Re-draft 2003 NBA Draft
. SF. Syracuse. Carmelo Anthony. 2. player. 64
The biggest bust of the 2003 NBA Draft came when the Detroit Pistons selected international star big man Darko Miličić. Although the Pistons would go onto win the NBA Championship that season and make another appearance in the finals and many deep playoff runs, they might have been able to sustain their success longer if they had drafted Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony was coming off of a National Championship and was seen as the second best player in the draft that year behind James. Like many teams before them, the Pistons bit on the allure of an international big man and it backfired, as they would not get much production out of their top pick.
In hindsight, if the Pistons had drafted Anthony, they probably have more than one championship and more than two appearances in the finals during the run of Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups and company.
In fact, with such a defensive minded team, Anthony could have been the dynamic offensive piece that really brought everything together. He also would likely have a ring right now and be talked about in a much higher regard than he already is.
This goes down as one of the biggest blunders in draft history.
Next: No. 3 Pick