Darko was never a big part of this team through the early part of the season, so it is hard to say one way or another if the trade impacted the Pistons positively OR negatively.

But with the Hunter/Delk combo (2 guys whom neither of which is a true point), do we really miss Carlos Arroyo? Was Joe right when he said that without Chauncey this team wouldn't have a chance to compete for the title anyway (regardless of who the backup is)?

good question- actually, we don't miss em'. On long- term, we could miss them, given the fact that Darko breaks out next season when our frontcourt is going to be one year older. But that's another story.
Currently, the Delk/Hunter combo is doing fine and DD, Mc Dyess may be old, but perfect fits for the win now club.

Hello Microwave, I am baaaaaack. In answere to your Darko question; absolutely, positively notttttt.

So far I don't miss them a bit. But, ask me again in a year or 2.

That's when the true value of this trade can be determined. We'll have our draft pick by then, and we'll find out if Darko sinks or swims.

arroyo.
i think mcdyess would be putting up 20 and 10 if arroyo was still here. mcdyess seemed to be the only one arroyo would pass to in the nba. arroyo has also shown that he can put up some points and create his own shot. he is still not turning the ball over either. i do however think that the delk/hunter combo provides much more defense. delk also counters hunters lack of offensive ability. in the playoffs though i think we could miss him. i think we could win the first 2 round series with arroyo at the point if cb turned an ankle. i don't see us winning the first 2 series with turnover / brick thrower lindsey at the point. i'm not convinced yet if delk can set up anybody else but himself although i do like his pull up 3's.

darko.
tay ending up on duncan in game 7 of the finals last year is enough for me to say that having a 7 foot shot blocker / shot changer come off the bench could only be a good thing. from what i hear on the orlando forums darko is also posting up quite well. this could give us that inside post presence that we don't seem to have. he also shoots free throws pretty well and is improving on rebounding. he is dropping jaw dropping dimes too to get the crowd into it. i think everybody knows i'm a darko fan to the end so of course this post is biased. i think we will win this year without darko i never doubted that. i just don't think we'll have that dynasty that we would have had.

man that defensive shutdown unit off the bench would have been nice with hunter, delk, delfino, mcdyess and darko.

I don't think so. This team needs defense. The playoffs is about attrition and delk and hunter will help wear opposing guards down and we have good players on the team to make up for great playmaking ability.

Darko despite the stat line is a liability. As often as he'll swat duncan (sheed can do that!!!!), he'll chase tony parker leaving duncan open for a jam on a rotating wallace(pick one) for an "and-1"

My one big hope was for Darko to lockdown Dirk but Darko's still too raw for such a heady veteran.

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he'll swat tony parker a couple of times also and alter numerous shots. i'd rather him attempt to swat parker than concede the layup like our bigs do. sheed also gets into foul trouble and likes to get techs. you call darko a liability. what would you call cato or d. davis in that situation as the 3rd big because sheed had to sit out a game because of a technical foul.

darko is producing very well for a bench player down in orlando. don't try to discredit it. that's like saying despite ben's "intangible's" he's a liability cause as many points he stops on the defensive end he gives them back on missed free throws or his man clogging up the lane.

As for Arroyo, I think we would have missed him if he had continued to play in the jaw-dropping way he played in the first games he played in Orlando. The fans were going crazy from the way he was making superior passes and still no turnovers. But now, he seems to be looking for his shot way too much.

In those first few games, his shots were super, too, but it was from the fact that the opponents were looking for him to pass. Now, they have clicked in on the fact that he seems to be looking for this shots first, and he is having to force too many.

As for Darko, of course we do not miss him yet. From the way he was being used, he would not have been a part of this year or any other year's plans.

But the way he is playing now that he is getting minutes, we certainly will miss what he could be bringing here rather than in Orlando. It is becoming a recognized fact that in Orlando he is getting Dwight and (dang it, I forgot the other center's name) more interested in teaming up to shut down the paint, and Howard has said that he is starting to do the things Darko does to block shots.

And some quite good NBAers are saying that they are starting to look over their shoulders looking for Darko and his blocks.

I think that we will win the rings this year, but I am still willing to bet that the reason we don'[t, if we don't, is that our bigs will be too tired from playing Shaq that we will not be able to finish off the west contender. And it would be the reason we don't get by Miami, if we don't get by Miami.

But I have not had the opportunity to see many Piston games recently. We will be home and able to see them all, from this coming Monday.

I will tell you this, however, I am going to seek out a package that will let me see the Magic next season, and I will be looking for Jazz games, as well.

Okur is becoming an all-star caliber player out there.

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Things appear to be at their darkest . . . . . . . . . just before they go totally black!!

I can't see how we can miss a guy who never played. On Arroyo Hunter and Delk have been doing great and will bring the D in the playoffs.

Berbs, You touched on a much ignored subject - Okur. He is the real star that got away. What can you do? Utah offered him all that money.

The only thing we miss about them, IMO, is Arroyo's "towel waving". Just look at the bench. Against Dallas the entire Mavs bench was standing up cheering their team on almost the entire 4th quarter. The Pistons bench was sitting on their hands. That's one thing that I think Arroyo did very well. He was into the game even if he wasn't on the court. That's one thing that's missing right now. Dice and Delfino were the only guys on the bench that showed any interest.

Darko was a non-factor (at least with the coaching situation), and Arroyo was a shoot-first PG with pass first skills and no shot. Not to mention he doesn't play D.