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What if the Cavs drafted Darko first overall in the 2003 Draft? LeBron goes 2nd overall to the Pistons. (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by AdorableBackground83@alien.top to c/nba@nba.space

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David Stern: “with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft the Cleveland Cavaliers select…… Darko Milicic from Serbia and Montenegro.”

crowd boos are extremely deafening and even the commentators are in shock at what just transpired

Everything else in the draft remains the same. Wade is still a Heat, Carmelo is still a Nugget and Bosh is still a Raptor.

Darko would’ve still been a bust regardless while LeBron gets drafted into a very competent organization. The Pistons made the ECF the previous season and have great vets and coaching (though screw Larry Brown for playing LeBron 3 mins in the 2004 Olympic semis which caused a lot of stupid haters to call him LeBronze).

I believe the Pistons would’ve still went after Rasheed and everything plays out fairly normally in the 2003-04 season. We actually get a LeBron vs Kobe Finals matchup. Granted they’re not Kobe and LeBron led teams but still. The Pistons still win in dominating fashion. LeBron at 19 years old wins a chip.

It would be hard to predict what would happen afterwards but Malice in the Palace still occurs with LeBron staying out of it. 2005 the Pistons again reach the Finals and it would be hard to not favor them against the Spurs.

I got this inspiration from a BSOLZ video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cUnXVBTWA&pp=ygUid2hhdCBpZiB0aGUgcGlzdG9ucyBkcmFmdGVkIGxlYnJvbg%3D%3D

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[–] firuozleucio0@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s like Spurs drafting Ausar Thompson 1st.

[–] UnhingedSupernova@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ausar Thompson gonna be good.

It's the equivalent of the Wolves drafting Wiseman and Edwards falling to the Warriors.

[–] Technobrake@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think the comparison is more about not drafting Wemby/LeBron than whether Thompson is going to be good or not. As in, even if you thought Darko was going to be really good, picking him over the once in a generation can't-miss guy would be absurd.

[–] firuozleucio0@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Also saying Ausar is going to be good is not a strong argument statement as the former two players.

[–] cuteAlison@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

His GOAT case would be even stronger

[–] Itchy_Feedback4654@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

C`mon not even the kings are this dumb

[–] sneedmode@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Ben, bron, prince, rip, Chauncey.

Elite shooters to come off of lebron, and Ben+bron+prince on defense means that no team is even scoring 60 on these guys.

They win a title the first 3 years in a landslide. Against Boston I think it’s close due to their defense and Ben Wallace leaving but Detroit still takes it in 7.

At that point he’s got 4 rings but his core is ancient. Idk what happens next.

[–] RVAIsTheGreatest@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

As said by u/lopea182, it's an exercise that is pretty pointless to have because it's a scenario that was never and is not realistic in any way whatsoever. That said, the Pistons would've won a lot over the 2000s, and probably had the same downfall in the end and same terrible run since since their core would be older around Bron then, as the Cavs' was around him. But they would've won a lot and likely more than one title.