To be fair, SGA was regularly mocked outside the top 10 and criticized for not being a good shooter and not explosive enough. Nobody really knew he would be this good. Looks like a huge miss not having gone for Luka in particular, though, who was often mocked as the top pick.
It's always a great temptation to take a mobile big man without elite offensive skills. "You can't teach size" they say. But this day and age, big man without elite offense is nothing more than a role player. And if he can't play switch defense, he's going to be unplayable in the playoffs.
Jokic's game is at incredible. And he doesn't have injury problems despite his size and playing that way.
Melo didn't win them anything, played less than half his career with Denver, and was always a bit overrated anyway. Can totally understand them not retiring his #