such numbers as 10 points, 7.5rebs and 2-2.5blks a game. That is more than many players getting 6-7 million a year produce

migya wrote:8.0pts and 5.5rebs in 23mins53secs a game - I'll take that proportionately over 30-33mins a game from him as a starting Center alongside the likes of Gasol and MMiller. Darko would play his role by getting such numbers as 10 points, 7.5rebs and 2-2.5blks a game. That is more than many players getting 6-7 million a year produce

7 boards per game is not a good rebounder. It's an average rebounder. Almost a bad one. Most starters in the NBA can get those numbers.

TMC wrote:

migya wrote:8.0pts and 5.5rebs in 23mins53secs a game - I'll take that proportionately over 30-33mins a game from him as a starting Center alongside the likes of Gasol and MMiller. Darko would play his role by getting such numbers as 10 points, 7.5rebs and 2-2.5blks a game. That is more than many players getting 6-7 million a year produce

7 boards per game is not a good rebounder. It's an average rebounder. Almost a bad one. Most starters in the NBA can get those numbers.

For what the Grizz need from him, those numbers are alright, not good but decent enough. He likely will do better with Gasol and MMiller getting all the defensive attention. Darko wil not have to be anything more than a defender and garbage man collecting rebounds and handouts from Gasol, MMiller and Gay. If all goes well, which ofcourse may not, he can be a successful role player

migya wrote:

TMC wrote:

migya wrote:Darko can't get worse and right now, he is a great shot blocker who is a decent scorer and rebounder for the minutes he played.

Rebounder?. We haven't seen the same player. Milicic best skill is his shot-blocking... but Foyle is a better rebounder than him.

8.0pts and 5.5rebs in 23mins53secs a game - I'll take that proportionately over 30-33mins a game from him as a starting Center alongside the likes of Gasol and MMiller. Darko would play his role by getting such numbers as 10 points, 7.5rebs and 2-2.5blks a game. That is more than many players getting 6-7 million a year produce

And, exactly, how many 7'0" guys do you know that average 6 rebounds a game at starting center...?

To name a few that rebound as much or just slightly better per minute than Darko does - Pachulia of Atlanta, Brezec of Bobcats, Webber while in Detroit, Rasheed Wallace of Detroit, Shaquille O'neal of Miami, Andrew Bogut of Milwaukee, Eddy Curry (perhaps the worst rebounding starting Center there is), Jason Collins of New Jersey, Nenad Krstic of New Jersey

migya wrote:To name a few that rebound as much or just slightly better per minute than Darko does - Pachulia of Atlanta, Brezec of Bobcats, Webber while in Detroit, Rasheed Wallace of Detroit, Shaquille O'neal of Miami, Andrew Bogut of Milwaukee, Eddy Curry (perhaps the worst rebounding starting Center there is), Jason Collins of New Jersey, Nenad Krstic of New Jersey

That's a nice list of the worst rebounding big men in the game, buddy.