Darko is millionaire, he could just move his mom HERE in the good old USA...safer, better medical care......Why wouldn't doc play him..don't we ask this EVERY year about doc and a few of the obvious players who contribute that doc won't play....!!!
Well, maybe his mom has other relative and friends other than Darko and wants to spend the end (if that's what we are talking about here) at her home.
speculation at best.....but the issue is why didn't doc play him.
Doc said that it was apparent that Darko's worries about his mom and family matters were effecting his play. The preseason was weeks ago and all we saw as spectators were some spot minutes where Darko looked good against pros trying to get back into NBA shape and scrubs playing for a job.
Since then only Doc can say for sure how well he has played because he is the one that has seen him in practice. I don't know how many years I have to keep saying this on this site:
YOU EARN PLAYING TIME IN PRACTICE, IN SHOOT AROUNDS, IN THE WORKOUT ROOM, IN THE VIDEO ROOM AND IN SHOWING THE COACH YOU ARE DOING WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO WHEN YOU GET ON THE COURT.
If Darko's workout schedule suddenly wasn't as stringent, if he wasn't staying late doing video room work, if he was faltering in practice, none of us are going to know that.
Sullinger has been getting steady minutes all year. Doc's biggest detractors say Doc doesn't play rookies, he plays vets. Then why is he playing Sully and not Collins or Darko.
Now Doc's detractors are saying its his love of small ball.
People just don't get it. Doc plays the players playing their best in practice and uses them accordingly. If those best players make a small ball team that's what he plays. If those players are bigger and dominant rebounders(2008,2009,2010), then he plays a different style. If his players are older he will run less. If they are younger, he will run more.
BTW, if I was making millions in Bosnia or Israel or India and my mom got sick, there is zero chance of me convincing her to move away from her home town and home country and home language to live with me overseas and possibly die away from all her family and friends. Never happening.