The period of 2003-04 was a wild time to be a Detroit Pistons fan, as the team passed up on several future Hall of Famers to select Darko Milicic with the second pick in the 2003 NBA Draft but also went on to win a championship the ensuing season anyway. Milicic is widely considered to be one of the worst draft choices in NBA history, as the Pistons opted not to select Carmelo Anthony, who then went on to become one of the greatest scorers to ever play.
Still, that 2003-04 Pistons team was one of the most motivational stories to ever grace the NBA hardwood, and recently, a key member of that team, forward Tayshaun Prince, revealed why he himself may have been a reason the team opted not to select Anthony, via The Knuckleheads Podcast.
“I think how management looked at it was like they found their future small forward in me, let’s take a chance on Darko because remember (Mehmet) Okur, who we had, who was super talented, there was a chance we were going to lose him in free agency, which we did,” said Prince. “Then obviously (Rasheed Wallace), so it was like however they want to call it, we’ll take a chance on Darko.”
A roller coaster of a season
With Milicic playing limited off of the bench while Anthony nearly beat out LeBron James for Rookie of the Year in Denver, the Pistons were able to get to the NBA Finals and then pulled off one of the biggest upsets in league history by defeating the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.
Unfortunately, the franchise has been on a steady downhill trajectory in the two decades since, one that may have been at least helped if not reversed had Anthony been there.
Still, Prince isn't pinning the blame solely on Milicic.
“We were shook, but I want to say this about Darko, you’ve got to remember I think Darko was 17 when we drafted him, just turned 18 before the season started, Larry Brown’s his first coach, come on man,” said Prince. “The #2 pick, bust, everybody talks all this, whatever the case may be but this wasn’t all on Darko.”
Of course, Carmelo Anthony doesn't exactly have a reputation as a playoff riser in his own right, and it's worth considering how his playstyle may or may not have worked in the Pistons' gritty system.
In any case, Pistons fans will always have that 2004 championship to remember, even if the organization currently isn't in the best of shape.
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