Beforehand, Milicic ventured toward the Knicks' bench and made peace with D'Antoni. Milicic accepted responsibility for not working hard enough once he fell out of favor with the team last season and apologized to D'Antoni and his brother, assistant coach Dan D'Antoni.

"I said 'It didn't work out,'" Milicic said. "I wished it worked out. I loved New York. I thought it was going to work out but when I got there and saw how it was going to be it wasn't for me. For me, last year I needed a lot of playing time to get my confidence back. Here it's different, this year I came in shape."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2010/10/06/2010-10-06_knicks_struggle_with_amare_stoudemire_out_of_lineup_lost_final_european_exhibiti.html?r=sports%2Fbasketball%2Fknicks&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fsports%2Fbasketball%2Fknicks+%28Sports%2FBasketball%2FKnicks%29

"I tell (Mozgov) to do the opposite like I did," Milicic said. "I don't know how it will be for him, if he plays a lot. When I didn't play, I stepped aside. You need to work a lot and I didn't do it. If he doesn't play, practice hard."

Darko just apologized for being a jerk. Finally, a class move.

Berman is nothing more than a self-officious hack with an ax to grind. His writing is pure tabloid, bird cage liner material.

Yeah I said it

I guess every coach has to have some shortcomings

franco12 - Darko was a jerk and confessed to as much.

His coach rewarded his lack of effort and commitment with extended time on the pine because the ONLY leverage coaches have with millionaires is minutes.

This ain't a day care center.

End of story.

fishmike wrote:so wait... MDA doesnt manage players well that a) dont show up in shape and b) dont try hard

I guess every coach has to have some shortcomings

BigDaddyG wrote:

fishmike wrote:so wait... MDA doesnt manage players well that a) dont show up in shape and b) dont try hard

I guess every coach has to have some shortcomings

If that's the case, why did we have to put up with a season of Quentin Richardson waddling around the three-point line.

Or better still, why did Duhon start and play over Toney Douglas, because I doubt very much Duhon tried harder in practice than Douglas did.

nixluva wrote:For a year now we've had to hear some blame Mike for not playing Darko more. He isn't a good coach cuz his new coach was able to get more out of him. Yadda, yadda, yadda:

Beforehand, Milicic ventured toward the Knicks' bench and made peace with D'Antoni. Milicic accepted responsibility for not working hard enough once he fell out of favor with the team last season and apologized to D'Antoni and his brother, assistant coach Dan D'Antoni.

"I said 'It didn't work out,'" Milicic said. "I wished it worked out. I loved New York. I thought it was going to work out but when I got there and saw how it was going to be it wasn't for me. For me, last year I needed a lot of playing time to get my confidence back. Here it's different, this year I came in shape."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2010/10/06/2010-10-06_knicks_struggle_with_amare_stoudemire_out_of_lineup_lost_final_european_exhibiti.html?r=sports%2Fbasketball%2Fknicks&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fsports%2Fbasketball%2Fknicks+%28Sports%2FBasketball%2FKnicks%29

93BUICK wrote:Dear Mike,
I'm sorry Nixluva talked up Darko on this board so much, leading us to overestimate his value, and blame you for his shortcomings.
Luv,
93BUICK

I haven't been wrong about the talent we've had in the past, but the intangible things, things I couldn't possibly know because there's no way to measure them, is what ultimately effects whether a player will live up to the predictions or not. Whether a team lives up to his talent potential or bitches and sulks like many of our players have done the last 5 years or so. I don't read hearts. I make assessments based on the talents a player has and really that's all any of us can do. You look at track record but even that can fool you.

So NO we didn't overestimate Darko's value. We actually gave him more credit than he deserved cuz he blew his opportunity. He had the talent to do much better, as did Steph, Jamal, Curry etc.

Panos wrote:So if Mike fails this year to prepare the troops and have them play adequate defense/rebounding etc. to keep us in the game,
or fails to develop the youth, will that be his not living up to his legendary and undeniable talent,
and once again, you'll be absolved for being wrong?
You are the SPIN DOCTOR!
I love it. Its win-win for you, isn't it? If they live up to the hype you foresaw it all, if not, well the talent was there,
who could have known they'd not harness it, and time to shamelessly hype up the next guy.
You're the Knicks' fluffer.

Now as for Mike, he has to do the work, and I see no reason to doubt that he's doing that. We won't know for months how he's doing. If he does a bad job then he deserves to be criticized. You and all the guys who love to throw salt on what I post can kiss it. I created the thread to prove a point and my proof is irrefutable. Don't try to twist the issue calling names and making jokes.

nixluva wrote:

Panos wrote:So if Mike fails this year to prepare the troops and have them play adequate defense/rebounding etc. to keep us in the game,
or fails to develop the youth, will that be his not living up to his legendary and undeniable talent,
and once again, you'll be absolved for being wrong?
You are the SPIN DOCTOR!
I love it. Its win-win for you, isn't it? If they live up to the hype you foresaw it all, if not, well the talent was there,
who could have known they'd not harness it, and time to shamelessly hype up the next guy.
You're the Knicks' fluffer.

Why create a hypothetical situation when we're talking about a real series of events? What is there to spin? I posted FACTS. Darko has talent, was in a near perfect situation. Then he didn't work hard, had a bad attitude and felt entitled and rode the pine. My original analysis was on what he should and could do. HE CHOSE to blow his opportunity, but that doesn't change the fact that he could've played much better and had a better attitude. How do you really account for something like that when trying to make a prediction on how a player will work out? He changed his attitude and put in work on his new team and it worked out for him. He had every opportunity to do that here, but didn't and he fessed up.

Now as for Mike, he has to do the work, and I see no reason to doubt that he's doing that. We won't know for months how he's doing. If he does a bad job then he deserves to be criticized. You and all the guys who love to throw salt on what I post can kiss it. I created the thread to prove a point and my proof is irrefutable. Don't try to twist the issue calling names and making jokes.

I don't think you created something that was irrefutable. Mike was asked about Darko and took a cheapshot. Darko showed character and shook his hand and mended fences. How is that showing anything? Whatever happened between those two was not just Darko's fault. Darko was just man enough to move on and not take shots in the media.