The worst draft picks in Detroit Pistons’ history
1. Darko Milicic – 2003 – Center – Round 1, Pick 2 (2nd overall)
Oh boy. Where do I start?
The infamous Darko Milicic pick traces it’s roots to a 1997 trade between the Pistons and the Vancouver Grizzlies. Detroit sent power forward Otis Thorpe to Vancouver, and received a Grizzlies’ first round pick that would come in 2003.
Six years after the trade, the NBA was vastly different. Michael Jordan and the Bulls broke up after their sixth title in 1998. Half of the 1998-99 season was cut short due to a lockout. Grant Hill was in Orlando. The Grizzlies had moved to Memphis, and the Detroit Pistons (who had since dropped the teal) were suddenly a title contender.
Detroit had just made their first appearance in the conference finals since 1991. They were led by a collection of journeymen. President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars had compiled a competent back court that featured Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton.
Ben Wallace established himself as one of the best defenders in the league as he captured his first Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2003. The forward spots were occupied by older veterans – Michael Curry and Clifford Robinson.
Detroit found themselves in a unique situation. They were one of the best teams in the league, yet they held the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft. Opportunities like that are extremely rare.
June 26, 2003
Now to the scene of the crime. The 2003 NBA Draft took place inside Madison Square Garden. High school superstar LeBron James highlighted an impressive draft class. It was a mere formality that David Stern had to announce Cleveland’s selection of James. The top prospect was gone, and now the draft could truly start.
“With the second pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select Darko Milicic from Serbia and Montenegro,” said Stern to a worldwide audience. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Pistons would celebrate a championship just a year after that pick. But it wouldn’t take long to realize they’d made a grave mistake. Detroit passed up three future Hall of Fame players in small forward Carmelo Anthony, power forward Chris Bosh and shooting guard Dwyane Wade.
Adding one of those players to that dominant Detroit Pistons team would’ve resulted in multiple championships. There’s no question about it. Instead, Pistons fans are left to wonder what could have been.
I don’t need to mention any of Darko’s career statistics. He is widely considered the biggest bust in NBA history. Some have argued that he didn’t receive enough minutes or that he was quickly relegated to the bench by Larry Brown. There may be some truth to those claims.
Next: Who do you want the Pistons to draft tonight?
But those arguments don’t hold up in the long run. Milicic never found his way with the Detroit Pistons. His stints with Orlando, Memphis, New York, Minnesota and Boston were all mediocre. Darko may be long gone but the Pistons are still paying the price for drafting him almost 14 years later.