What you are saying Ben is that the Pistons are so good they do not need an already talented player like Carmelo Anthony?
This logic is insane.
The Lakers (though not proven yet) just added the second leading scorer in the history of the NBA and a guy who is maybe the top point guard.
Not making changes because you are already a contender does not add up. Detroit is no threat to win the NBA Title, not by a longshot, adding Carmelo Anthony may have increased those chances. Certainly adding Milicic didn't.
They thought Darko was more like Gasol or Nowitzki, comparing him to
Kevin Garnett even, like in a few years or something.
They expected more, do not say they thought he would just sit there, adding him was a move to improve their team now some and later a great deal. From the beginning I have said the kid is overrated. He is not much different than Nikoloz Tskitishvili in my opinion. Potential my ass, these people believe in something that doesn't exsist outside two players so far. (Dirk and Gasol)
The age differences are not much, tell me something Ben would Detroit have taken the third name on this list?
If so, throw your all crazy theory out the window, if not, throw your whole crazy theory out the window.
Carmelo Anthony - 05/29/84
Darko Milicic - 06/20/85
LeBron James - 12/30/84

Either you're ready or not, Anthony is ready and LeBron is ready and Darko is hoping to be Toni Kukoc, who I wouldn't have selected over Carmelo Anthony either, not when Kukoc was 18 or 21 or at any other point in his career.
By the way the NBA is over doing it with both Carmelo and LeBron, it's sick the kind of pub they get, but somehow guys like Gasol and Milicic fly under the radar, now if you want to talk about a European young player taken in the top 3 recently, talk about Gasol, who is better than Carmelo and LeBron, though I think LeBron could be better in a matter of 30 or 40 games.
I compare Carmelo to Tracy McGrady, maybe people think he is thicker or can't jump as high, but believe it, he is awesome, needs just around 30 or 40 games as well, though not as all-around as LeBron, not even McGrady is as all-around as LeBron.
I am sick of the hype of LeBron, but he seems to be a seriously sick combination of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
He could be Oscar Roberston or something, I hate to say it, but he could be a 20, 10, 8 player.
Maybe Detroit should have traded the pick with Cliff and got something like Jamison and Dunleavy or Jamison, Sura and Welsch.
It kind of reminds me of Houston trading Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins for Eddie Griffin, that is Darko, Eddie Griffin.
I know it didn't involve a trade, but the faith in one young player can really get you in trouble, look at Darius Miles, Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler. Chandler and Brown going ahead of Gasol, maybe Detroit didn't want that to happen to them, but of course Gasol was 21 not 17.
Sorry for going on and on, but not taking Carmelo because you believed Milicic was better is one thing, not taking Carmelo because you didn't want to mess up some team or rotation is nonsense, as much as I believe Tayshaun Prince is a good player, he is no Carmelo Anthony.