Wow.

Darko is simply killing it lately. During last night's 129-95 blowout of the Cavaliers, he recorded a +41, the highest for any Timberwolves player since 2001.

We admit that Darko got off to a bit of a slow start this season, but it happens. Just how well has he been playing recently? Let's split the first 20 games of this season into two halves:

First ten games (averages):
23 minutes played
5.3 points
5.4 rebounds
2.3 blocks
1.3 assists
0.7 steals
1.9 turnovers

Second ten games (averages):
32 minutes played
13.1 points
7.5 rebounds
3.2 blocks
3.3 assists
0.3 steals
2.6 turnovers

Big improvements in almost every category! We can't wait to see what the next ten games brings!

Wow! Just when I thought that Darko could not get any better, he went and simply dominated during last night's game against the Lakers! He shredded Pau Gasol all night in a career-best performance and looked quite confident all the way along. Goodness, he had himself a double double by halftime.

The numbers:
23 points (sets a new career high)
16 rebounds (ties his career high --- his third game with 16)
6 blocks (a new career high)
5 assists (ties his career high --- his sixth time getting 5 assists)
2 steals

He did a little bit of everything!

Just how great was Darko's night? It simply isn't enough to compare it to Gasol's performance, as it is clear who won that battle. Let's compare full stats against Kobe!

FGM-A --- Darko 10-18, Kobe 8-27. Advantage: Darko!
3PM-A --- Darko 0-0, Kobe 1-4. Advantage: Kobe (I guess)
FTM-A --- Darko 3-3, Kobe 6-7. Advantage: Draw (I guess)
Rebounds --- Darko 16, Kobe 8. Advantage: Darko!
Assists --- Darko 5, Kobe 2. Advantage: Darko!
Steals --- Darko 2, Kobe 1. Advantage: Darko!
Turnovers --- Darko 2, Kobe 4. Advantage: Darko!
Blocks --- Darko 6, Kobe 1. Advantage: Darko!
Blocks Against --- Darko 1, Kobe 3. Advantage: Darko!
W/L --- Darko L, Kobe W. Advantage: Kobe (unfortunately)

While they don't match up against each other, it is apparent that Darko had a much better game than Kobe!

On top of everything else, Darko is now tied for the league lead in blocks with 39.

Darko is really starting to find his footing and hum along. We here at DarkoRules simply can't wait to see how things unfold from here!

Tonight against Charlotte:

13 points. 12 rebounds. 5 assists. 4 blocks. 0 turnovers.

'nuff said! Darko rules!

Well well well. After being much maligned in the media and in the blogosphere for his four year, $20 million off-season contract signing and what was deemed to be poor early play, Darko certainly showed what he was capable of last night against the Lakers.

Darko scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists, made two steals, swatted away another two shots, and nearly helped the Timberwolves pull off a major upset against undefeated LA (The 'Wolves lost 99-94 and the Lakers squeaked out of the game with and 8-0 record). All that was missing was a partridge in a pear tree. The only blemishes were Darko's two suspiciously short missed free throws in the second quarter. I was not able to get a close look, but the Staples Center staff may well have moved the basket back on those shots!

A bit more on the contract --- loads and loads of supposed basketball experts pointed to Darko's contract as one of the worst, if not the very worst, signing of the off-season. These people jumped all over the story as if Darko had been signed to a billion dollar salary and did not seem to notice some of the much, much, much larger signings for players who were not nearly as worthy of what they are now getting paid. Did anyone catch Joe Johnson (a decent player who is likely on the downside of his career) getting $120 million for six years with Atlanta? He will average as much per year during this contract as Darko will get for his entire four years! How about Amir Johnson signing with the Raptors for $34 million over six years? Who is Amir Johnson and what has he ever proven? The list goes on!

The outrage over Darko's contract is particularly surprising when you compare his current contract against his previous one. Darko's previous contract signing with Memphis was for $21 million over three years --- he has taken a substantial pay cut (his $4.325 million salary this year is a 42% drop from last year's $7.5 million) and there was not nearly as much venom directed Darko's way when that contract was signed. Darko is also still earning less than the NBA average salary, which is currently over $5 million. Darko-bashing has become a fun pastime for many that is clearly not grounded in reality.

Enough focus has been given to the naysayers. It is only onward and upward for Darko from here. His next game: tonight against the Sacramento Kings!

Hello again everyone!

Well, after a four year hiatus, DarkoRules is back in business. Darko has accomplished a great deal since 2006 and continues to do so --- with his current team (Minnesota), he has managed to block 16 shots in only six games. That is good for third in the NBA in total blocks and Darko actually leads the league in blocks per 48 minutes at 6.24! Awesome!

We are going to keep fighting the good fight with Darko as he continues to evolve.

It's good to be back and we are looking forward to continuing this journey!

Hey everyone,

Darkorules not back up to full speed just yet, but we do want to make a quick note of Darko's great play in recent games. He was number 8 in total blocks this season heading into tonight's game against Charlotte and he managed to make four more swats this evening, leading the Magic to a 97-83 victory, their fourth straight.

Darko also scored 14 points on a career-tying seven field goals in the game, and also managed to tie career marks in assists with three and steals with two. He also grabbed eight boards for good measure. All of this was done in just 24 minutes of work! Amazing!

Ten games into the season, Darko has already played more minutes (193) than he did in his entire rookie season. This guy is finally getting his chance and he is making the best of it. He will probably set new career marks in all categories by the end of the season. Onward and upward, Darko!

Hey everyone. After a few months out of commission, I want to let everyone know that DarkoRules will be back in business soon!

Despite what the title of this blog states, 2006-2007 will be Darko's true rookie season, as Darko fans had to sit with him on the bench for almost an entire season once again. Thank goodness for the late-season trade to Orlando!

What has happened in the last few months?

- Darko did indeed exact his revenge against Detroit that fine April evening, shooting 80% from the field and leading the Magic to an 89-87 victory.
- He played great at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, even with his Serbian team in disarray
- He built up a ton of muscle over the summer (15 to 28 pounds' worth, depending on who you talk to)
- Our man had a great pre-season, although it was a bit shortened because of a back injury

How is Darko doing two games into the new season? Well... last night against the Sixers, he was only on the floor for 14 minutes because of foul trouble throughout the game, but still managed to shoot 5 of 6 from the field and put up 11 points! Unfortunately, the Magic lost 105-103 to Philadelphia. If the referees had not been so whistle-happy, Darko would have led his team to victory in all likelihood!

Oh well, one loss does not a season make. Darko did lead his team to a win against what looks to be a great Bulls team in the season opener on Wednesday, and there are still 80 games of fun to go.

With concerns about playing time a thing of the past, let's all sit back and enjoy the Darko show from here on in!