One of the biggest 'What ifs?' in the 2000s NBA was Carmelo Anthony going to the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft. Anthony was regarded as the second-best prospect in the class behind good buddy LeBron James . As expected, LeBron went to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No.1 overall pick of the Draft, but instead of getting picked by the Pistons, who owned the second overall pick, Melo ended up going No.3 to the Denver Nuggets.
During the recent episode of Anthony's 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Chauncey Billups , the star of the Pistons' 2004 title team, talked about Anthony's fit with the team had they selected him in the '03 Draft.
"Bro, it would have been the perfect…' Billups told Anthony. "Most people always be like 'Would he have started?' or 'Will Melo start or Tay?' Well, what most people forget is that at the time of the draft, we didn't have Sheed. We go Sheed at the trade deadline. So Melo would have been starting off the top."
Melo had more than enough time to prove himself while Sheed wasn't there yet
One of the big questions about Detroit having Melo was whether he would've been a starter on a loaded Pistons team. But as Billups said, that team did not have forward Rasheed Wallace until after the trade deadline. So, without Sheed at the beginning, Melo would have had enough time to establish himself and earn his spot on Larry Brown's rotation.
Once the Pistons added Wallace, they became a title contender. So imagine them already having Melo put up the same numbers he did as a rookie in Denver. With a ready 20-point scorer, that 2003-04 Pistons team could have done more than just upset the dysfunctional Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. They could have easily ruled the Eastern Conference for years and won more titles.
"We still reminisce about that sh**, man," added Mr. Big Shot. " Like we still don't know what happened. Bro, it's crazy man. But we always like man we win at least three chips bruh. I say it all the time. I be on 'em I said 'Bron woulda had to leave Cleveland a lot earlier than he left cuz they never was gon' beat us."
Tayshaun Prince also thinks they would've won more rings with Melo
Former Pistons swingman Tayshaun Prince agrees with Billups that the Pistons could have won more championships if they ended up with Melo in the '03 Draft . According to Prince, Anthony was already NBA-ready when he arrived and could've instantly contributed to Detroit's run.
"I think if we did take Melo, maybe two, maybe three, maybe four championships," Prince said, per CBS Sports . "And then after my fourth or fifth year, now you have to decide what you want to do. But at least you know going in, if you take Melo we got a guy."
But Joe Dumars infamously picked Darko Milicic over Anthony and Milicic never panned out. And while the Pistons still made four consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals after their 2004 title run, they never won another chip. Had they drafted Melo, they could have easily competed for more titles and perhaps driven LeBron away from Cleveland before he signed an extension in 2006.
Related: Ben Wallace explains why the Detroit Pistons made a smart decision by not drafting Carmelo Anthony
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