Detroit Pistons “would have been better off” with Carmelo Anthony if they drafted superstar in 2003

The Detroit Pistons passed on Carmelo Anthony in the famous 2003 NBA draft, which also produced stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Sports Illustrated writer Michael Rosenberg believes the Pistons would've been better off if they had drafted the high-scoring forward:

"This all assumes Anthony would have been the same player. But playing for a defense-first, veteran-laden contender also might have forced Anthony to be a more complete player early. The Pistons would have been better off with Carmelo. But he would have been better off with the Pistons, too."

Detroit owned the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. After LeBron James was selected No. 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons were faced with a decision. Who should they take: Serbian big man Darko Milicic or Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony?

The Pistons took Milicic, while Anthony went third overall to the Denver Nuggets. Detroit won the 2004 NBA championship, although rookie Milicic played just 4.7 minutes per game during the regular season and 1.8 minutes in the playoffs.

Timeless Sports

@timelesssports_

(2003) Number 2 pick, Darko Milicic. #NBADraft

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(2003) Number 2 pick, Darko Milicic. #NBADraft https://t.co/1gVB4WQiak

Anthony, who had led Syracuse to a national championship during his lone collegiate season, became an instant star with the Nuggets. He led the team to the playoffs and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind LeBron James.

'Melo would later emerge as one of the NBA's most unstoppable scorers of all time. The 10-time All-Star, who recently retired, is currently ninth all-time in scoring with 28,289 points. He won his lone scoring title in 2013, averaging 28.7 points per game as a member of the New York Knicks.

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Should the Detroit Pistons have drafted Carmelo Anthony?

Led by the likes of Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, the 2004 Pistons shocked the world by defeating Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Pistons Talk

@Pistons__Talk

Rasheed Wallace said on @shobasketball The 2004 Detroit Pistons weren’t even worried about the Lakers

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Rasheed Wallace said on @shobasketball The 2004 Detroit Pistons weren’t even worried about the Lakers 😂 https://t.co/ZjKKaOmhYS

The Pistons obviously didn't need Anthony to win that championship. The defensive-minded Tayshaun Prince did just fine as the team's starting small forward.

Detroit won just one championship with that squad, which was known for its stifling defense. It's possible, though, that they would've been a dynasty if they added Anthony. But then again, he might not have fit in, knowing that he wasn't a good defender.

Unlike fellow members of the 2003 draft class LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who won championships together with the Miami Heat, Anthony never got a ring during his Hall of Fame career. He just might've gotten the job done in Detroit, but we'll never know.

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