Milicic huffs, puffs in James' shadow as top picks debut

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- LeBron James dazzled with no-look passes while Darko Milicic watched.

When James took a break, Milicic ran around on the court, awkwardly at times, with his mouth agape and eyes wide.

"He was out there breathing like he has asthma," Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown said.

The top two picks in the NBA draft took to the same court on the same night, but few noticed Milicic and nobody missed James.

James and the Cavaliers beat Detroit 100-96 Tuesday night in the first exhibition game for both.

James had eight points on 4-of-12 shooting with seven assists and two blocks in 26 minutes. Milicic had five points on 2-of-8 shooting with five rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes.

"I can be better," said Milicic, who acknowledged he needs to get in better shape. "Before the game, I was really nervous and I know I looked like I was nervous on the court."

James, the No. 1 pick in June, is being asked to start and star for a team which won 17 games last season and is hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

Time on the bench

Milicic will be a reserve for the defending Eastern Conference champions. The 18-year-old Milicic understands and accepts his role.

"They just need me to play and practice hard," he said. "And maybe help a little bit in the games."

Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball, could have made a popular pick and taken former Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony, but he chose to take a 7-foot, 245-pound center from Serbia and Montenegro few had seen play.

The Pistons already are bracing for second-guessing because they expect some to wonder why Milicic isn't prominent in box scores and on highlights like James and Anthony.

James and Anthony, taken third by Denver, are expected to be given the opportunity to score and play a lot, despite rookie mistakes, for poor teams.

"Darko is a young talent and we're going to be patient with him," Dumars said Wednesday. "We will not be tempted to force him on the court right away.

"We have a great situation here with Darko. He's on a team with three other 7-footers and Ben Wallace."

The Pistons believe their good fortune of landing the high pick from Memphis -- thanks to a 1997 trade for Otis Thorpe -- will pay off in a few years when Milicic has developed enough to help them win a championship.

"I have no doubt that he has all the tools to be a good player for a long time," said Detroit's Elden Campbell, a 13-year veteran. "It's just going to take some time."

Wallace said Milicic comprehends everything said to him in English, with one exception.

"The only time he acts like he doesn't understand is when somebody is yelling at him after he makes a mistake," Wallace said with a grin.