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'''Darko Miličić''' ([[Serbian language|Serbian]]: '''Дарко Миличић'''; born [[June 20]], [[1985]] in [[Novi Sad]], [[Vojvodina]], [[Serbia and Montenegro]]) is a professional [[basketball]] player for the [[Orlando Magic]], taken 2nd overall in the [[2003 NBA Draft]] by the [[Detroit Pistons]].
Unlike most teams with high draft picks, the Pistons were a good team and had made the Eastern Conference Finals the season before; they held the pick because of a [[trade]] that had been made with the [[Memphis Grizzlies|Vancouver Grizzlies]] in [[1996]]. On the Pistons, Miličić won an [[2004 NBA Finals|NBA championship]] in [[2004]] but saw limited playing time. His selection by Detroit was largely praised at the time, as he was considered the top [[Europe]]an prospect. However, as Miličić has failed to enter the team's rotation, the selection has been widely second-guessed by many, who have argued that the Pistons should have taken [[Carmelo Anthony]], [[Chris Bosh]], or [[Dwyane Wade]], all of whom were available at the time – instead (the Anthony argument is generally dismissed because the Pistons already had [[Tayshaun Prince]] at the [[small forward]] position). The criticism has beenwas tempered somewhat due to the excellent team chemistry displayed by the Pistons during their championship run; a slightly different group of players, even if there may have been more talent, might not have had the same success as the team with Miličić. And despite a lack of production early in his career, Miličić was still highly regarded around the league due to his potential, and Detroit was reluctant to give up on him.
Under coach [[Larry Brown]] ([[2003]]-[[2005]]), he usually only played when the Pistons had an insurmountable lead late in the game; this earned him the somewhat derisive nickname of "The Human Victory Cigar." Pistons team president [[Joe Dumars]] repeatedly stated that Miličić will play a big part in the team's future, but he did not see a large increase in playing time during his second season. HeMiličić has been quoted on numerous occasions as blaming his slow development on his lack of playing time: "I have said it over and over again, the only way I will develop is if I go out on the floor and play, gain experience." {{citation needed}} After Brown's departure, [[Flip Saunders]] was hired as head coach of the Pistons, and it was expected that Miličić would see more playing time due to Saunders's track record of developing young players (such as [[Kevin Garnett]] and [[Stephon Marbury]]). While Brown has a well-known preference for veterans, Saunders is seen as more willing give on-the-job training. With [[Elden Campbell]] no longer on Detroit's roster and [[Dale Davis]] only brought in as a mentor, most NBA experts believed that Miličić would see considerably more minutes this season as the Pistons' full-time backup center, behind [[Ben Wallace]]. But while Darko played very well in the NBA's summer leagues and earned the praise of his teammates, little changed in the first half of the 2006 season. Under Saunders, Miličić still averaged less than 8 minutes per game, and received significant playing time only in blowout wins or blowout losses for the Pistons. Darko's surprising lack of playing time in Detroit was frequently highlighed in publications like [[ESPN_The_Magazine|ESPN The Magazine]] and [[Sports Illustrated]], and at fan websites like "FreeDarko," a page devoted to lobbying for Miličić to receive additional playing time, (if only to decide once and for all whether he was a worthy pick or a draft bust).
On [[February 15]], [[2006]], just prior to the NBA's All-Star break, Miličić was traded, along with [[point guard]] [[Carlos Arroyo]], to the [[Orlando Magic]] for [[Kelvin Cato]] and a first-round pick in the [[2007]] [[NBA Draft]]. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2332021]
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