I'm curious to see if/how perceptions of Darko have changed since the beginning of the season.

He's playing a few more games so far this year probably due to the increased average point differential, but his PT per game is down. What's the deal?

My perception has definately changed.

I though all he needed was a new coach, but now I think he needs a Yoda.

I can see this...

"Darko, take those two new droids in and get them cleaned up..."

"Awwww, but I wanted to go into the station and pick up some power boosters..."

"You can waste time with your friends later Darko."

"But Uncle Owen!?"

"Darko..."

I gave up on him a while back in the first Knicks game and he stayed flat footed while a Knick got the rebound. Then I got back on the Darko Bus in the second game.

He has all the talent in the world and I believe he can be a very good player. The fact that he seems he is drifting does not bother me, because Tim Duncan looks the same way.

He needs the team to commit to giving him 7-10 minutes a game. I feel after a month he would be much more productive. I may be wrong but you can't prove it.

He needs to play. Really he does. If he's unable to develop in this environment, Joe would be doing the right thing by giving this high-maintenance pup a better home. I think many teams would gladly give up a first round pick for him, because they'd end up spending it on a big man project anyway.

My tendency is to immediately go into excuse mode with Darko. He's twelve years old, he's living in a foreign country, he got beat up pretty good by LB, etc., etc. And all that's true. But, he's also a highly skilled player with international experience, and has good coaching, great teammates who want to see him succeed, and fans to cheer for him.

If the Pistons were in a different place with serious player needs, I'd be right out there on the trade him bandwagon (pretty much on my own if the first six votes are predictive). But, what are you going to do, bring in someone else to maybe play five a night?

Get him in games when you can, push him in practice, and give him one more training camp to get fired up. If that doesn't work, cut your losses and run.

I believe, like some others, that with 7-10 mins per game this season, 3 or 4 in each half, he will begin to develop and could help us down the road. And I'm having a harder and harder time understanding (even with his uneven and sometimes lackluster performances) what it would really cost the pistons to find this out once and for all and settle it.

caveat emptor: i'm also irrationally resistant to trading players, a resistance that joe d thankfully doesn't have or we wouldn't have gotten the first ship 2 years ago, the finals last year, or the record we've got this year. i just get stuck on the team being the team and hating to see anyone go elsewhere.

If I were Flip, I'd keep playing him in the 2nd quarter. If he screws up, let him play through it a bit. He needs to feel some ownership for wins and losses. Also, the team is fully capable of winning games by 25 points per game if they are motivated. Most of the time, we get a lead and ride it out because the starters are bored. This should take care of that problem.

From what I've seen so far, I think that his court awareness will allow him to avoid huge mistakes.

The trick is, if he plays and does not play well, does he end up like Skita in trade? The smell of fear or failure has lost many a hand.

You could try to get a pick and salary relief back. Snag that big man down the line. Play for the push.

If it proves he is not the hot prospect he was drafted as, his value plummets. I'm not making the call either way, just thinking that every great card player knows when to fold and when to try a bluff.

Is Joe holding pocket rockets (2 Aces) or Jack three unsuited? We don't know, and neither does anyone else. Just the way he wants it.

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Nov 13 LW Milan Lucic had an active night. He scored his first goal in eight games since his Oct. 25 hat trick and also pounded Michael Komisarek in a third-period fight. Lucic cut his hand in a fight with Michael Komisarek. "I'll be fine," he said. "(X-rays are) negative, but there's so many broken bones in there from before you can't really tell."

Have we seen the flop? It's seems to me everyone is still throwing in their ante's.

We've definitely seen the flop. Waiting for the turn and river cards.

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Nov 13 LW Milan Lucic had an active night. He scored his first goal in eight games since his Oct. 25 hat trick and also pounded Michael Komisarek in a third-period fight. Lucic cut his hand in a fight with Michael Komisarek. "I'll be fine," he said. "(X-rays are) negative, but there's so many broken bones in there from before you can't really tell."