Billups: 'We coulda got better,' but we got Darko

Will the Detroit Pistons ever live down drafting Darko Milicic?

Now an ESPN analyst, former Piston Chauncey Billups was asked about it Thursday on the network's "Highly Questionable," as in how many practices did it take him to realize the Darko thing wasn't going to work out?

"Two or three," Billups said. "I mean, I knew it wasn't going to be long. You draft this guy, you're bringing him in to play with Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace ... you knew right away. I mean, this kid is young, 18, 19, but, man, he's a long ways away, and we coulda got better."

Milicic was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. And Billups was asked if Carmelo Anthony ever gave him any, uh, guff for not taking him instead (he went third).

"Yes, he did," Billups said. "I said, 'Melo, I'm not the one that did it, man. I woulda took you every day.'"

That's what we all said.

Quick hits

■MMA star Ronda Rousey, on why she'd never fight a guy (via yahoo.com): "I just don't think there should ever be a situation where there is an arena full of people gathered around cheering about a man hitting a woman. I really don't see how that would be right. I really don't see how that would help the sport at all. It would do nothing but hurt it."

■Headline at theonion.com: "Bears GM confident team has right pieces in place to trade Jay Cutler."

■Headline at sportspickle.com: "Nationals admit to feeling pressure to be the next D.C. team to disappoint everyone."

■N.Y. Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — the new "Madden" cover guy — on The Curse (via ESPN): "I don't really believe in curses much. A curse is something somebody wishes upon you."

Compiled from staff reports and news services by STEVE SCHRADER: sschrader@freepress.com or 313-222-6710. Check out his live Ticker at freep.com/ticker and follow him on Twitter at @schradz.