Chauncey Billups Speaks on Major Detroit Pistons 'What If'

Would the Pistons have been this dominant if they drafted Carmelo Anthony?

Apr 1, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups looks on during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

In the history of the Detroit Pistons, one of their biggest "what ifs" has to do with the 2003 NBA Draft. The organization had one of the top picks in arguably the most star-studded class, but failed to come away with a blue-chip prospect.

As most know, LeBron James went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in this draft. The Pistons went on the clock at No. 2, and had options like Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh to choose from. However, they ended up going with an international prospect in Darko Milicic.

During a recent episode of Anthony's 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Pistons legend Chauncey Billups was on as a guest. As expected, the Pistons actions in the '03 draft were brought up. When Billups was asked about how different things would be if they drafted Anthony, he did not hold back with his response.

"We win at least three chips bruh," Billups said. "I say it all the time, I be on him, Bron would have had to leave Cleveland a lot earlier than he left because they never was gonna beat us."

Passing on Anthony didn't totally derail the Pistons, as they went on to win a championship in 2004. However, adding a prospect of his caliber would have created a much larger window of contention.

Milicic managed to hang around the league for a decade, but never lived up to the hype of being a top draft pick. He'd appear in less than 500 games and suit up for six different franchises. During his NBA tenure, Milicic averaged 6.0 PPG and 4.2 RPG.

As for Anthony, he went on to have a very successful career in the NBA. He recently retired in 2022 with a list of accolades that includes being a 10-time All-Star, one-time scoring champion, and receiving All-NBA honors six times.