Ben Wallace theorizes drafting Carmelo Anthony in 2003 may have disrupted team chemistry
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Detroit Pistons great Ben Wallace dismissed Carmelo Anthony’s notion he would have had two or three NBA titles under his belt if the team would have drafted him over Darko Milicic.
Anthony told Dwyane Wade last week he thought he would’ve had multiple rings if the Pistons selected him with the No. 2 pick of the 2003 draft. Anthony instead fell to No. 3 with the Denver Nuggets.
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Wallace wasn’t so sure.
“If we would've drafted Carmelo, I honestly don't think we would have ever won a championship,” Wallace said on the 120 Watts Podcast on Monday. “Melo would want to play right away. That would have the potential to disrupt the team chemistry."
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“By drafting Darko, he came in and said that he is not ready to play on this team. Who I am going to play in front of. I’m not ready, and by him doing that and accepting his role, it allowed us to build and grow and get stronger and eventually win a championship.”
Wallace and the Pistons won the title in 2004. Detroit finished 54-28 that season. They were in the Finals the next year but fell to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.
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Anthony has never made an appearance in the NBA Finals.