Massive hypothetical

[Squeak]

How would the Pistons have gone this season if they selected Carmelo instead of Milicic.

*Would they have still gone after 'Sheed?
*Would Melo have been as effective as he was at Denver?
*Would the Motor City be home of the NBA champions.

In a strange way, I think they may have been better off doing what they did.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

They are a team built on teamwork, defense, no standout players and no egos. Carmelo will be a superstar, but I have little doubt they wouldn't be the NBA champion if they had selected him.

 

[Portmanteau]

Very doubtful that Atlanta and Boston gift Rasheed to the Pistons if they already had Carmelo.

If you've seen Carmelo play a lot, most of his offense comes from being isolated on the wing, and beating his man. That really doesn't fit in with the Pistons system, so he would've been less effective, though not to any lack of talent.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

I also believe that Carmelo's style would have had a negative effect on the game of Rip Hamilton (and Chauncey, to a lesser extent).

 

[Thewlis Dish]

I'm currently writing an article for another site on why Detroit drafting Darko earnt them a title - I'll post it up in this thread when I finish it.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

I don't blame you if you can't be bothered reading it all.

Piston’s Shrewd Drafting Earns Them Top Dog Status

Let’s flash back to the end of June, 2003, and with it the NBA draft. All the hype, and justifiably so, surrounds an 18 year old who is set to make his mark on the NBA. This is the pick that is a no-brainer; it is the next selection that has heads being scratched and expressions being contorted.

With the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select … Darko Milicic.

Although it became obvious to many that this would happen as early as a fortnight before the draft, it still left a sense of confusion around the basketball world. Detroit were one of basketball’s up and coming teams. They had gone to, albeit a short stay, the Conference Finals. They had arguably the best big man in the East, they had one of the smoothest shooting guards and a supremely talented point guard who it seemed had finally found a home. They had an up and coming European center who could play inside and out, and a good enough bench to build on a top four finish in the previous season. The weakness, it seemed, was small forward. Sure Tayshaun Prince could play a bit, but when you’re a reigning East finalist with the good fortune of a top two draft pick and the chance to add to most NBA ready prospect not named LeBron, you do it. Right?

Wrong.

Fast forward to the closing weeks of the regular season. Here, in Denver, we have Anthony going on a personal tear, winning Western Conference Player of the Week awards and taking his team past Utah and Portland into the playoffs, an amazing achievement after their 17-65 record the season before. Across the country, we have a cocky, bleach blonde European teenager sitting on the bench and seeing only a few garbage minutes here and there. The criticism has intensified as the season has progressed, and, unlike Yao Ming the season before, Milicic hasn’t been given the opportunities to prove his critics wrong. No matter how many times Joe Dumars comes out and says it was a pick for the future, no matter how many opponents Prince and his Go-Go Gadget arms shut down, it only gets louder and louder. Surely Detroit must now admit the pick was a bust. Right?

Wrong again.

Now we fast forward to June 15th, 2004, and we witness Larry Brown with his first championship in many years of success, and the indomitable Ben Wallace hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. Milicic, despite only logging a few garbage minutes, has become the youngest player to step onto the floor in an NBA Finals game. His contributions have been non-existant, in some ways it’s fair to say he has a cheap ring and shouldn’t value it as much as say, a Chauncey Billups or a Ben Wallace, but all this is irrelevant. Drafting Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony has ensured Detroit the championship, and here’s why.

Anthony, for all his talents, isn’t the sort of player to blend into the background. He is a scorer first, team player second. That’s no knock on him, the NBA needs players like that, but Anthony is at his most effective when he is given the ball on a wing, and given a clear-out to go one on one with his opponent. Detroit don’t play basketball like that; Hamilton was their leading scorer and first option at under 18 points a game, while the focus was on getting more people involved. Not many teams have the luxury of being able to defer from their stars when they are having trouble and still be able to match it with anyone, and the teams that do generally are successful.

Detroit are a testament to the notion that Defense wins Championships, and a big reason for this is Tayshaun Prince. As a starting small forward, Prince fits the Pistons right down to the last note. He comes to play at both ends, and is given the opposition’s best swingman every single night. One only has to look at how he hounded Kobe Bryant throughout the Finals as proof of that. His long arms allow him to block shots (hey Reggie?), grab rebounds and get in the face of any opponent. At the other end, he’ll knock down the three or drive to the hole, and always within the flow of the offense. Anthony, for all his talents, isn’t likely to stop his opponent from scoring, and certainly won’t block shots and blend into the background when required. Inserting Anthony into the line-up may have given Detroit an extra 10 points a night, but it would give them up 20. Not to mention the Pistons’ best man to man defender sitting on the bench while his replacement is hoisting jumpers.

Finally, anyone who has watched the Piston’s second half run will readily acknowledge the contributions of Rasheed Wallace. The one time bad boy of the NBA (how fitting he ends up on a Detroit Championship team) and tech foul master transformed himself into the final piece of the Piston puzzle. They would not have won the title without him, and would likely not have gotten him in the first place with Anthony on board. ‘Sheed was an attractive proposition because he could score, but maintain Detroit’s tough defensive mindset. You add Wallace to Detroit with Anthony playing the three, and the result is one too many egos to manage, not to mention too many shots to go around. ‘Sheed has fit this team because he is able to just play, get the ball if he wants it and give his namesake another top quality post defender. With Anthony’s ego and style of game, one must seriously doubt whether Detroit would have gone after Wallace, whether Wallace would have maintained his impeccable on-court behaviour and even whether Boston would have agreed to take part in such a trade.

All in all, I’m aware this article sounds like one big baking of Carmelo Anthony, and I assure you it is not. I love watching the man with a jumper as smooth as his first name operate, and look forward to watching him rack up big numbers in the years to come. But as a Darko fan, and one who understands the thinking of Joe Dumars, it pleasures me to see Detroit get a ring. ‘Melo has the numbers, while Darko has the ring. While it looks cheap now, his contributions to it, albeit somewhat indirectly, are bigger than anyone could have realised.

And somewhere by himself, while celebrations continue, you can bet Joe Dumars is smiling. After all, he took us all for fools, and came out as top dog.

 

[Portmanteau]

Nice read. The only problem is that the hottest prospect not named Lebron before the 2003 draft was Darko Milicic. People talk about it now like Lebron and Carmelo were 1a and 1b, but every team would've taken Milicic at #2.

 

[Darealrath]

Great read.

Darko should ask Karl and Gary which finger he should put the ring on

 

[jod23]

Nice read and I agree with what Joe D did.

Tayshaun Prince is the man and they already had SF well and truely covered. He justified his position in the team with a marvelous shut out of Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals.

Im backing the Pistons to go back to back. There defence is unrivalled. More minutes for Darko too, I think its time now that he started getting 10 to 15 a night.

 

[Booze Hound]

I don't think the Pistons will repeat but if they hold the squad pretty well intact and give Darko two years of development they might be hard to stop in 2006.

Next year, I'll say the T'Wolves.

With the Lakers high in the lottery based around a starting five of:

Fisher
Rush
George
Mevedenko
Walton (who btw I think will turn into a decent player)

As everyone jumps ship.

 

[mattyc2422]

Originally posted by Booze Hound
With the Lakers high in the lottery based around a starting five of:

Fisher
Rush
George
Mevedenko
Walton (who btw I think will turn into a decent player)

As everyone jumps ship.

I doubt Fish will stay...

 

[Portmanteau]

Fisher and Malone have opted out of their contracts.

 

[mattyc2422]

Wouldn't mind DFish backing up Le Tony Parker...

Hmm.

 

[Squeak]

LAL needs to do some interesting things over the off-season. Judging how well they did for me with the Clippers on NBA Live 98, the Lakers needs to go after Darrick Martin, Keith Closs and Eric Piatkowski.

 

[moistie]

Originally posted by Booze Hound
I don't think the Pistons will repeat but if they hold the squad pretty well intact and give Darko two years of development they might be hard to stop in 2006.

Next year, I'll say the T'Wolves.

With the Lakers high in the lottery based around a starting five of:

Fisher
Rush
George
Mevedenko
Walton (who btw I think will turn into a decent player)

As everyone jumps ship.

While it would amuse me no end to see this occur, you'd have to think that LA would get something for Kobe and Shaq if they left. Are the two of them under contract or can they just leave and stiff the Lakers?

The second scenario would put the Lakers in the hole and if it happened it would have to be one of the quickest declines of a Championship franchise. To go from Champions to likely lottery winners in two seasons would be interesting to watch.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by Squeak
LAL needs to do some interesting things over the off-season. Judging how well they did for me with the Clippers on NBA Live 98, the Lakers needs to go after Darrick Martin, Keith Closs and Eric Piatkowski.

Keith Closs is gangsta.

 

[Borgsta]

Shaq is under contract and will never leave LA. Kobe can leave but LA will get compensation.

Reggie Miller and Paul Pierce were animals from downtown in NBA '98

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Originally posted by Borgsta
Shaq is under contract and will never leave LA.

I wouldn't say that with any certainty. Sure, the smart money is on him being a Laker next season, but he's already making noises about forcing a trade if he's not happy with how things are going. And this is two days after they lost the finals.

Unlikely, but being under contract means jack **** in the NBA these days.

 

[Borgsta]

Shaq loves LA and if Kobe leaves he will love it even more. They will get at least 2 good players for Kobe and both players wont shoot as much as him. Shaq will become the No. 1 man again LA and all will be happy.

If he goes, **** i shudder to think how much he is worth on the market.

 

[Portmanteau]

Originally posted by Borgsta
Shaq is under contract and will never leave LA. Kobe can leave but LA will get compensation.

That's fine, except that it is heavily rumoured that Jerry Buss will clear out whomever Kobe wishes in order to keep him around. He'll take Kobe over Shaq, unless Kobe wishes to leave regardless.

As far as he'd be worth on the open market, I doubt many teams will go overboard for a 2-3 year rent of the big guy. I've seen this one suggested:

Jefferson, Martin (S&T), #22 and filler

for

Shaq, George and Cook

Shaq
S. Swift (MLE)
George
Kittles
Kidd

R. Swift (#22)
Martin
Jefferson
Bryant
Payton

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by Bresh
S. Swift (MLE)

Given what he earnt this past year, i can't see him simply taking the MLE

 

[Stiffy_18]

Pretty good read Petrie Dish

 

[Booze Hound]

Shaq says he won'y play under any coach but Jackson.

Shaq is having more and more trouble keeping his weight below that of the average rhino.

If Jackson retires, Shaq could easily as well.

What if Kobe's 'unavailable'?

 

[jod23]

Originally posted by Borgsta


If he goes, **** i shudder to think how much he is worth on the market.

Not much I would think. His best years are well and truly behind him and he has attitude and weight problems.

That K-Mart and Jefferson trade is hilarious!! Why would NJ give up one of the most athletic and well rounded SF's in the league in Jefferson who is young and still getting better.

Then there is the all star PF in Martin who continues to get better each year also and is still very young. Ridiculous rumor.

 

[Borgsta]

Originally posted by jod23
Not much I would think. His best years are well and truly behind him and he has attitude and weight problems.

ehhh i hope you are joking with this post. Not worth much on the market?!?! Here is a guy who just had 26ppg and 11rpg during the NBA finals and you dont think he is worth much.

Any team in contention for the championship that doesnt have a dominating big man will be desperate to get him. So really only Det, Indy, San, Houston wont want him.