Carmelo Anthony might have been an NBA Champion IF he had been drafted second by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft…right?
One former Pistons guard isn’t so sure.
Appearing on The Sports Life & Everything Else Podcast with Mike Roberts and Taylor Suber, retired eight year NBA vet, Flip Murray shares that he’s not sure that it would’ve happened that way.
“I don’t know because I think Tay was there at the three,” said Murray referring to Tayshaun Prince who was also drafted in the ‘03 draft with Anthony and who like Anthony also played the small forward position.
“Two, three were already locked up. Melo’s not gonna fit with us.”
Instead of drafting Melo at No. 2, the Pistons drafted Darko Milicic second and the Denver Nuggets selected Anthony third. The season after the 2003 draft, with almost no contribution from Milicic, the Pistons won the 2004 NBA Finals against a loaded Los Angeles Lakers team that included Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payon. The following year, the Pistons were one quarter away from winning again against the San Antonio Spurs and the year after that, Detroit won 64 games. While Anthony may not have been a part of that Pistons team, he was a terror against opposing defenses. Anthony, who retired ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, led the Nuggets to the NBA Playoffs every year from 2004 to 2010.
While in the Mile High City, the Syracuse product also led the Nuggets to two division titles. While Flip Murray applauds Melo’s personal accolades, he shared with the S.L.E.E.P Podcast that the Baltimore native by way of Brooklyn may not have complimented the Pistons core of Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace the way Prince did under head coach Larry Brown. “He went to Kentucky, but he was tough,” Murray said of Prince in comparison to Anthony.
“Played both sides of the ball. He played defense, not that Melo didn’t play defense, but he did so much and he was able to get ripped and everybody else involved and stuff like that. Melo, Melo’s a shooter, you know what I mean? So he was gonna get his buckets; 25, 30 shots at that time. You know what I mean? When I look at it, what’s gonna fit better with our team? What’s gonna gel with our team?”
Anthony Edwards, Paul George & Joel Embiid
While Carmelo Anthony’s career was an interesting topic of conversation on the S.L.E.E.P. Podcast, Flip Murray also discussed some other hot topics including Minnesota Timberwolves star, Anthony Edwards. “I ride with Anthony Edwards all day,” Murray told the show’s hosts.
“That’s my favorite player. I like his game, man…I like his game, I love his heart. I love the way he approaches the game. I like his story, I know about his story down in Georgia and everything. Yeah. For us to get better All-Star games, we gotta get more people in the league with a mentality like that.”
A native of Philadelphia, Murray also weighed in on the state of his hometown 76ers. The Strawberry Mansion High School alum likes what Paul George brings to Philly and he believes that he compliments fellow All Star Joel Embiid on the floor. . “Well, we definitely needed somebody who can go get their own bucket,” Murray said of PG 13.
“That helps us in that aspect of the game. But I think if they come out and play together, play the game the right way, understand that Embiid is the number one option. And Embiid’s gotta understand too that he’s the number one option, but he also doesn’t understand that he has a player that can get busy out there with him too. He doesn’t have to do everything every single night all the time, because it seems like he does that throughout the whole year. Then when it comes to the Playoffs now and then teams are starting to double team and stuff like that, you gotta make the right plays out of the double team and make the right situation.”
Anthony Davis & Bronny James
In addition to playing in a Detroit Pistons uniform for two years, Flip Murray also had stints with the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Sonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats and the Chicago Bulls. While chatting with the S.L.E.E.P. podcast crew, Murray discussed the evolution of the power forward and center position in the NBA and zoned in on Los Angeles Lakers big man, Anthony Davis. Murray shared that he’d liked to see Philadelphia native Rasheed Wallace train with AD. “Sheed can give him some pointers,”Murray told Mike Roberts and Taylor Suber.
“Anthony Davis is a skilled player too. He’s just been through a lot of injuries. Like in New Orleans, Anthony Davis was giving you a showcase of everything, stretch, post work, elbow work, pick and roll, whatever you needed. Jab work, whatever he was looking for, he was able to give it to you. So he’s always been a top scorer for sure in the league. But you know, him probably working out with Sheed, probably giving some extra pointers and stuff like that, how to get some little easy chip buckets, stuff like that. I mean, it can’t hurt, it’s coming from the veterans.”
Murray also weighed in on AD’s Lakers teammate, Bronny James, the son of Lakers mega star LeBron James. Murray, who was once a teammate of the eldest James shared insight on Bronny making the leap from being a McDonald’s High School All-American, spending a year at USC and being drafted by the Lakers in the second round of June’s draft. “He’s gonna be good,” insists Murray.
“A lot of people are underestimating him. A lot of people are down on him, just for the fact that he’s LeBron James’ son. But as I tell people all the time, he really doesn’t have that much basketball underneath him. He didn’t play that much at USC. He played, what? Two years at Sierra Canyon when he was there? So, he hasn’t even learned the game yet. But he’s a talent. He’s been around the game since he was a little kid. So he knows the game, so it’s gonna be easy for him to adjust, because he’s been around the game for so long. So once he starts playing the speed of the game and starts playing with those types of players and understanding the game as he goes along and plays, he’s gonna adjust very, very fast because he’s been around the game for so long.”
Flip Murray also assures the show’s hosts that the perceived pressures of playing in the city of Los Angeles as a member of the Lakers won’t be a problem for Bronny. “He’s gonna adjust immediately,” he shared.
“He’s been living in LA. He’s been getting scrutiny since he’s been out there. So he’s definitely gonna know how to handle that situation. I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem.He’s gonna have his little problems, his little nicks and nacks, turnovers and stuff like that, that comes with the territory. He’s young, in his first year playing. But as he’s playing along, he’s playing with his father. His father is definitely gonna show him the ins and outs of the game, watching film and all that. He’s been doing that forever now. So he knows the game.”
Flip Murray Compares Ray Allen, Klay Thompson & Contrasts Luka/Kyrie To LeBon/D-Wade
Murray, who was a second round draft pick in 2002, developed as a scoring threat during the 2003-04 NBA season. A legend during his collegiate days at Shaw University, a Historically Black College, Murray played significant time that season and filled in for Ray Allen who missed 26 games due to injury. A pure shooter, Murray averaged 12 points in 25 minutes while appearing in 82 games. Murray respects shooting and he’s excited to see Klay Thompson’s fit in Dallas alongside Mavericks teammates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
When asked whether Thompson’s role in a Mavs uniform would mirror Ray Allen’s tenure in a Boston Celtics uniform or a Miami Heat uniform, Murray considered the question to be a no-brainer. “Probably Ray Allen in Boston,” he said.
“Ray Allen in Miami had too many superstars on the team at the time. He had D-Wade in one hand. But they [Dallas] got two superstars, too, with Kyrie and Luka. But it’s not like the impact, like Bron and D-Wade had on the game. Luka and Kyrie are more showtime. They could open the floor for him. That’s what we’ll get from them. A lot of one-on-one opportunities now for Kyrie and Luka, who like to go one-on-one. So, by them being able to space the floor with him, they should help him.(…) And he’s pretty solid on defense as well, too.”
Flip Murray’s Dialogue With The S.L.E.E.P. Podcast was worth the price of admission! You can watch it in full by clicking HERE.
