Worst NBA Draft comparisons in history

#3 Darko Milicic [Comparison: Dirk Nowitzki]

Darko Milicic in action against the Lakers

When you are selected above future Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, you must be good. In the 2003 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons made a catastrophic mistake by selecting Darko Milicic with the second overall pick in the draft when they could have selected Anthony, Bosh, Wade, or even Nick Collison.

Milicic came in the league at the height of a Euro-craze bubble that allowed scouts to compare him to a "better version" of Dirk Nowitzki. Several scouts said that Milicic was not only a proficient post-scorer who can stretch out the perimeter but was also a physical seven-footer with incredible shot-blocking ability.

As a matter of fact, ESPN NBA analyst Chad Ford described him as the real deal. Someone "you can slot in the 3, 4, and 5 positions". However, Milicic never lived up to the expectations as he only averaged six points and 4.2 rebounds in his 12-year NBA career. Milicic retired from the NBA in 2013 and most recently, he works as a farmer in his native Serbia, owning a 125-acre apple orchard.