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Dallas Mavericks: Revisiting the 2003 NBA Draft

By Sam Casey

Jan 12, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in action during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Cavaliers defeat the Mavericks 110-107 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in action during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Cavaliers defeat the Mavericks 110-107 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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As we continue our quest through the yearly NBA Draft for the Dallas Mavericks, we stop today on the year 2003, one of the most prolific draft classes in NBA history.

The 2003 NBA Draft will go down in history as one of the most talented drafts ever, containing several future Hall of Famers. However, while the Dallas Mavericks didn’t get a superstar, it wasn’t a bad year for the Mavs.

Notable players drafted in 2003

Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, and LeBron James pose for a picture after the NBA All Star Game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, and LeBron James pose for a picture after the NBA All Star Game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

LeBron James – Rd. 1, Pick 1 (CLE)

Carmelo Anthony – Rd. 1, Pick 3 (DEN)

Chris Bosh – Rd. 1, Pick 4 (TOR)

Dwayne Wade – Rd. 1, Pick 5 (MIA)

David West – Rd. 1, Pick 18 (NOH)

Kyle Korver – Rd. 2, Pick 51 (NJN)

State of the Mavs

Dallas came into the 2003 draft needing little, as they had an excellent season prior going 60-22. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games after Dirk Nowitzki went down with a knee injury in Game 3.

After such a successful season, the Mavs had a lot of freedom with their two late picks.

What the Mavs Did

Dallas had the 29th and 57th picks in this draft. They used their 57th pick to take Xue Yuyang from China. The Mavericks traded him to the Denver Nuggets for a 2nd round pick in 2004, and he never played a minute in the NBA.

However, the Mavs utilized their first round pick well, taking Josh Howard. Howard was a solid player for the Mavericks for the following 6 years, averaging 15.6 points per game over his span in Dallas. At the 29th pick, he was quite the bargain and was a solid contributor for the Mavs, even if he was a headache at times.

What the Mavs Should’ve Done

The saying “hindsight is 20/20” couldn’t ever be truer than in this situation. Looking back now, LeBron and Wade have both solidified themselves as some of the best players to ever step on the court. Knowing what we know now, I would say that trading everything and anything short of Dirk and Steve Nash for a top pick would’ve been wise.

However, realistically those top teams likely wouldn’t have wanted to trade down, and the Mavs used their assigned pick well.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Revisiting the 2002 NBA Draft

Stay tuned for our analysis of the 2004 NBA Draft tomorrow. Also, look back at our draft analysis for the years 1999-2002 here at The Smoking Cuban.

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