Dont forget he had Lebron, Wade, and Carmelo. BTW, (Patting self on back), been touting DMC as a shot blocking machine for over a year.

PS. for GAZOO (I know you love hearing about LB) A Cleveland fan's take on LB, LeBron, and the Olympics (hnn.us/blogs/entries/6925.html):

"Brown has done nothing but insult the kid since the whole process has started. First he said LeBron couldn't guard anyone when he got to training a few weeks ago. Then he didn't play him much even as the U.S. wasn't playing very well. Then he finally put him in the game for some real PT against Greece, LeBron dove on the floor for balls and sparked the team to victory, and Brown said something like "He's 19, he should be diving for balls." Still, LeBron played the whole fourth quarter in the next game against Australia and basically led the team in a comeback win. Then Brown only played him a couple of minutes against Lithuania, and not at all in the second half, supposedly because LeBron is not a great outside shooter (on a team that is shooting a combined 15% from behind the shorter international three point line). I'm all for giving a coach the benefit of the doubt, but it just seems like Larry Brown is going out of his way to disrespect LeBron James."

I'm going out on a limb here and saying LB knows a little bit more about hoops than both LeBron and that Cavs fan who posted that. Are you trolling Cavs' sites looking for LB dirt? Have you turned all of NY against him yet?

i didn't bring up lb. i responded to a comment that had lb in it. why come to the guys defense all the time?? right now lb is certainly relevant to darko so for a few years there will be always attached.

also i don't even know who mcmahon is. haven't watched a lion game since barry retired.

So does anyone think Darko, if given 10-15 MPG will be able to keep it up on the blocks?

3 or 4 BPG?

Nope, when the regular season starts the scrubs, who DMC gets alot of blocks off of, will be at the end of the bench so that will drive his BPG down. I do firmly believe that DMC will have games (several) where he gets 3-5 blocks, but to do it every game, to get a 3 BPG avg is VERY difficult. Look up the top 3 shot blockers in the league for the last 6-7 seasons and look at the numbers, dude DMC at 20 would have to be what a seasoned Ben Wallace or Mutombo were as experienced vets.

Yes, but his fouls will stay up, too, I think, at least for a while. He'll get better with more playing time for sure. He didn't play much the past two seasons as he as always been called a "three to four year project" by Dumars. Now it's time for the project to get more playing time. And I think Flip is better suited for that development than Brown and Cola. Brown, I feel, was brought in to win a championship for the team, city, and himself, and he did that.

As far as defense goes, people on this board and others are always talking about keeping "your man in front of you." Good sound advice, but I was always taught the play the ball and not necessarily just the man. If Darko learns "to play the ball" the blocks should stay up there and the fouls will go down, I think.

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"I don't believe there's any problem in this country, no matter how tough it is, that Americans, when they roll up their sleeves, can't completely ignore. - George Carlin

nope. 3 or 4 blocks is hard to do when playing 25-30 minutes. i do think he will average 2 blocks though. he really has good timing. not too many centers block as many jump shots as darko does. it takes timing and speed to block jumpers.

if given the minutes darko is right up there with them as shot blockers. he's quicker than mutumbo and taller than ben. those things would make him just as effective as a shot blocker as those 2. also i don't think his blocks will go down because he'll be playing against better players i think they will go down because players will no not to bring that weak stuff into the paint when darko is patrolling it.

Shot blocking is about more than just physical attributes. It's also timing, and instinctively exploding to the ball.

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To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

I'm sure many a NBA player is shaking in his sneakers. Perhaps in a few years, but there are no players that fear the lane today because of Darko.

Maybe not, but I saw plenty of Mavs lobbing their shots a little higher when Darko was in.