Matthew wrote:why does everyone say the Pistons should have drafted Melo? Rolling Eyes clearly Chris Bosh would have been ideal guy at No. 2 (although he wasn't projected any higher than No. 4 or 5 at best at the time) of Dwayne Wade....both would be superb 6th men right now
What makes you think Melo wouldnt be a good 6th man or role player? He does know how to win (he won in college, somthing neither bosh or wade have done).
Bosh left a year before the Yellow Jackets' run, but if I recall correctly (memory is fuzzy), didn't Dwayne Wade almost single-handedly led them to the Final Four in his junior season?!? I think they made the Elite Eight that year....can't be sure though....so Wade was a winner in the fact he was playing for a smaller program & helping them to some of their most successful seasons in a long time....
but back to the cancer issue....Melo came into the league hyped up....he had led Syracuse to the National Title and was expected to make a big impact....he would have wanted that starting SF spot....he might have accepted a 6th man role for a season or so, but I just can't see him accepting that role for too long....
Dumars was very happy with Prince at SF & that's why he went away from Anthony....he probably didn't go the right direction, but if you look at how successful the Pistons have been, Prince as the starting SF with the team they had was a great move....
the reason why I say the others would be more likely to have taken the 6th man type role is that they weren't expected to have a huge impact like they did....obviously, it's impossible to foresee how the future would have panned out had Dumars gone a different way with the pick....I could be wrong, but it's more a gut feeling comment....for all I know it could have worked, but if that was the case, it probably would have forced a trade of some sorts of one of the other Pistons....
Matthew wrote:Melo would have been a cancer for this Detroit team....Bosh and Wade could have handled 6th man roles (as they would not have become NBA All-Stars by this stage probably if they played for Pistons) without worry....
Care to elaborate?
I mentioned a few of the reasons above....I'll use the scenario if the Pistons had selected Chris Bosh at No. 2 (a stretch at the time, but plausible now)....Bosh entered the league after a solid, if unspectacular, freshman year at Georgia Tech....most observers thought the team that selected him had to be patient (like they said about Darko)....I think Bosh would have accepted a lesser role early on the Pistons & his role probably would have grown as he got given more of a chance....you have to remember that the Raptors had absolutely nobody in the middle and Bosh was thrown straight into the firing line early on....this would not have happened in Detroit, especially with Larry Brown as coach....he would have brought along slowly....I just don't think a bonafide college superstar like Anthony who had his shoe deal would have been so accepting....
my argument has a lot of ifs & buts, and a heaps of contingencies, including the Rasheed Wallace trade and the prospect of re-signing a stallion like Bosh now, or dealing one of there other pieces....
Matthew wrote:the worst of the top 5....yes....but he could develop into the one of the top 7 or 8 players in this very strong draft class....big if though....I'm hoping he does....
Continue to dream..
trust me I will
part of this question, I have elaborated above....
lets see, the order goes something (not exact) like this:
1. James, 2. Wade, 3. Bosh, 4. Anthony, 5. TJ Ford, 6. Josh Howard, 7. Hinrich, & then in no particular order: Boris Diaw, David West, Luke Ridnour, Chris Kaman, Maurice Williams, Kyle Korver, Leandrinho Barbosa, Michael Sweetney, Mickael Pietrus, James Jones & Kendrick Perkins....
damn, I spoke too soon on that, I forgot a lot of those guys were in that draft....it was almost a can't miss draft, unless you're the Magic drafting Reece Gaines

okay, you got me on that one

I forgot how superb that draft was....if he cracks the top 15 he'll be going alright
enough babble from me....I understand & respect your arguments, but I don't always think adding more talent to a mix necessarily means better results....check out those Portland Trailblazers, how shite the Knicks always are....you gotta mesh the right player & his personality to the team makeup....Anthony was a great fit for Denver, I just wouldn't think he would be for Detroit....in the worst case scenario if the Pistons had of taken Melo, then it could be a Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson situation (and no, I don't believe the players are on the same level, just for argument's sake)....every player excels in the right situation for them, I just don't think Detroit would have been the best for Anthony, just like it wasn't for Darko....
hope I didn't bore you
