Darko receives ringing endorsement
By By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Editor's Note: NBA Insider Chad Ford is in Detroit this week chronicling the process of pre-draft visits as several prospects work out for the Pistons.
DETROIT -- Meet Will Robinson.
Robinson is the assistant to the president of basketball operations for the Pistons. He is the NBA's oldest scout, at the ripe age of 92. He has been inducted into 24 Halls of Fame. He has coached the likes of Doug Collins and Spencer Haywood. He was the first African-American head coach in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
And if you listen to him, he invented such things as the full-court press and the fast break.
It's tough to find anyone who's been around long enough to dispute that.
You've heard of six degrees of separation? Robinson plays about three. Rumor here in Detroit has it that he cut the hole in James Naismith's peach basket.
He comes to work every day, watches game film and never misses a workout. Robinson has sat through the Pistons' draft workouts for the past 28 years, witnessing the auditions of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman and
Grant Hill.
Dumars, now the Pistons president, smiles when he sees Robinson walk onto the court Wednesday in preparation for Darko Milicic's individual workout. Call him a comfort blanket.
"Let me tell you something about Will Robinson," Dumars says. "He's seen it all. You can't fool Will Robinson. Nothing gets by him."
Robinson's a little early today for a reason. He's a late-comer on the international bandwagon. He has listened to the talk radio hosts and local writers imploring the Pistons to take Carmelo Anthony over Milicic with the No. 2 pick in next month's draft. Like the rest of them, he has yet to see the young Yugoslavian in person.
"In the past, when we brought in the guys from overseas, Will would sit there, shake his head and say 'Send him back ... he needs to spend more time in the oven,' " Dumars says with a laugh.
Robinson takes his seat courtside, crosses his legs and stares Darko down as he begins warming up. For the next 45 minutes, his eyes never leave the 7-footer.
From agility exercises (Darko ranks in the top 15 percent) to tests that gauge lateral quickness (Darko ranks in the top 2 percent), vertical jump (a little above average) and upper and lower body strength (OK on the first, above average on the second), Robinson is watching Milicic's every movement.
It isn't until Milicic picks up a basketball and starts effortlessly draining NBA-range 3-pointers (remember, his coach in Yugoslavia wouldn't let him take European 3s, let alone from the NBA distance) that Robinson begins speaking up. He doesn't stop talking until well after the workout.
"We hit the jackpot," Robinson says with a smile. "Jackpot!"
Milicic moves into the post and begins hitting jump hooks, first with his left hand. Then with his right. Robinson can't tell whether Milicic is left- or right-handed. That's a good thing.
"How'd that boy learn to shoot with both hands?" he asks.
| [font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]“[/font] | [font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]He's going to own the game. Own the game. We're going to have to build a new arena. The only thing that could destroy a kid like that is a woman. [/font][font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][/font] |
