Tayshaun Prince: Pistons could've won 4 championships with Melo

It's not frequent, but there are times Detroit Pistons fans are reminded about how former general manager Joe Dumars selected Darko Milicic with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft, letting Carmelo Anthony slide to No. 3 and the Denver Nuggets.

Thursday was one of those times.

Tayshaun Prince, a defensive stalwart on the Pistons of the early 2000s, told CBS Sports' Nick Kostos that the team would have won more than the one NBA title it did during that era had they drafted Anthony.

"I think if we did take Melo, maybe two, maybe three, maybe four championships," Prince said. "And then after my fourth or fifth year, now you have to decide what you want to do. But at least you know going in, if you take Melo, we got a guy. And who knows, he comes off his bench the first year or two, or maybe they insert him into the starting lineup, whatever."

Prince played the same position as Anthony, and was selected by Detroit in the first round a year earlier in 2002. It's all redundant now, but it's not lost on him that Anthony would have likely usurped the starting small forward spot.

"If he could come in off the bench and accept that sixth man role, we'd be pretty awesome for the next five or six years before they make the decision if they're going to keep me or him," Prince said.

Prince, 36, is currently a free agent after spending last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony, despite his critics, will someday be in the Hall of Fame. Milicic was last seen feeding his tattoos beer.