In many ways, Tuesday was the first day of Darko Milicic's NBA career. After languishing for 2 1/2 seasons at the end of the Pistons' bench, with little hope of playing, Milicic is happy. And just a bit perturbed with his stay in the Motor City. "It was a nightmare in Detroit, and now it is over," Milicic said Tuesday before his first game with the Magic, his new team. "It was not good. I never got to play no matter what I did. It was very hard, but it is over now and I do not want to think about it anymore. As soon as I leave Detroit, I get happier. "This is good for me, I am happy I am here. They're a great group of guys and now I finally get a chance to play." Milicic, in his first extended interview since being traded with Carlos Arroyo to the Magic on Feb. 15, said his time with the Pistons was emotionally trying. Pistons president Joe Dumars still sees the potential in Milicic, but knew a trade was necessary. "As I've said before, Orlando is going to be a good team for Darko," Dumars said Tuesday. "And I expect him to help their team." Great expectations Milicic reached a few highs - and many lows -- in Detroit. Expectations soared when Milicic was selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Pistons in 2003. He had just turned 18, and was a baby-faced high schooler from Serbia with a precious few words of English. Many saw a bright future with the Pistons because of his lithe 7-foot frame and advertised -- but unseen -- skills. The hype never matched reality for Milicic and the Pistons. He couldn't crack the rotation, eternally stuck behind Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Former Pistons coach Larry Brown pounded on him mercilessly for two years during practice, trying to use old-school tough love to mold Milicic into an NBA player. Milicic's confidence, however, withered, and at times, he bitterly and impatiently complained about the lack of playing time. "In Detroit, I feel like a ball boy," Milicic, 20, said. "I never got the chance to play. Nobody gives me an explanation of why. I know they're a championship team, but I am in my third year. You can't tell me there wasn't a place for me to get five, seven minutes? But that's all past time now, now I'm here." Milicic thought he might have a fresh start when the Pistons hired Flip Saunders to replace Brown. Saunders gave Milicic playing time during preseason, but formulated a very successful regular rotation sans Milicic. "It was a bad time," Milicic said. "At first, I was happy because I was around good people. I can't forget the guys on the team and Joe (Dumars). But I just want to forget about the rest of it. "It was a nightmare because I never got a chance to play. Two-and-half years and never a chance. I was working hard every day, knowing that I was never going to get a chance to play. It was a nightmare." Milicic remembers the crowds at The Palace, sarcastically chanting his name when the Pistons were blowing out an opponent. He remembers how local and national sports talk shows, Web sites and newspapers dissected his failures or incessantly compared him to more successful draft classmates Carmelo Anthony or Dwyane Wade. A new team Milicic's way of processing his time in Detroit is simple -- he's leaving it all alone. The Magic are promising Milicic a fresh start, and more importantly, virtually guaranteeing playing time. Magic coach Brian Hill used Milicic in the Magic's 105-92 loss to the Cavaliers. Milicic played nearly four minutes, scoring his lone basket on a pretty reverse layup in the second quarter. "That's the fewest minutes he's going to see all season," Hill said about Milicic. Milicic, after the game, liked what he heard from Hill. "That's good, I will get better as I play," Milicic said. His new team is a far cry from the Pistons, with a 19-32 record and rebuilding. They are young and willing to try different things to get the franchise turned around. Which is exactly what Milicic wanted, prompting a celebration he found out about the trade while his vacation in Miami during the All-Star break. "I was so happy, it was a very good day in Miami," Milicic said. "Everybody was happy for me." Hill watched Milicic practice and was impressed with his shooting range from the perimeter. Hill knows Milicic is a risk, a total unknown quantity. But he plans on bringing him off the bench, seeing how Milicic meshes with other young players such as Dwight Howard. "The only thing we can do is give him an opportunity to play," Hill said. "And I think the last two years, obviously only he knows what he can do in practice situations. He doesn't know what he can do in game situations."We don't expect him to be a miracle worker right away or anything. But he has a great deal of potential. We just have to give him the opportunity." -- --

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