2003 Draft Do-Over
Who gets ‘Melo? (Photo. Mannion)Before getting into this next NBA Draft Do-Over (see ‘05 HERE), let’s go over some ground rules:
1) The idea is that while each team has the same roster it had at the time of the Draft, they also have the benefit of knowing how good each potential draftee will be as of today. For example, the Miami Heat would go into the ‘03 do-over knowing that D-Wade is a franchise player who can carry a team to a ‘chip and throw up 24-point, 6-assist averages, but not knowing that they’re going to trade for Shaq in ‘04. As far as Miami knows, their ‘03 draft pick will be part of a foundation that includes Caron Butler and Eddie Jones. (Lamar Odom signed with Miami two months after the ‘03 Draft.)
2) You cannot predict injuries. For the ‘03 do-over, teams know that T.J. Ford will be a very good point guard in the League and arguably the fastest player in the game with the ball in his hands. They do not know that neck/spine injuries will plague T.J.’s career or that he’ll have to miss an entire season because of them.
3) Potential still matters. As of this day in 2008, we know Chris Kaman is a budding star who hasn’t hit his peak. In the ‘03 do-over, teams considering drafting Kaman are in the same position. They know he’ll be capable of putting up close to 20 points, 15 boards and 3 blocks a night by his fourth season, but — just like us — they don’t know how much better he can get in his fifth year and beyond.
All clear? OK then, here’s the ‘03 Do-Over Lottery:
1. Cleveland — LeBron James, SF, St. Vincent/St. Mary’s H.S. (Ohio)
2. Detroit — Carmelo Anthony, SF, Syracuse
3. Denver — Dwyane Wade, SG, Marquette
4. Toronto — Chris Bosh, PF, Georgia Tech
5. Miami — Chris Kaman, C, Central Michigan
6. L.A. Clippers — Josh Howard, SF, Wake Forest
7. Chicago — Mo Williams, PG, Alabama
8. Milwaukee — Kirk Hinrich, PG, Kansas
9. New York — T.J. Ford, PG, Texas
10. Washington — David West, PF, Xavier
11. Golden State — Darko Milicic, C/PF, Serbia
12. Seattle — Leandro Barbosa, PG/SG, Brazil
13. Memphis — Travis Outlaw, SF, Starkville H.S. (Miss.)
14. Seattle — Kendrick Perkins, C, Ozen H.S. (Texas)
January 7th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Jei says:
Darko Milicic over Leandro Barbosa? C’mon now AB.
January 7th, 2008 at 9:17 am
jay says:
i would say that is fair..though dee-troit basketball would be sick and probably have three ringsby now!!!!
January 7th, 2008 at 9:20 am
YOUNGFED says:
The list was fine till I saw Darko over Barbosa, Dime yall must be giving him a trillion potential points.
I say move Barbosa up 8th and everyone else down a spot a the list is perfect. Although I don’t quite know if Kaman should be over Howard.
January 7th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Sam I Am says:
Funny how the Knicks always come out losers
January 7th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Jules says:
What part of “potential still matters” don’t yall get?
Darko is 7-ft and scouts were drooling over his agility. That should be a top-10 spot, guaranteed, in the draft.
Barbosa was considered an undersized 2-guard at the time of the draft.
January 7th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Ryan Schwan says:
Are you serious? Mo Williams, TJ Ford, and Kirk Hinrich over David West? You think they’d be picked over a Power Forward that gives 19 and 9 – 18 and 8 the last two years?
January 7th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Thamilan says:
Hinrich is a little too high on the list.
January 7th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Brown says:
I still think the Milicic pick was absolutely retarded, especially given the talent available after him. I wish scouts and media would stop over-hyping these European busts. It’s hard to believe that nobody in the Pistons organization lost their job over that pick. If they had picked Melo, Wade or Bosh they probably would have a couple more chips right now, and nobody would be wondering who’s better between them and Boston. They lost out on a potential dynasty, point blank. It will definitely go down as on of the worst draft picks in NBA history.
The list looks good, but I don’t know if Darko even belongs in the lottery. Besides that, I have no problems with it. Although I can see why the Warriors might take a flyer on a player like that, given that they haven’t had a decent PF since Chris Webber (Al Harrington doesn’t count).
January 7th, 2008 at 10:16 am
MSkittle says:
Good job with this one. I just can’t believe that will all the hype this draft gets, Mo Williams is the 7th best player on the list.
To me, the 1996 draft was much deeper. You guys should do a “1996 Draft Do-over”
January 7th, 2008 at 10:50 am
G says:
David West would have gone higher than 10
January 7th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Kevin says:
Darko is NOT a lottery pick. West should be before that trio of point guards. Other than that, well done!
January 7th, 2008 at 11:23 am
kobeef says:
This draft does have the worst case of do-over since the MJ-Bowie disaster.
I think I’d take Bosh over D-wade. Wade landed in a very good situation and his reputation and stats benefitted. Also, 6-4 slashing guards who can’t hit threes are plentiful. How are the Heat doing without Shaq at the top of his game? That’s the whole truth.
I’d still take Darko at 5 over Kaman. Head to head, Darko is a much better athlete than Kaman (Bigger, stronger, faster). Also, he can score if he gets the ball – which he does with his national team. Stats don’t tell the whole truth.
- West is on the small side for a PF, so he loses some points.
- Mo williams should be below West and Barbosa – I really hate Mo’s game – he doesn’t play team ball (as you can see with his team’s record).
January 7th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Myrie says:
I side with MSkittle. 1996 draft class was the best…EVER.
This draft was strong at the top, but weak overall. And Darko is not a lottery pick. 4yrs in the league and what has he done? Probably not even a 1st rounder.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
TG says:
The Bulls would not take Mo Williams over Hinrich. Hinrich is the better player by far. Williams is a shoot-first PG who plays no defense!
Milicic and Perkins are too high. Neither one is good enough to be considered a lottery pick in the 2003 draft-do over. And Barbosa is too low. The first 6 is ok, but put Hinrich at 7, Barbosa at 8 and West at 9. Ford, because of his injury history (his spinal condition was known about, and considered a red flag coming out of UT) at 10.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Celts Fan says:
Darko is a lottery pick (hate if you want, but the man can protect the rim and is a legit 7′) but I’d take Bosh for Detroit. Melo’s nice and all, but another interior guy that gives them insane depth and the ability to let Big Ben walk would be much better for that particular team.
I think Barbosa gets dropped because of the system he’s in. Would he be as good on any other team? Probably not. He’d still be good, but not as good as he is. He’s in the perfect situation now, which has to come into account when Phoenix plays a unique style compared to everyone else in the NBA.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Myrie says:
Denver could have done some damage if they selected Wade at #3. Imagine Wade, Camby and Andre Miller. That is a very decent start to a building chip.
I am still not sold on Darko. I mean….can anyone justifiably rank him even above Kendrick Perkins? or even Mike Sweetney (georgetown)?
January 7th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
kowtz says:
Kaman over Josh, basically because they have Brian Grant as C, and Butler and E.Jones at 2 and 3…
Read the assumptions first…
Although I think Detroit Drafts Bosh over Anthony, or trades anthony after…
at that time, Larry Brown’s the coach, and he don’t like rookies, let alone “create my own shot” rookies…
he would have prefered Bosh, a hardworking Big, stresses on defense and rebounding… and of course easier to coach…
January 7th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Gareth says:
Not only is the Darko pick dubious but David West has to be higher. The guy is a beast. I’d put him 7th right after Josh Howard.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Tbeezy says:
I was just talking about how good west was and someone mentioned that he is never healthy for a full season. He’s had two 70 game seasons and 2 that he missed more than 25 games.
January 7th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Celts Fan says:
Can we get a 2000 draft redo so we can see different ways to take a shit?
January 8th, 2008 at 4:15 am
the_don_mega says:
…nice call kowtz…
Larry Brown would’ve never give ‘Melo a fighting chance, as we’ve seen in their first stint with the US team…
January 8th, 2008 at 4:22 am
karan says:
wade over melo, any day
January 8th, 2008 at 8:44 am
QQ says:
Good one, and too all cats here trashing Hinrich, remember the times they were first winning (2005), and remember how steady he is.
January 8th, 2008 at 8:47 am
QQ says:
And, Darko’s still a lottery pick even in mock drafts… That lucky son of a b*tch.
January 8th, 2008 at 10:03 am
waiting2repeat says:
Myrie:
1996 draft class was the best…EVER.
you must be talking about the first round only, cause the second round was like slop for the hogs.
With the exception of Malik Rose (lucky) and Shandon Anderson (solid; always played hard) it is total garbage.
the Spurs didn’t even have a pick, that’s how aloof management was at the time. But the fact is, if we don’t steal Duncan from the Celtics via the lottery we wouldn’t be much better now than the Grizzlies.
…that and the 57th pick in the 99′ Draft. Praise the Lord for those!!!
January 8th, 2008 at 10:09 am
waiting2repeat says:
…and in 1995 the NBA should have called it the “Solid Role Player” Draft.
with the exception of KG, I see no superstars but a lot of great role players, several who have chips and/or still contribute today.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Tim says:
I just can’t justify taking Carmelo over D-Wade. Carmelo is strictly a chucker. Flash is a lot more like LeBron in that he does it all. I would go with D-Wade at number 2, Carmelo at 3, Bosh at 4 and David West at 5
January 8th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Tim says:
Michael Redd came out of the 2000 draft, but other than him there really is nobody who matters. Like 4 years ago K-Mart was relevant but no longer. Who else? Mike Miller? Stromile Swift? Redd is the class of that draft by far
January 8th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Utes fan says:
My 1996 Draft Do-over. This draft had 15 good players and then the talent level dropped off dramatically.
1-Kobe
2-A.I.
3-Ray Allen
4-Steve Nash
5-Jermaine O’Neal
6-Marcus Camby
7-Peja
8-D-Fish
9-Starbury
10-Kittles
11-Dampier
12-’Toine
13-Shareef
14-Shandon Anderson
15-Malik Rose
January 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Utes fan says:
Oops I forgot to mention Big Z in the ‘96 class
January 9th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Fish says:
Think for a re-draft you have to go on what their production in the first 4 years (as you are unlikely to hold onto them for the entirety of their careers).
My 96:
1. Allen Iverson – Majorly production from the get-go
2. Ray Allen – NBA ready
3. Kobe Bryant – 2/3 year project
4. Marcus Camby
5. Shareef Abdur-Rahim – Really talented before Grizzles crushed his spirit
6. Stephon Marbury
7. Antoine Walker
8. Steve Nash – role player in the beginning
9. Predrag Stojakovic
10. Jermaine O’Neal – 5 year project
11. Lorenzen Wright
12. Kerry Kittles – Who? Got buckets
13. Erick Dampier
14. Derek Fisher
15. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
January 9th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Ian says:
wouldnt touch antoine walker
January 9th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Kevin says:
I think Fish has it perfect!
January 10th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Fish says:
Walker was pretty sweet in the early days. I suppose he always had a penchant for launching silly shots, but before his minimal athleticism died his numbers were solid.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Omari Parsons says:
Darko doesn’t deserve to be anywhere in the lottery. Kirk Hienrich and TJ Ford are the pest point guards in that draft by far not Mo Williams. Chris Kaman is not better than West or even Travis Outlaw.
Top 4 is good but the rest should go as follows
5- Miami – Josh Howard
6- Clippers – David West
7- Chicago – Kirk Hienrich
8- Millaukee – TJ Ford
9- Leandro Barbosa
10- Boris Diaw
11- Travis Outlaw
12- Mo Williams
13- Chris Kaman
14- Kendrick Perkins
May 27th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
tealish says:
Melo would be 6th.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Ernesto says:
“wade over melo, any day” – karan
No doubt about that. Wade’s the second-best two in the NBA, and has already virtually carried a team to the title. OK, he’s missed basically a full season, but even with Melo for the full sked, you’re not getting the defense required to win from him. Plus, he’s a dope off the floor. Melo at #2 over Wade?! Madness!
September 5th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Borgs says:
I thought this draft re-do was supposed to be with the benefit of hindsight. Then how can you put Melo over Wade, AB?
I don’t care about the SF hole that may have existed at the time for Detroit – they’d drafted Tay Prince the year prior, and undoubtedly saw the potential to fill that spot in him at the time. Given that they won the Championship about a year after the ‘03 Draft (with Prince’s D on Kobe a key factor), it’s hard to restrospectively tinker with the Pistons’ roster and feel vindicated, but, with Wade as a sixth-man, they might’ve swept the fractious Lakers in the Finals. Apart from not shifting the ball as required and inhibiting Larry Brown’s/Detroit’s team ethos, Melo might’ve given up 20+ per night on open outside jumpers and hustle plays to Devean George.
Ernesto’s right – Melo over Wade is ridiculous. Even Chris Bosh ahead of Anthony is arguable.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Borgs says:
Oh… and they’d be sitting prettier right now with a young, Olympic-class, 2/3 starting combination, Rod Stuckey and Wade able to share on-ball duties while Billups sits, and who knows who else the soon-to-be-crusty Rip (and perhaps McDyess) would’ve brought back in any subsequent deal.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
TG says:
Mo Williams at #7? No way. The guy plays NO DEFENSE and has a rep of playing selfish.