HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

With the lockout still dominating most NBA-related headlines this summer, I’ve tried to lighten things up a bit by pouring over previous drafts and “re-drafting” the first round. (Of course, I have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, based on all that we now know of everyone that came into the league years ago.)

Thus far, I have quite a few different drafts in the books (click here for a complete list). Still, I have to admit, this is one I’ve been looking forward to. The 2003 NBA draft brought an incredible influx of talent into the league and is considered by some to be the one of the better drafts in recent history. This one was fun…

Here is how we’ve been approaching this project: Every pick will be made pretending each organization is a first-year expansion franchise and has no other players on its roster, so roster needs as of June 2003 will not be factored into the equation. Nor will current contract status, regardless of whether the player is currently locked into a deal that makes him either under or overpaid. Selections will be made simply based on pure production – i.e. best player available.

I’ll list each pick, and then post the player that was actually selected in that original draft slot.

As a refresher, here is a link to the actual 2003 NBA draft.

With no further ado, let’s start selecting:

#1 – With the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Re-Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select: LeBron James
(Actual 2003 pick: LeBron James)
It’s an easy decision at #1. LeBron came into the league as arguably the most hyped player in the history of the sport. Incredibly, not only has he lived up to the hype, he has exceeded expectations. His off-the-court decisions (including “The Decision”) have tarnished his image, and his fourth-quarter collapses in the Finals last June have dropped his stock (James struggled throughout the Finals, averaging 17.8 points, which was a record 8.9 fewer than his regular season average), but let’s not lose sight of the big picture: LeBron James is the most talented all-around basketball player on the planet. His career averages are 27.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 7.0 apg. Think about that for a second…

#2 – The Detroit Pistons select: Dwyane Wade
(Actual 2003 pick: Darko Milicic)
A somewhat difficult decision here at #2… You could make a case for Carmelo Anthony here. Melo is arguably the most gifted scorer among this elite group. And Chris Bosh is a legit big man who came up big for the HEAT in the Finals against Dallas. Still, Wade is a top-5 NBA talent and simply too good to pass up. Not only can Wade score from the perimeter or penetrate into the paint; Dwyane is also a fantastic defender. He has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team three times in his brief career. Moreover, he has proven himself as one of the league’s best clutch performers – as evidenced by his epic performance in the 2006 NBA Finals, where he nearly single-handedly captured a title for Miami.

#3 – The Denver Nuggets select: Carmelo Anthony
(Actual 2003 pick: Carmelo Anthony)
As mentioned above, Melo is one of the NBA’s most feared offensive weapons. There simply isn’t anything he can’t do on the offensive end of the floor – post-up smaller players, drive by bigger forwards etc. He is also an underrated rebounder, averaging over six boards per game in his career. The knock on Anthony has always been his defense (or lack thereof). Carmelo has the athleticism and length to be an above-average defender; this is clearly apparent when he applies himself, exerts the necessary energy, and focuses on defense. In addition, Melo has only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once in his career, although the flipside to that argument is that he has taken his team to the postseason every year he’s been in league (and carried an undermanned Knicks team in a first-round loss to the Celtics last spring). It will certainly be interesting to see how Melo’s career plays out in New York – much still “To Be Determined” at this point…

#4 – The Toronto Raptors select: Chris Bosh
(Actual 2003 pick: Chris Bosh)
It’s definitely rare that you’d get a star such as Bosh with the fourth pick in any “re-draft,” but the 2003 crop was just that good. Bosh took some HEAT when he signed with Miami to be the “3rd Banana” behind LBJ and D Wade. CB4 struggled mightily early on, attempting to figure out how to fit in after spending the first seven seasons of his career as the #1 option in Toronto but seemed to find his flow in the postseason. Incredibly, he ended up averaging more points and rebounds than LeBron James in the Finals.

#5 – The Miami Heat select: David West
(Actual 2003 pick: Dwyane Wade)
West rolled the dice this past June when he announced he would opt out of the final year of his contract with the Hornets despite coming off major knee surgery after tearing the ACL in his left knee on March 25th. It will be interesting to see what kind of contract he garners on the open market once the lockout is lifted (whenever that is)… Despite slipping all the way to #18 back in 2003, West emerged as a legit NBA star. Not blessed with extraordinary explosiveness or athleticism, David relies on a deadly midrange jumper and crafty touch around the tin. He’s also a dogged rebounder. A two-time all-star (2008 and 2009), West has been a terrific sidekick to stud PG Chris Paul. New Orleans may need to keep West in town if they hope to lock up CP3 long-term…

#6 – The Los Angles Clippers select: Chris Kaman
(Actual 2003 pick: Chris Kaman)
Kaman’s NBA career has been a bit of a rollercoaster. When healthy and featured offensively, he’s put up some monster numbers. As evidence, check out his production over the first half of the 2009-2010 season. In the 46 games the Clippers played prior to the All-Star game, Kaman averaged started all 46 contests and averaged 20 points per game, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. Those stats earned him an All-Star invitation. There simply aren’t many big men in the NBA today that can match those numbers. However, Chris has been inconsistent and he’s been bit by the injury bug quite frequently. Kaman has missed 50+ games in two of the previous three seasons…

#7 – The Chicago Bulls select: Kirk Hinrich
(Actual 2003 pick: Kirk Hinrich)
Hinrich has been a solid NBA guard since the day he was drafted. Early on in his career, during his days in Chicago, Kirk was more of a scorer. During his second season with the Bulls, he attempted 14.6 shots per game. During the 2006-2007 campaign, he averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists. Over the past few years, Hinrich has been relied on more heavily for his defensive prowess. And although his scoring average has dropped, he’s still a respected and valued contributor.

#8 – The Milwaukee Bucks select: Kendrick Perkins
(Actual 2003 pick: T.J. Ford)
Perkins statistical contributions won’t wow anybody, but as a member of the world champion Boston Celtics, Big Perk earned a reputation as one of the preeminent post defenders in the entire league. Many Celtics’ fans (and players) were extremely disappointed when Danny Ainge traded him to the OKC Thunder last February. Perkins never seemed to find his niche in Oklahoma City last season, but the Thunder have him locked up long-term and obviously view him as a key component to their future success.

#9 – The New York Knicks select: Mo Williams
(Actual 2003 pick: Michael Sweetney)
Williams slipped all the way to the second round back in 2003, and spent his first pro season as a reserve guard on Jerry Sloan’s bench in Utah. The Milwaukee Bucks then signed him as a free agent the summer after his rookie year and Williams quickly proved that he was a legit starting point guard. In 2006-2007, Mo Will served notice by posting a tremendous stat line, averaging 17.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. The summer after that big year, Williams inked a massive six-year, $51 million contract. However, the following August, the Cavs acquired Mo in a major three-team blockbuster. Williams was a the second-leading scorer on some quality LeBron-led teams, but the Cavs eventually shipped him off to L.A. in exchange for Baron Davis and a #1 draft pick (that eventually became the #1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, which landed Kyrie Irving in Cleveland).

#10 – The Washington Wizards select: Nick Collison
(Actual 2003 pick: Jarvis Hayes)
Although he may be underrated by many, Collison’s true value certainly isn’t lost on Thunder GM Sam Presti and the folks in OKC. Collison was a vital cog in the Thunder’s impressive playoff run last spring, as he was often the big man coach Scott Brooks chose to lean on in big spots down the stretch of important games. In a stroke of genius, GM Presti signed Nick to a contract extension that will pay him an annual salary of under $3 million through 2015 – arguably one of the best contracts in the sport (ESPN’s Marc Stein details how Presti structured Collison’s unique deal here).

#11 – The Golden State Warriors select: Boris Diaw
(Actual 2003 pick: Mickael Pietrus)
After middling success as a reserve off Atlanta’s bench his first two years in the league, Diaw was traded to by the Hawks (along with a 2006 1st round draft pick {Rajon Rondo} and a 2008 1st round draft pick {Robin Lopez}) to the Phoenix Suns in the Joe Johnson sign-and-trade deal. Diaw exploded on the scene that first season in Phoenix, perfectly suited to excel in Mike D’Antoni’s system. During the 2005-2006 season with the Suns, Diaw more than tripled his career scoring average by putting up 13.3 points per contest to go along with 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists – just a phenomenal all-around season. However, Diaw was never quite able to duplicate that success in Valley of the Sun (some insiders intimated he may have enjoyed too many pastries in France during the offseason and was unable to shed the excess pounds). The Suns shipped him off to Charlotte (along with Raja Bell) in exchange for Jared Dudley and Jason Richardson in December of 2008. Diaw has been solid, if unspectacular, for the Bobcats.

#12 – The Seattle Supersonics select: Leandro Barbosa
(Actual 2003 pick:  Nick Collison)
Barbosa is another player that played the best ball of his career under Mike D’Antoni’s free-flowing Phoenix offense. In 2007, it appeared he had the potential to develop into a star, as he averaged a whooping 18.1 ppg despite rarely starting or playing more than 35 minutes a night. Yet Barbosa’s effectiveness and efficiency gradually receded. The knock on Leandro is that he brings little to the table besides offense in bunches.

#13 – The Memphis Grizzlies select: Luke Ridnour
(Actual 2003 pick:  Marcus Banks)
Ridnour has been remarkably steady and reliable for the duration of his eight seasons in the NBA. Game in, game out, year after year, he can be counted to dish out about five assists and chip in 10 points.

#14 – The Seattle Supersonics select: Travis Outlaw
(Actual 2003 pick:  Luke Ridnour)
With the final lottery selection, we’ll go with Outlaw, who entered the league as a raw teenager out of a Starkville, Mississippi high school. Outlaw had plenty of promise, and while he had some highlights in a Blazers uniform, he never quite delivered the goods in Portland. Nonetheless, the New Jersey (after striking out on their primary targets) threw $30+ million at him when he hit free agency last summer.

#15 – The Orlando Magic select: T.J. Ford
(Actual 2003 pick: Reece Gaines)

#16 – The Boston Celtics select: Josh Howard
(Actual 2003 pick: Troy Bell)

#17 – The Phoenix Suns select: Darko Milicic
(Actual 2003 pick: Zarko Čabarkapa)

#18 – The New Orleans Hornets select: Mickael Pietrus
(Actual 2003 pick: David West)

#19 – The Utah Jazz select: Kyle Korver
(Actual 2003 pick: Sasha Pavlovic)

#20 – The Boston Celtics select: Zaza Pachulia
(Actual 2003 pick: Dahntay Jones)

#21 – The Atlanta Hawks select: Steve Blake
(Actual 2003 pick: Boris Diaw)

#22 – The New Jersey Nets select: Luke Walton
(Actual 2003 pick: Zoran Planinic)

#23 – The Portland Trail Blazers select: Keith Bogans
(Actual 2003 pick: Travis Outlaw)

#24 – The Los Angeles Lakers select: Matt Bonner
(Actual 2003 pick: Brian Cook)

#25 – The Detroit Pistons select: Willie Green
(Actual 2003 pick: Carlos Delfino)

#26 – The Minnesota Timberwolves select: Carlos Delfino
(Actual 2003 pick: Ndudi Ebi)

#27 – The Memphis Grizzlies select: Jason Kapono
(Actual 2003 pick: Kendrick Perkins)

#28 – The San Antonio Spurs select: James Jones
(Actual 2003 pick: Leandro Barbosa)

#29 – The Dallas Mavericks select: Brian Cook
(Actual 2003 pick: Josh Howard)

#30 – The New York Knicks select: Jarvis Hayes
(Actual 2003 pick: Maciej Lampe)

Biggest Bust: Mike Sweetney (Drafted by the New York Knicks – 9th overall)
Darko is the name that most people will associate with the word “bust” from this draft class, but Milicic has carved out a decent NBA career despite flaming out in Detroit and elsewhere early on. He’s turned into a decent starting center for Minnesota (although David Khan may have overpaid for his services). That’s why we have to go with Sweetney here. The buildup to the 2003 draft was phenomenal, and Knicks fans were hoping that the struggling franchise would land a stud that with their early first-round pick that would help resurrect the organization. We know how that turned out… Of the 14 players drafted in the 2003 Lottery, only one failed to score over 5,000 points in the NBA: Michael Sweetney. There was a HUGE drop-off in talent after the #8 pick in this draft, and the Knicks were stuck at #9. Unfortunately, Sweetney was never able to get his weight under control and never made anything close to the impact expected. After two disappointing seasons in New York, he was shipped off to Chicago in the Eddy Curry deal. The Bulls lets him go after the 2007 season, and he hasn’t played in an NBA game since… According to the website elnuevodia.com, Sweetney signed with Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce in 2010 after spending time playing for Bigua in Uruguay

Best Value Pick: Mo Williams (Drafted by the Utah Jazz – 47th overall)
46 players were drafted ahead of Mo Williams back in 2003, but only a handful have developed into more productive pros. As noted above, Mo Will got his big break in Milwaukee filing in for T.J. Ford (selected #8 overall in 2003) and kept on scoring. It is obviously rare for a second-round pick to be named an All-Star, but Mo Will received that honor in 2009.