April 19, 2005 - After nearly two full seasons spent waiting his turn, 19-year-old Darko Milicic finally got an opportunity to showcase his talent and potential in the penultimate game of the 2004-2005 regular season. With the Central Division and No. 2 seed already in tow, Detroit Pistons head coach Larry Brown unleashed Milicic upon the world. After picking up three first quarter fouls, Milicic bounced back in the second half, playing 30 minutes in all and finishing with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a 95-68 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Shooting 7-of-11 from the field, Milicic spent much of the evening operating against the likes of Tom Gugliotta, Josh Smith, Jason Collier, and Michael Stewart. This contest also marked the first and only time as a member of the Pistons he'd finish in double figures. Darko's desire to operate from the perimeter is on display throughout, connecting on three jumpers in the win, the last of which (at 6:05) seems to have a touch of modern wing flavor.
By February 15, 2006, the Darko Milicic experiment was over. The Pistons sent Milicic and Carlos Arroyo to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kelvin Cato and a future first round draft pick (Rodney Stuckey). After averaging just 1.8 points per game in Detroit, Milicic was finally afforded an opportunity with the Magic, thrust into a semi-impact role off the bench, averaging 7.6 points and 2.1 blocks in 21 minutes of action through the remainder of the 2005-06 season.
Milicic spent the final seven years of his NBA career bouncing between various teams, vacillating between spot starter and bench contributor before abandoning his role with the Boston Celtics one game into the 2012-2013 season to return to his native Serbia.
For his career, Milicic played nine seasons (10 if including the one game appearance with Boston) and averaged 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 468 games.
Recommended 20-minute mini-doc, Finding Darko: [ Ссылка ]
Commentary: Fred McLeod & Greg Kelser (Fox Sports Detroit)
Special thanks to Derek M. for the lookout.
