NBA

The 2003 NBA Draft Revisited

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 27, 2013

The 2003 NBA Draft Revisited

Cleveland: LeBron James

LeBron James is arguably one of the greatest active players in the NBA, at the front of a star-stacked Heat team that successfully defended its title. James headlined a stellar 2003 draft class that included top-five picks and eventual teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Ten years later, to the day, SI.com revisits the players selected in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft.

Detroit: Darko Milicic

Darko Milicic was selected by the Pistons with the No. 2 overall pick, a Serbian-born player taken at the top of an international class. Milicic saw little playing time with Detroit, however, averaging 1.6 points per game in under 5 minutes a game. Milicic was traded to the Magic in 2006 and saw a dramatic increase in minutes and scoring. He was not re-signed, and bounced around to the Grizzlies, Knicks, and Timberwolves before being released by the Celtics at his request during the 2012 season after only playing for 5 minutes.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony

Denver selected Carmelo Anthony, fresh off an NCAA tournament victory, with the third pick. During his time with the Nuggets, Anthony became the second youngest player to score both 30 and 40 points in a game (second to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, respectively), as well as the second youngest player to score 5,000 points (behind James). Anthony scored almost 14,000 points for Denver, leading it to the playoffs for seven consecutive years before being traded to the Knicks in February 2011.

Toronto: Chris Bosh

The Toronto Raptors selected Chris Bosh with the fourth overall pick. When he left Toronto in 2010, he had set franchise records for points, rebounds, blocks, and double-doubles. Bosh joined Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in Miami to create a powerful trio. Bosh's numbers took somewhat of a hit with a slight decrease in minutes played after averaging over 20 points per game for Toronto, but he has two NBA titles as a result.

Miami: Dwyane Wade

Wade is the only top 5 pick from 2003 who still plays for the club that drafted him, and the Heat have greatly benefited. Wade led the league in scoring with 2,386 points in the 2008-09 season, and has scored a total of 16,453 points for Miami. Since James and Bosh have joined the mix, Wade has made more than 50 percent of his shots from the floor.

LA Clippers: Chris Kaman

The sixth pick in the 2003 draft, Chris Kaman played for Los Angeles until he was traded to the Hornets in 2011. He signed with the Mavericks for the 2012 season. Kaman averaged 12.7 rebounds per game in 2007-08 and scored over 1,400 points in 2009-10.

Chicago: Kirk Hinrich

The Bulls selected guard Kirk Hinrich at No. 7. He was traded to the Wizards and Hawks within the course of a season before re-signing with the Bulls in 2012. Hinrich is the Bulls' all-time three-point field goal leader, with well over 800 threes.

Milwaukee: T.J. Ford

Ford led the Bucks in assists with 6.5 per game before falling on his tail bone, forcing him out of play until 2005. From 2005 to 2010 he had five seasons with at least 10 points per game with Milwaukee, Toronto and Indiana. His production waned in 2010 and 2011 for the Pacers and Spurs, and Ford retired after being waived by Golden State.

New York: Mike Sweetney

The Knicks picked power forward Mike Sweetney ninth. He switched to center and saw some improvement in his second year, but weight issues and declining play decreased his minutes after he was traded to Chicago. Sweetney played two years for the Bulls, but did not play from 2007-2009. Twice Sweetney unsuccessfully tried out for the Celtics before agreeing to join Puerto Rico's league, BSN, for Vaqueros de Bayamon.

Washington: Jarvis Hayes

Hayes' career after being drafted at No 10 was more or less defined by a knee injury. After fracturing his kneecap, Hayes decided to let the knee heal on its own, but the injury nagged at him later on. He knee fractured again in 2005 and Hayes submitted to surgery. He would never again be the same player who averaged nearly 10 points in 29 minutes his rookie year. He eventually signed with a Turkish club in 2011, then Russia's Ironi Ashkelon in 2013.

Golden State: Mickael Pietrus

The Warriors used their first-round pick to select the French-born Mickael Pietrus. He would play for Golden State for five seasons, signing with Orlando in 2008. Pietrus helped the Magic reach the Finals in 2009, but struggled during the series. He was traded to the Suns in 2010, then signed with the Celtics the next year and Toronto in 2012.

Seattle: Nick Collison

Nick Collison missed the season following his selection at No. 12 due to injuries to both his shoulders. Collison is known for his defense as well as consistent play at power forward. Of the players on the team before its relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008, only Collison and Kevin Durant remain.

Memphis (traded to Boston): Marcus Banks

Memphis selected Marcus Banks then traded him to the Celtics. Banks exhibited good ball handling and defense in Boston, but did not measure up to what the Celtics had hoped. He was traded to Minnesota in the 2005-06 season, then played for the Suns, Heat and Hornets from 2006 to 2010. He was later signed by a Greek League club, but is not currently on a team.

Seattle: Luke Ridnour

Seattle chose Luke Ridnour at No. 14. He played little in his rookie season but was starting point guard the following year. He was traded to the Bucks in 2008 and signed a four-year deal with the Timberwolves in 2010. Over his career, Ridnour has averaged exactly 10 points per game. Ridnour started all 82 games for Minnesota this year.

Orlando: Reece Gaines

It's high praise when fellow draft class member -- and eventual nine-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion -- Dwyane Wade refers to you as "the best player he ever faced in college." However, things didn't turn out as well in the NBA for Reece Gaines, who averaged fewer than two points per game in three NBA seasons. He has bounced around the D-League and various international teams, with his most recent stop in Venezuela for Guaros de Lara.

Boston (traded to Memphis): Troy Bell

Despite being a two-time Big East Player of the Year, Bell's collegiate success never transferred to the NBA. He played just 34 minutes total in six games with the Grizzlies during the 2003-2004 season, and by 2005 he was out of the league. He has played overseas in Germany, France, and now Italy, with his most recent stint spent suiting up for Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia.

Phoenix: Zarko Cabarkapa

In an injury-riddled rookie season, Zarko Cabarkapa only played in 49 games for the Suns. Two years later, Phoenix shipped him off to Golden State, where he suffered from a nagging back injury that eventually led to a leave of absence to recover. In 2009, after nearly three years away from the game, Cabarkapa attempted a short-lived comeback for a professional side in Montenegro.

New Orleans: David West

Due to the plethora of high-profile names in the '03 draft, David West's success and productivity is often overlooked. The former Xavier star has averaged 16.1 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game and is one of the more versatile forwards in the league. A two-time NBA All-Star, West led the Indiana Pacers to the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell a game short of advancing against the eventual NBA champion Heat.

Utah: Sasha Pavlovic

After spending three seasons playing professionally in Montenegro, Pavlovic impressed NBA scouts enough to become a first-round pick. Although he hasn't lived up to his first-round billing -- he's averaging just under five points per game for his career -- he has stuck around as a crucial role player for seven teams, most recently with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Boston (traded to Memphis): Dahntay Jones

In his 10 years of professional basketball, Dahntay Jones has had some ups and downs. Despite being demoted to the D-League in 2008, he has battled back and filled a key role off the bench for six organizations. Jones has averaged 5.6 points per game over his career.

Atlanta: Boris Diaw

Diaw played two seasons in his native France before being selected by the Hawks in 2003. The big Frenchman won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award in 2006 while in Phoenix, and he was an important role player down the stretch for the San Antonio Spurs' run to the 2013 Western Conference Championship.

New Jersey: Zoran Planinic

Zoran Planinic played four years professionally in his home country of Croatia, where was named Croatian League MVP in 2001, before joining the Nets. Planinic never developed, however, as he was out of the NBA after three underwhelming seasons. After spending three years in Spain, Planinic is in his second stint in Russia.

Portland: Travis Outlaw

Travis Outlaw was the second of four high school players drafted in the first round, taken behind only LeBron James. Outlaw has averaged roughly nine points per game over the last 10 seasons, suiting up for Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers, the then-New Jersey Nets and currently the Sacramento Kings.

LA Lakers: Brian Cook

The son of former Kansas Jayhawks All-America Norm Cook, the younger Cook never found a consistent level of success in the NBA. After averaging 5.5 points per game over nine seasons and bouncing between five teams, Cook was waived by the Washington Wizards in 2012 and currently plays for Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico.

Detroit: Carlos Delfino

Carlos Delfino remained with Italian side Skipper Bologna until 2004, when he officially joined the Pistons. The Argentine has averaged 8.1 points per game in eight NBA seasons -- he spent 2008-2009 with Khimki in Russia -- playing with four teams. He has been with the Houston Rockets since 2012.

Minnesota: Ndudi Ebi

?Another high school star, Ebi never got his feet settled in the NBA. After two fruitless seasons with the Timberwolves, the London-born Ebi has been bouncing around the globe ever since. In 2013, he laced up for Puerto Rican side Vaqueros de Bayamon.

Memphis (traded to Boston): Kendrick Perkins

?Originally committed to the University of Memphis, 6-foot-10 big man Kendrick Perkins opted to make the jump to the pros. A vital role player in the Boston Celtics' 2008 NBA championship, Perkins has made a name for himself as a relentless worker and an imposing presence on the low block. He averaged just over four points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game last season in Oklahoma City.

San Antonio (traded to Phoenix): Leandro Barbosa

? A versatile guard, Leandro Barbosa has seen much success since his jump to the NBA after spending four seasons in Brazil. Barbosa averaged 18.1 points per game during the 2006-2007 season, en route to being honored as the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. After playing in Phoenix for seven seasons, he has been with four teams in the last three years and is currently a Washington Wizard.

Dallas: Josh Howard

Josh ?Howard has averaged double-digit scoring in six of his 10 NBA seasons, including a 2007 All-Star invitation, a campaign in which he averaged 19.9 points per game and 7 rebounds per game. Now with the Timberwolves, Howard spent seven seasons with the Mavericks before moving to Washington, Utah and, ultimately, Minnesota.

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