Detroit Pistons’ biggest draft blunder may have won them a title

With Carmelo Anthony retiring and the NBA draft right around the corner, many fans are debating What If’s in regards to draft busts, specifically for the Detroit Pistons.

Earlier last month, probable future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement after 19 years. With Anthony hanging it up, that leaves just LeBron James from the heralded, and, for Detroiters, infamous 2003 draft class. As most NBA fans know, with the second overall pick, the Detroit Pistons would select Darko Milicic over the likes of other Hall of Fame players Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony; even if Carmelo was promised by the Pistons front office they were going to draft him.

Now that Anthony is walking away from basketball and with the draft just around the corner, many have asked the question, What if Joe Dumars selected Anthony rather than Milicic? What direction would the franchise have then gone? Would the Goin’ to Work Pistons still win a Championship? Let’s take a look.

Carmelo Anthony’s fit on the Detroit Pistons’ roster

When talking What If’s, it’s easy to say if Anthony was taken by Detroit in ‘03, more of a dynasty would have been made of the Goin’ to Work Pistons. Carmelo has said so himself. Anthony would finish his career averaging 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds so adding him to a Pistons roster that would end up winning a championship anyway would lead to more trophies, right? 10x All-Star, ’03-’04 Rookie of the year, 6x All-NBA and the 2013-2014 scoring champ would only help the Pistons, no? Maybe. Maybe not.

It’s been reported that Dumars was looking for inside help during the ‘03 offseason, leading to his selection of the 7-foot Milicic. Carmelo Anthony stands at just 6-foot-7 and obviously is a scoring wing, not a big man. The fit of Anthony with the rest of the roster just isn’t there. Larry Brown already had a young Tayshaun Prince and prime Richard Hamilton on the wings with Chauncey Billups bringing the ball up. Sure, Prince could have been relegated to coming off the bench, but then wouldn’t have been there to block Reggie Miller in the final minutes of game 2 in the ECF.

Adding another guard would have created a logjam in the wing position for the Detroit Pistons. A very talented logjam, but a logjam nonetheless.

Rasheed Wallace Trade

Dumars would eventually look elsewhere to fill the four spot. Queue Rasheed Wallace. Wallace was traded for at the ‘03-‘04 trade deadline and brought a certain attitude with him. An attitude that matched perfectly with Ben Wallace and the city of Detroit. Chauncey Billiups is on record saying all he needed to do to get Wallace into another gear was get him angry. Once angry, no one was stopping Rasheed Wallace. In my opinion, it’s that attitude and grittiness that carried Detroit to the Championship in ‘04.

I believe if Detroit takes Carmelo Anthony in 2003 rather than Darko Milicic, they are not in a position to trade for Rasheed Wallace. Without Sheed, they never fully embody the Goin to Work mantra they are so well known for. A mantra that would lead to the eventual “gentleman’s” sweep of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers. The roster chemistry played an invaluable role in Detroit’s Championship season.

In the end, Carmelo’s talent might have gotten the Pistons to the promised land, but the Goin’ to Work attitude would have not been created.

Maybe Carmelo Anthony elevates the Pistons to the championship himself if he were drafted at two. Maybe he gets Detroit there in ‘04 and then multiple years after. Personally, I’m a firm believer that Detroit does not win in ‘04 without Rasheed Wallace, and, without taking Milicic, Joe Dumars might not target him at the deadline. Passing on Darko Milicic possibly could have led to the Pistons being without the Larry O’Brien trophy since 1989. Regardless of championships, I don’t think we would have had the Goin to Work, gritty team persona we had from 2003-2008.