Chauncey Billups: Pistons Drafting Carmelo Anthony Would've Changed LeBron's Career

Chauncey Billups, the head coach of the Portland Trail blazers and a former NBA star, said on the All The Smoke show that if the Detroit Pistons had drafted Carmelo Anthony, his career would have changed.

"We all thought we was taking 'Melo. We all was on deck. We all was on board. We all thought 'Melo was 'Melo. We excited. It was perfect. Obviously we had a team. We took Tayshaun [Prince] the year before, but Tay would have been the perfect sixth man, Swiss Army knife, he'll do whatever. I thought we was perfectly built to have 'Melo. 

"Here's an interesting question, I say this all the time: If we do get 'Melo, when was 'Bron ever going to take over? ... We're in the same division. ... [Anthony's] going to get raised right in the game. He ain't coming in and shooting 25 times."

The thought exercise is interesting.

James and Anthony were the first two picks in the 2003 NBA draft. The Pistons took Darko Milii instead of passing on Anthony.

Heading into the 2003-04 season, the Pistons were coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, and around a core of Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton, they would go on to shock Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O' Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers in

The only title that group would win together was the one they won in the finals. In the 2005-06 season, Wade's Heat knocked them out in the conference finals, while James' Cleveland knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs in the two previous years.

Is a young Anthony able to extend the title window? He averaged over 21 points per game in his first six seasons with the Pistons.

James' period of dominance did not begin until he joined the Heat with Wade and Bosh. He didn't win a title or reach the NBA finals in his first seven seasons with the Cleveland.

By the time James made his Heat debut in 2010, Billups was in Denver, Ben Wallace was back in Detroit, and Hamilton was entering his final season with the Pistons.

James made the NBA Finals in eight straight seasons between the Heat and Cleveland, winning three titles before moving on to the LA Lakers.

Is it possible that Anthony would have changed that trajectory? It doesn't seem like it would be possible. The Pistons might add another banner or two.