1. The Pick Detroit Actually Made
The Detroit Pistons were not supposed to be drafting second in June 2003. They had just gone 50–32, finished first in the Central Division and reached the Eastern Conference Finals before New Jersey swept them. Ben Wallace anchored one of the NBA's best defenses. Chauncey Billups had established himself at point guard. Richard Hamilton had arrived from Washington and become Detroit's leading perimeter scorer. This was already a playoff team, not a franchise selecting near the top because it had spent six months losing. The No. 2 selection had come from Memphis through an older trade obligation, giving president of basketball operations Joe Dumars an opportunity contenders almost never receive. After Cleveland took LeBron James first, Detroit had the choice that would follow the franchise for decades: Carmelo Anthony or Darko Miličić. Carmelo had just completed one of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history. He averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds, led Syracuse to the national championship and was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. Denver eventually selected him third. Detroit chose Miličić. The decision became one of the defining draft mistakes of the era. Darko played only 4.7 minutes per game as a rookie and 6.9 in his second season. Across three years with Detroit he averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds before the Pistons traded him to Orlando in February 2006. The strange part is that Detroit still won. The Pistons acquired Rasheed Wallace during Darko's rookie season, beat the Lakers in the 2004 Finals, returned to the Finals in 2005 and remained near the top of the East for several years. The real 2004 championship team won with defense, ball movement, depth and five starters who understood exactly what they were supposed to do. Detroit did not need its No. 2 pick to become good. It was already good enough to win the championship. That is what makes the decision so interesting. What if Detroit used the second pick on the one thing its roster did not already possess? An elite young scorer.
2. June 26, 2003
LeBron James still goes first to Cleveland. Then David Stern approaches the podium again. The Detroit Pistons select Carmelo Anthony. Denver, preparing to take Anthony, changes direction and selects Dwyane Wade third. Toronto takes Darko Miličić fourth. Miami, still looking for a young frontcourt cornerstone, selects Chris Bosh fifth. One decision rearranges four careers. Carmelo enters the NBA without being asked to rescue a rebuilding franchise. He walks into a locker room with Billups, Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. Larry Brown becomes his first NBA head coach. Detroit can give him possessions without giving him control of the organization. Brown does not treat him gently. He gets on Anthony about weak-side rotations. He stops practice over missed box-outs. He demands the extra pass when two defenders load toward Carmelo's side of the floor. He makes Anthony defend larger forwards instead of saving him for offense. What Brown cannot do is keep him off the court. Carmelo is already Detroit's best pure scorer. Brown begins using him at the elbow, on the extended block and in early offense before opposing defenses can get set. Hamilton still runs defenders through pindowns. Billups controls the middle pick-and-roll. Ben works around the rim. Carmelo gives Detroit somewhere to go when the first action gets taken away. He averages roughly 22.5 points and six rebounds as a rookie and wins Rookie of the Year. Detroit is still a defensive team. It simply no longer has to win every fourth quarter 19–16.
3. 2003–04: The First RunPREMIUM
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View Membership4. 2004–05: Five All-StarsPREMIUM
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5. 2005–06: Indiana Refuses to Go AwayPREMIUM
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6. 2006–07: The Mileage ArrivesPREMIUM
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7. The Rest of the 2003 Draft Starts Growing UpPREMIUM
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8. Darko Gets to PlayPREMIUM
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9. 2008–11: Detroit Gets Older, Los Angeles Gets BetterPREMIUM
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10. Charlotte Stops Being an Expansion StoryPREMIUM
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11. 2010: Miami Clears the BoardPREMIUM
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12. Detroit's Draft NightPREMIUM
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13. Joe Dumars Makes One More Big TradePREMIUM
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14. Meanwhile, the Clippers Keep DraftingPREMIUM
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15. Miami, Charlotte and Detroit Fight Over the EastPREMIUM
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16. 2014–15: Detroit Is Ready AgainPREMIUM
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17. 2015–16PREMIUM
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18. The Clippers' TurnPREMIUM
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19. 2017–18: Carmelo's Last SeasonPREMIUM
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20. One More Championship in Los AngelesPREMIUM
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21. Charlotte Finally Finishes the JobPREMIUM
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22. What Happened to Everybody ElsePREMIUM
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23. The No. 15 JerseyPREMIUM
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THE DISCUSSION
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