Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 11:32 am  |  95 responses

2003 NBA Draft Remix

Where the value of the Euro started its decline.

Darko Milicic

by Jeff Fox

There are numerous angles you can take in writing a recap of the 2003 NBA Draft.  You could debate whether or not 2003 was better than 1984 or 1996 (not better than either of them yet, but gaining rapidly). You could mention all of the Hall of Fame talent that was up for grabs in 2003 (LeBron and Wade are locks, Bosh and Melo on their way). But Draft 365 would rather talk about Dirk Nowitzki. Or, more specifically, how it’s all Dirk’s fault.

Confused? Perhaps we should explain. By the time the 2003 Draft rolled around, Dirk was already an established superstar, which was in no ways a sure thing when he was selected ninth overall in the 1998 Draft. Now NBA GMs were intrigued — maybe a 7-0, skilled European really could become a star in North America. The Euro floodgates had opened. Dirk spawned Nikoloz Tskitishvili who spawned, yes, you guessed it, Darko Milicic. So, if Dirk hadn’t exploded, Darko probably wouldn’t have even been considered at pick No. 2 in 2003. So Detroit fans, next time Dirk rolls into town, give him a nice Motown welcome.

Now, for an even more controversial view of things, was Darko really such a bad pick for the Pistons? Talent-wise, of course it was — the team passed on six future All-Stars to grab him. But, consider this — what is the goal of an NBA team?  To milk every cent it can out of its fans To win a championship, of course. And with Darko on the roster the Pistons won a championship and started a long run as one of the dominant teams in the League. Now, obviously Darko had no direct impact on that team’s production on the court, but imagine taking Darko off the roster and adding Carmelo Anthony. With Anthony the Pistons (more than likely) don’t trade for Rasheed Wallace, don’t become a defensive juggernaut, and don’t become a star-less, “all-for-one-and-one-for-all” squad. While the talent level would have been much higher with Melo, the intangibles (chemistry, selflessness, intensity) may not have been. As a wise man once wrote, chemistry is an important factor that is not always given enough credit in the success or failure of a team.

2003 NBA Draft

Grade: A+

All-Stars: 7 (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, David West, Josh Howard, Mo Williams)
Biggest Bust: Darko Milicic, Detroit, pick No. 2
Second Round Steal: Mo Williams, Utah, pick No. 47
Winning Team (in the long run): Cleveland (LeBron James, Mo Williams)
Career Scoring Leader: LeBron James
Career Rebounding Leader: ChLeBron Jamesris Bosh
Career Assists Leader: LeBron James

Pick No. 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers
Actual Selection: LeBron James
Draft 365 Remix: LeBron James (1)

No second guessing here — James has exceeded any reasonable expectations the Cavs and their fans could have had for him coming out of high school. He’s become probably the most dominant all-around player in the League, and, as sacrilegious as it is to say, is on pace to challenge Michael Jordan as the best player to ever play the game.

Pick No. 2 | Detroit Pistons
Actual Selection: Darko Milicic
Draft 365 Remix: Dwyane Wade (5)

While LeBron is still the King of this draft, it isn’t a landslide victory for him. Dwyane Wade is also on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. And, perhaps most importantly, while the King may still have the crown, Wade has a piece of jewelry glaringly absent from James’ wardrobe.

Pick No. 3 | Denver Nuggets
Actual Selection: Carmelo Anthony
Draft 365 Remix: Carmelo Anthony (3)

Pretty much a toss-up here between Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. Anthony wins by a nose due to his multiple All-NBA selections.  With Chauncey Billups on board, Melo has his best shot at a title.

Pick No. 4 | Toronto Raptors
Actual Selection: Chris Bosh
Draft 365 Remix: Chris Bosh (4)

The skinny, Snoop Dogg lookalike out of Georgia Tech turned out to be a godsend for the Raptors after Air Canada crashed and burned. With his impending free agency looming, the Raptors need to decide if he is a player they can build a championship around or if he is better suited to be the second-in-command on a team (more likely the latter).

Pick NDwyane Wadeo. 5 | Miami Heat
Actual Selection: Dwyane Wade
Draft 365 Remix: David West (18)

It’s not surprising that David West lasted until the middle part of the first round in 2003 — he was an undersized power forward that didn’t play in one of the power conferences in college. He has blossomed into a two-time All-Star and perhaps the best undersized 4-man in the League.

Pick No. 6 | Los Angeles Clippers
Actual Selection: Chris Kaman
Draft 365 Remix: Josh Howard (29)

One of the many mid to late first round steals in this draft, Josh Howard is the perfect second option for a team, if you ignore the off-court headaches he causes.

Pick No. 7 | Chicago Bulls
Actual Selection: Kirk Hinrich
Draft 365 Remix: Mo Williams (47)

The absolute steal of the draft, Mo Williams had himself an All-Star year last season in his role as LeBron’s vice president.  Too bad his playoff performance (on the court and with his mouth) has taken some of the lustre off of his golden season.

Pick No. 8 | Milwaukee Bucks
Actual Selection: T.J. Ford
Draft 365 Remix: Kirk Hinrich (7)

His play the past two seasons has been abysmal, but before that Kirk Hinrich was one of the best both-ends-of-the-court point guards in the NBA.

Pick No. 9 | New York Knicks
Actual Selection: Michael Sweetney
Draft 365 Remix: T.J. Ford (8)

And the Knicks slide into oblivion begins.  T.J. Ford may have had an injury plagued career thus far, but, unlike Michael Sweetney, he’s still pulling down a NBA paycheck.

Pick No. 10 | Washington Wizards
Actual Selection: Jarvis Hayes
Draft 365 Remix: Leandro Barbosa (28)

Maybe he hasn’t developed into the point guard the Suns were hoping for, but Leandro Barbosa is the League’s fastest player and one of its most explosive scorers of the bench.

Barely missed the Top 10 Remix: Boris Diaw, Chris Kaman, Travis Outlaw, Kyle Korver.

Next on the Remix: 2002 and the Ming Dynasty.

2003 NBA Draft Green Room invites

Read more of Jeff Fox at The Hoops Manifesto.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , , , , ,

  • Ryne Nelson Posted: Jul.31 at 11:36 am
    2003 not only had some all-decade talent in the first round, but it also had a better-than-average second round. Korver, Steve Blake, Willie Green, Zaza, Walton, Kapono, Bonner and, of course, Mo Williams.

  • ab_40 Posted: Jul.31 at 11:41 am
    wow you get money for this?

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 11:46 am
    Glad you mentioned the second round Ryne. 10 guys from 2003′s second round are regulars in the League. Compare that to about 4 in 2004 and you see that 2003 was indeed a special year.

  • chingy Posted: Jul.31 at 11:48 am
    2003: top 3 draft class ever

  • Young C Posted: Jul.31 at 11:48 am
    Willie Green owes his entire career to the ineptness of Billie “Jean” King, aka Mr.”I give mediocre players 7 year contracts”. Although he does have the distiction of being the worst starting shooting guard (and possibly the worst starting NBA player period) which is an impressive feat.

  • WB30 Posted: Jul.31 at 11:49 am
    Detroit really blowed up that time.

  • chingy Posted: Jul.31 at 11:49 am
    and trust me, Darko will be decent in D’antoni’s system

  • Weezy F. Leezy Posted: Jul.31 at 11:51 am
    d wade or melo on the pistons woulda been sick.. kostas musta told them to draft darko..lol jus kiddin

  • nicko Posted: Jul.31 at 11:52 am
    haha i forgot darko died his hair like that…what a douche

  • Bryan Posted: Jul.31 at 11:54 am
    Is chris bosh really a hall of fame talent? I’m not so sure. But I can’t argue with any of the picks. That said I would take the top 5 from 96 over this top 5.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 11:54 am
    Yes, Darko is a bust but we should remember he is still only 24-years-old – still plenty of time to become a respectable big man.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 11:57 am
    Bryan, Bosh is on his way to a Hall of Fame career for sure. Despite this, I still don’t consider him a “franchise player”.

  • chingy Posted: Jul.31 at 11:58 am
    that Lebron’s suit…imagine he got some ketchup on it before going up to shake the Commish’s hands

  • Bryan Posted: Jul.31 at 11:59 am
    He’s a hall of famer in the same way vince carter is I guess.

  • wayno Posted: Jul.31 at 12:21 pm
    I’ll take Kirk Hinrich over Mo williams any day of the week…other than that, good remix. I’m still bitter about the Darko pick…this article allows me to blame Dirk for it…so I will now…lol

  • Anton Posted: Jul.31 at 12:24 pm
    Bow to the King, peasants.

  • Orlando Green Posted: Jul.31 at 12:30 pm
    This picture is hilarious, the pants on most of these dudes (worst: LBJ, Wade, Hinrich) are so wide and baggy they look like they have a karate tournament after the ceremony…
    Honorable mention: Melo

  • chingy Posted: Jul.31 at 12:31 pm
    love CB4, but he’s becoming one of the ugliest players to watch play especially when he has his back to the basket

  • Orlando Green Posted: Jul.31 at 12:31 pm
    AHAHAHA!!! Wade takes the cake…

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 12:32 pm
    Wayno – the Hinrich/Williams pick was the hardest one for me to figure out. I went with Williams since he is on the rise and Hinrich seesm to be declining.

  • Boing Dynasty aka Free Lester Hudson Posted: Jul.31 at 1:02 pm
    Jarvis Hayes is a Steve Harvey fan and Steve Harvey dosn’t know who Jarvis Hayes is.

  • Fat Lever Posted: Jul.31 at 1:05 pm
    Why does Darko look like Bruno in that pic?

  • DP Posted: Jul.31 at 1:20 pm
    Hold up, Mo was in there? damn that is crazy how my state’s guards are picked in the second round but after a few years they take over. Mo and then Monta in 05. play wit it.

  • Jukai Posted: Jul.31 at 1:25 pm
    Jeff: Hinrich had a bad regular season, but the dude downright rocked in the playoffs. I mean, he’s a point guard and he was guarding forwards! People don’t realize how good of a defender Hinrich truly is.

  • Jukai Posted: Jul.31 at 1:26 pm
    Plus watching him run after Rondo and watching Rondo fall back like he was being charged by death itself was pretty great.

  • Brad Long Posted: Jul.31 at 1:35 pm
    ^That was one of my favorite moments of the playoffs. Kirk pulled Rondo’s skirt up on that one.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 1:47 pm
    Hinrich is a very underrated defender – he actually made an All-Defensive team a few years back. Most people wouldn’t have guessed that.

  • Bryan Posted: Jul.31 at 1:55 pm
    I have to thank you for posting this because it made me break out my nba street series class of 03 dvd and watch the highlights of these dudes. I still don’t think bosh is a hall of famer though.

  • DK Posted: Jul.31 at 2:14 pm
    Why does no one ever say stuff like “2000: where the value of the high schooler started it’s decline”? There’s a tinge of racism in all this Euro hate.

  • [...] Melo, Mo Williams, etc). I like the breakdown on how the draft “should have went.” Check it out. « Cavs offer [...]

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jul.31 at 2:32 pm
    Imagine if the Knicks snatched Barbosa… The Knicks should still try and get Barbosa.. With D’Antoni and all.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jul.31 at 2:37 pm
    I like these Remix write-ups. Great reads.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 2:45 pm
    DK – we haven’t gotten to 2000 yet – don’t steal my thunder!

  • Bryan Posted: Jul.31 at 2:55 pm
    The 2000 draft is probably the worst class ever.

  • Bryan Posted: Jul.31 at 3:00 pm
    The bad thing about this article is that its too right haha. There’s no room for discussion or debate because you just nailed it. Which obviously isn’t a bad thing but you know what I mean.

  • LA Huey Posted: Jul.31 at 3:02 pm
    DK: Not racism, it’s nationalism. Foreign-born ballers are hated on ’til proven worthy. Check my $uit. Ugh, that’s tacky.

  • Z Posted: Jul.31 at 3:18 pm
    Wow. Those suits. Only 6 years ago? They all look like clowns!

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jul.31 at 3:18 pm
    I’ll try harder to screw up 2002 to keep you happy Bryan!

  • doyouwantmore Posted: Jul.31 at 3:23 pm
    I hate that white suit so much. So much.

  • Bryan Posted: Jul.31 at 3:36 pm
    haha thanks Jeff! Good looking out.

  • wow Posted: Jul.31 at 3:40 pm
    check out thisismelo.com

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Jul.31 at 3:49 pm
    capn kirk played great d on pierce in the playoffs last season.

  • wayno Posted: Jul.31 at 3:55 pm
    Yeah, I think Hinrich is more a victim of playing with Ben Gordon and then having Derrick Rose drafted though. BG does did most of the ball handling then Derrick Rose took his starting job. I think if he went to another team where he could start and run the show he’d be back in top form. He’s a solid PG. Like Jukai said, his playoff performance this year puts him ahead of Mo in my mind. On top of that Mo sucked in the ECF.

  • wayno Posted: Jul.31 at 4:01 pm
    Also, apparently there was no such thing as suits that fit back in 2003… They all look pretty bad.

  • Chendaddy Posted: Jul.31 at 4:03 pm
    Enjoyed this.

  • Chendaddy Posted: Jul.31 at 4:09 pm
    Enjoyed this. Reminds me of when Hollinger used to redo the past draft lotteries at ESPN. Looking forward to 2002. However, I think you are seriously underrating Chris Kaman. He came on strong late in the 2006-07 season next to Elton Brand and was a beast manning the post alone the next season. Yeah, he took a large step back this last year, but he was injured all year and had to split duties with Marcus Camby and Zach Randolph on the least motivated NBA team since the Isiah Thomas Knicks. I can understand if you dock him points for health, but I still don’t see how that puts him behind T.J. Ford, who hasn’t been able to put it together even when healthy, or Kirk Hinrich, who looks like he reached his ceiling two years ago.

  • Chendaddy Posted: Jul.31 at 4:20 pm
    Also, I don’t know if it’s because the NBA dress code clued basketball players in on what a suit is supposed to look like or if it’s because this year’s draft class had so many guards, but I’m disappointed there weren’t as many 8-12 button jackets and baggy dress sweatpants. Before, even though these people were gratuitously richer and more athletically gifted than I can even dream of, I could still say, “Yeah, but look at that stupid suit!” Now…damn you, GQ!

  • Blinguo Posted: Jul.31 at 4:40 pm
    Jarvis Hayes is wearing Bruce Bruce’s jacket.

  • cmsen Posted: Jul.31 at 11:49 pm
    I’ll take Hinrich over Mo William 24/7. You need to watch more Bulls games to see Hinrich is much better than M.W. Just because M.W. made all-star doesn’t mean he is better than Hinrich. M.W. all-star appearance is flawed; it’s all because the L wanted to please LBJ. Against the C’s in the playoff, Kirk shot 47% (2pt FG%) and 43.3% (3pt FG%) despite that he had to guarded the C’s best offensive players – from PP, RA to Rondo (which could easily drain 70-80% of his energy on the defensive end) due to the defensive deficiencies in B-Gordon and Rose. And he is the reason the Bulls took the C’s to 7 games. If you asked M. W. or BG to put that much effort on the defense, what their FG% would look like? Their FG% would be below 34%. Isn’t BG put almost 100% energy on shooting and only shot 39% in the playoff? M.W. only shot 41% despite he got all of those open looks due to LBJ and had Del West guarded the opposing best offensive guards. You replaced M.W with Hinrich, the Cavs would go to the Final. The playoff is where you can tell a player’s true talent.

  • cmsen Posted: Jul.31 at 11:50 pm
    I agree with Wayno – “I think Hinrich is more a victim of playing with Ben Gordon and then having Derrick Rose drafted though.” Hinrich was the one handling the ball and running the point (BG did most of shooting, not ball handling). You put M.W. on the Bulls, gave him BG as his backcourtmate and asked him to defend the opposing best offensive guards every single game in a season (82 games), he would look like a 3rd string bench-caliber PG and the Bulls would never make the playoff for the past 5 yrs. See how terrible the Buck was when he was there. Isn’t he looked worse than Alston (who is a 2nd string bench-caliber PG) in the playoff? You can’t judge Hinrich based on his playing during the regular season last year because he was largely misused and will be continuously misused as long as he is with the Bulls (due to drafting Rose).

  • cmsen Posted: Jul.31 at 11:55 pm
    If Hinrich were not drafted by the Bulls, he would look much better, because the Bulls never had a quality SG for the past 5 yrs. That said, I have no sympathy for Hinrich anymore, because he allows the stupid GMs and coaches and a selfish teammate take advantage of him and ruin his career for years, and he never strives to put himself in a better situation for success. Now he lets people pushed him to be a backup PG forever. Do you think B Davis would settle to be CP3 backup? Absolutely Not; he would get himself traded ASAP. Hinrich has the physical talent to be an elite PG, but doesn’t have the brain to do so. He always worries to try to please everyone (that’s why he is a underachiever). I have no respect for a person who doesn’t care to be the best he can be, and will stop waste my time to defend him.

  • clapzilla Posted: Aug.1 at 1:09 am
    Everyone That Knew The Nuggets Still Were An NBA Team In ’03 Was Crazy About Us Possibly Getting Melo. We Never Considered Anyone Else. If Bosh Was Taken At 3, He Would’ve Already Been Playing For A Different Team And The Nuggets Would Be Back To 20 Wins.

  • nate the great Posted: Aug.1 at 2:57 am
    this was a great post Jeff.
    in my mind, i really dont think chris bosh is a H.o.f. he shouldnt even be the face of your franchise, at best a side kick.
    and i believe if hinrich went to.. like say the blazers, he would be a great fit.
    he is a victim of the bulls.
    hinrich is way way better than mo. mo is only an all star cause he is with lebron, in the same fact that mike brown is coach of the year.. cause of lebron.
    in that cause kirk is better than mo.
    and i also agree with whoever said Darko will flourish in D’antoni’s offence.

  • Clay Posted: Aug.1 at 4:01 am
    clapzilla – Please don’t ever post here again. Are you retarded? Why does every word in your post start with a capital letter?! It gave me a headache trying to read that garbage.

  • Clay Posted: Aug.1 at 4:12 am
    Wade should be number one pick on this list. All LBJ has done so far is fall short of winning it all. When did Jordan make the finals and not win it all? NEVER! That is why LeBron will never be anywhere near the player Jordan was.
    Oh yeah, when you lose, you shake the hand of the man that beat you! This is not high school you punk! All that did was show how immature you really are

  • Boing Dynasty aka Free Lester Hudson Posted: Aug.1 at 4:39 am
    @Clay, do talking directly to Lebron in your comments, but calling Clapzilla stupid? Um?

  • Clay Posted: Aug.1 at 4:48 am
    Had to get it off my chest… maybe one of his boys reads this site. Who knows! hehe

  • jdstorm Posted: Aug.1 at 9:36 am
    Personally i think wade goes 3. i know he has been better than melo and bosh so far, but we saw how much better billips made Melo. imagine if that happened from his rookie year. And Bosh fit a need on that team. and when choosing between three players this good you can afford to draft for need.
    my top 10
    Bron, Bosh,Melo,Wade,west,howard,hinrich, ect.

  • COLT6 Posted: Aug.1 at 10:02 am
    LeCrybaby James (and Kobe) will never be better than MJ but this draft class is deeper than ’84 and ’96. Yeah, Captain Kirk plays point better at both ends than MoUTH Willams. D Wade should be number 1 in the remix with the championship run in ’05 (Jordanesque, I must say) and this year’s playoff push (with 2 rooks and J.Old). Come to think of it, he should’ve won the MVP this year.

  • The D Train Posted: Aug.1 at 12:31 pm
    this site is screwing me Peter North-style. not good. if my original post does not show up, let me repeat: cmsen…your anti-Hinrich rant was the dumbest thing I have ever read on this site, which is no small accomplishment.

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.1 at 2:08 pm
    There’s no way Wade should be number 1. I mean, not even close. C’mon now. You think if Lebron had the talent Wade did in 2006, they would have obliterated the Mavericks?
    (although, in fairness, I guess that’s debatable, since Dallas was the better team but Wade summoned the spirit of Baylor and West and just went balls to the wall crazy for four games).

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.1 at 2:10 pm
    But stop and think of this— imagine if Joe Dumars had a vision when he was sleeping, woke up in a cold sweat and shouted “I’M PICKING DWAYNE WADE!”
    Now imagine if all those trades to get Billups and Rasheed still happened.
    You’d have a starting five of Billups, Wade, Tayshun, and the Rasheeds, with Rip as a sixth man.
    Dynasty, anyone?

  • CDef28 Posted: Aug.1 at 4:30 pm
    Yes Jukai, dynasty

  • Jj Posted: Aug.1 at 5:38 pm
    One thing I want to add: The Jazz sure seem to be one of the best teams picking in the second round, at least in the past 15 years, along with the Spurs (Scola, Ginobili, etc): Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson, Mo Williams, Paul Millsap… Granted they’re not all all-stars, but they sure contributed and became regulars in the league!

  • COLT6 Posted: Aug.1 at 10:26 pm
    Jukai: You know D Wade wins ball games by sheer force of will. LeBron, for all the hype that he commands (and the NBA’s constant boost) could not even win a single finals game. I play ball and I could not discount James’ game but character counts most hoopin’ especially if you are the franchise player. With Dunkgate and the ‘sportsmanship show’ at Orlando, you can’t say much about LeCrybaby now can you? Get this, put on the same team, D Wade’s star even shone brighter than your “King” at Beijing. I meant the championship run in 06 though. On your other point, a lot of factors to be considered but Billups-Wade-Hamilton would have gone down as the greatest backcourt in League history because all three play excellent defense, create and execute plays. One question though: Who gets the ball in crunch time? Jj good take on the Spurs and the Jazz. Scola and Manu both have rings. Russell and Anderson (Stockton and Malone too, I must add)? Zip. That’s because of the greatness of the real 23, LBJ can never surmount. Basketball is about championships.

  • Samcobillybob Posted: Aug.1 at 10:31 pm
    Shut up Anton. KB24 is the King!!!

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.2 at 12:35 pm
    COLT6: First off, get your history right. Wade was the reason we lost to Spain in the 2006 Worlds. He missed so many open dunks it wasn’t even funny. Was it Wade’s fault? Not really– he had hurt his wrist. Still, he demanded to be there, and as Lebron and Carmello began making a huge comeback, he missed two straight dunks.
    And what’s up with “willing your team” to victory crap? Your holding it against Lebron that, after WILLING HIS TEAM TO EVEN BE IN THE FINALS AGAINST A SUPERIOR SUPERIOR SUPERIOR DETROIT TEAM that the Spurs defensive scheme of “three men on Lebron” created a situation where Lebron couldn’t? Like in the Magic situation (albeit the Cavaliers had a good team and just had matchup problems during the Magic situation), Lebron James would pass out of double teams to open teammates, only to see them hesitate and miss open shots. It’s upsetting, but you can’t win like that.
    D-Wade had a supreme cast of talent: Jason Williams, uninjured and at his height, O’Neal right before his falloff in stats, Antoine Walker in the one year he finally ‘got it,’ Haslem, Posey, Kappono, Anderson, and even the ghosts of Gary Payton and Alanzo Mourning. I give all the credit in the world on Wade who carried his team to those championships, but if it wasn’t for Mourning blocking five shots in a quarter and Payton hitting two game-sealing clutch shots in two separate games, the Heat would have gone home.
    Now, let me ask you, do you remember Lebrons teammates, outside of Damon Jones, having any great moments in the playoffs? I can think of all those roster guys having insane games in the Heat’s 2006 title run, but for the life of me, I can’t think of any great playoff games that the Cavaliers have had in their entirety with Lebron.
    So just use your bonehead about this– maybe it’s really not about “willing your team” but having your team compliment you enough that your star can shine?

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.2 at 12:35 pm
    History correction: we lost to Greece. Caught that one.

  • The D Train Posted: Aug.2 at 3:28 pm
    lets not forget that Wade AND the refs willed Miami to the title. Wade shattered the free throw record in a 6 game NBA Finals with 97 attempts. He averaged over 16 free throw attempts a game. Even LBJ would have a hard time pulling that off over the course of 6 games. The phantom call by senior Salvatore at the end of game 5 was one of the worst calls ever, considering the circumstances, the fact that Salvatore wasn’t even in position to make the call, and oh yes, lest we forget, NOBODY FOULED HIM!

  • knock knock Posted: Aug.2 at 4:19 pm
    D-Train- Lebron broke the free throw record again of a playoff series of ALL TIME vs. orlando don’t you remember? something like 16.8 ft attempts throughout the series and LOST 4-2. That is…pathetic.

  • TADOne Posted: Aug.2 at 8:32 pm
    Yup, i’ll never be able to forgive Dumars for this one.

  • Ben Posted: Aug.2 at 9:04 pm
    Hinrich shouldn’thave been drafted. Biggest douche in the league. A straight cancer and he tried to sabatoge Rose.

  • Todd Spehr Posted: Aug.2 at 10:31 pm
    Chris Bosh is not a Hall of Fame talent.

  • The D Train Posted: Aug.2 at 11:53 pm
    94 attempts for LBJ vs O-Town in the ECF this year. impressive…most impressive, but still not enough to knock off Wade.

  • G I I Posted: Aug.3 at 12:50 am
    what a bunch of godawful suits…

  • Alan Posted: Aug.3 at 7:41 am
    “Where the value of the Euro started its decline” it only started to decline when teams made stupid decissions (Milicic???? why????? u had melo…..) and same goes to HS prospects (remenber kwame? not? well, me neither…) so u could say the same with players who have played all 4 years at college…nowadays it seems those doesn’t have potencial, as they spent too much time at college…??? stupid, as I said. teams fail, sorry, the GM’s. but hey, it’s the euro who is declining…

  • bigdoggchad Posted: Aug.3 at 8:53 am
    Saying D-Wade is a HOF lock is a little premature isn’t it? Not saying anything bad about him, but he has missed 97 games already in his 6 seasons in the NBA. He turns 28 in January so he is a little older than most in this draft class. I am just wondering is he going to be healthy enough to have a long HOF career. He is in his prime right now and relies on his athleticism to be effective. He has a track record of injuries and we have all seen what happens to guys that rely on their athleticism lose it.(Steve Francis) Wade is a better player than Francis, but look where Francis is out of the league and he is only 31.

  • bigdoggchad Posted: Aug.3 at 8:54 am
    Should say when they lose it.

  • Hisham Posted: Aug.3 at 9:22 am
    That line about the decline of the Euro would have been funny if it was true about the actual currency. Now it’s just funny because the DOLLAR is the one that has fallen like a suicidal dude off a tall building.

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.3 at 9:48 am
    bigdoggchad: jesus dude… look at whose in the hall of fame… it’s not as hard as you think to get in. Melo is probably a lock too, for chrissakes.

  • COLT6 Posted: Aug.3 at 10:00 am
    Jukai: WTF? You are telling me that D-Wade had a better team than Dallas in ’06? Yes, willing your team to victory. With a bunch of oldies at that. Didn’t the Heat beat in Detroit in the rematch of the ’05 ECF on their way to the ’06 championship? You know Lebron and the Cavs got swept by the Spurs in ’07 right? Not one single win.
    Greece were a SUPERIOR team than the rebuilding U.S. squad at the ’06 worlds but you are missing the point here mor.. (I won’t call names because I am better than you). D-Wade played better ball than Lebron at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The former led (read, LED) an aging team to win 4 games en route to the Larry O’Brien trophy against a more talented team. The latter hides video tapes of him getting dunked on, wears narcissistic prints on his t-shirts to cover up his losses. Now tell me, WHO DO YOU THINK DESERVES TO BE PICKED NUMBER ONE SHOULD THE 2003 NBA DRAFT BE REDONE?

  • COLT6 Posted: Aug.3 at 10:07 am
    Check the ‘in’ before Detroit but bonehead can write, he can ball better than you too. PUSTA MO PA ANG BAHAY MO!

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.3 at 10:15 am
    Dwayne: 16.0/4.0/1.9/1.6/0.1 73% shooting and 47% threes
    Lebron: 15.5/5.3/3.8/2.3/1.0 67$ shooting and 47% threes
    Looks pretty even to me. Oh, and if you asked anyone who was the best player outside the stats, all 12 would say Lebron was the unanimous leader of the team.
    And, to reiterate my statement, Lebron James had a FAR WORSE TEAM than the Heat and took that team to the Finals and played against a better team than the Dallas Mavericks. That’s the truth. Just cause you clearly don’t like James, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
    I mean, honestly, James all-in-all has had SUPERIOR success in the playoffs than Wade. It’s the truth, once again.

  • Dan vito Posted: Aug.3 at 11:19 am
    seriously jukai-, lebron is ONLY the leader of his cavs teams. He can act like he’s leading team usa, but he’s obviously not. Just because he’s the face of the nba, does not mean he’s a “leader” LOL. ALso, james was given every foul in the orlando series, and lost. that sir, is pathetic.

  • Dan vito Posted: Aug.3 at 11:19 am
    seriously jukai-, lebron is ONLY the leader of his cavs teams. He can act like he’s leading team usa, but he’s obviously not. Just because he’s the face of the nba, does not mean he’s a “leader” LOL. ALso, james was given every foul in the orlando series, and lost. that sir, is pathetic.

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.3 at 1:34 pm
    Dan vito: What about Kobe/Wade/Carmello saying he’s the leader? Does that help add credence to the theory that he was the leader of the US team?
    I mean, really, get your damn facts straight man. Lebron played a Scottie Pippen-esque role on Team USA, being the glue guy– he maintains being a super star yet still gets everyone involved. He also does that at the all-star games. It’s an incredible talent. People like you will never appreciate just how good of an on-the-court leader Lebron is.

  • COLT6 Posted: Aug.4 at 9:51 am
    Jukai: (1) LEBRON CAN’T LEAD SH$T! Great players demand excellence from everyone on their team making them overachieve need be. More importantly, real ballers WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS (read: Jordan, Magic, Big O). (2) YOU DON’T KNOW SMACK ABOUT THE TRUTH! Wade played better defense than Lebron in Beijing. Watch the games again if you must. D-Wade caused too many steals that enabled the Redeem Team’s dreaded fastbreak and he came off the bench too. (3) lEADERSHIP? KID, YOU HAVE PLENTY MORE TO LEARN. BUT ENOUGH BITCHIN’, WHAT IS DONE IS DONE. F#CKOUTTAHERE WIT THAT B*LLSH!T.

  • COLT6 Posted: Aug.4 at 10:04 am
    Jukai: (1) Lebron can’t lead sh@t! Great players demand excellence from everyone on their team making them overachieve need be. More importantly, real ballers WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS (read: Jordan, Magic, Big O). (2) You don’t know smack about the truth! Wade played better than James because he played better defense causing too many steals that enabled the Redeem Team’s fastbreak. (3) Leadership? KID, YOU HAVE PLENTY MORE TO LEARN. BUT ENOUGH B$TCHIN’. WHAT WAS DONE IS DONE.

  • Thomas Posted: Aug.5 at 3:20 am
    Enjoyable article…I still think that the 1996 is the second best draft, behind, of course, the 1984 draft and all of its majesty. But we will have to wait and see; the 2003 draft could turn out to be arguably the best draft ever…only time will tell.

  • sabri Posted: Aug.11 at 10:04 pm
    i think is miss MP2.0 mickeal pietrus

  • C-Mac Posted: Aug.18 at 4:37 am
    Colt6: Some of the greatest players to ever play this game havn’t won championships. since there is a huge number of variables that apply to a team trying to win championships, a players greatness should not be measured by championship rings, (AI, Barkley, Ewing etc). If you are going to measure it, how about MVP’s? or more games played? DWade played with the most dominant player ever on his team and had an easier team to beat. we all know the Spurs rep. I’m sorry i’m a big Wade fan but Lebron is ahead for now.

  • ld5 Posted: Aug.19 at 8:54 am
    Why Darko #2 over wade,anthony,bosh just imagine the pistons if they got one of those

  • Maya Posted: Aug.22 at 12:54 am
    They would certainly win a championship with Wade (if they even had a brain to pick him)

  • AJBALLER Posted: Sep.25 at 11:34 pm
    pistons should of got dwade

  • ryan Posted: Jan.17 at 6:39 pm
    James may be the best player but for a championship team I would take Wade. 1. Wade
    2. James
    3. Anthony
    4. Bosh

Comments




The comments section is a place to further discuss the topics in this post. Commenters who seek to accomplish any of the following may be banned: - Personally attack other commenters. - Make derogatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or religion. - Troll, or comment with the intention of creating problems. Trolling includes, but isn't limited to, baiting people to flame at you, encouraging people to leave the site, spamming and using alternate IDs.