Big Ben Back with the Pistons
Four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace has revealed that he is ready to sign a 2-year contract with the Detroit Pistons, and will likely to retire after his upcoming stint. The 35-year-old Wallace has received lots of inquiries from several teams, but has turned the lot down in favour of a $1.9 million per season deal with the Pistons. However, nothing has been officially signed as of today.
This recent development does not come as a surprise, since team president Joe Dumars stated on the very first day of the free agency period that the first order of business will be keeping Wallace in the fold, and signing restricted free agent Will Bynum.
Asked about his decision to stay with the Pistons, Wallace said: "This is the place I want to retire."
Since helping the Detroit Pistons win the title back in 2004, Big Ben has been everywhere, plying his trade in Chicago and Cleveland, And while he enjoyed great value in the market after signing a $60 million, four-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, his play wasn’t so great.
In Chicago, Wallace clearly struggled and failed to dominate in the paint. When he was shipped to Cleveland, he did not quite impress yet again. THe was then traded to the Suns, who did not want Wallace in the first place and immediately bought out his contract. The buy out allowed Phoenix to save $8 million and Wallace received $10 million for his trouble.
Big Ben thought about retiring but decided to wheel-and-deal with Detroit instead. Once again, Motor City has rejuvenated the machine in Wallace.
After signing a $1.3 million, one-year deal with Detroit, Wallace was spurred back to life and started to bring in big numbers for his old team.
After a stirring win over Philadelphia, a game which featured Wallace having 16 rebounds — seven offensive — three blocks and three assists, observers felt that Wallace looked like his old self. He easily became one of Detroit’s brightest spots last season.
Even Pistons coach John Kuester was surprised, acknowledging that he didn't expect Wallace to do much more than tutor the team's young post players.
"I never imagined he could have this kind of impact on the court," Kuester said after the standout performance in November. "This is the old Ben Wallace again."
However, even with Wallace back in the line up, the Pistons failed to land a berth in the playoffs, bowing out of contention even before the post-season had begun for the first time since 2001. Wallace carried the Pistons on his shoulders while several of his teammates went down with various injuries.
Nevertheless, Wallace intends to go out with a bang with his old team. Asked about the Pistons’ chances this year, he replied: "When we're healthy, we're pretty good," he said. "If we stay healthy and improve, I think we'll be able to compete."
Ben Wallace also missed out on several games toward the end of the year with sore knees. But the big man still put in steady 5.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season.
Despite his lack of scoring prowess, Wallace intends to make his defensive presence felt next season. He will look to develop his niche as a player, despite being undersized for a centre, who can defend guards or centres, block shots, rebound and pass.
The Wallace deal appears to be the first of many for the Pistons, but team president Joe Dumars has kept his lips sealed regarding the team’s future signings. Detroit’s free agency buzz has been relatively quiet in spite of the Wallace agreement-- but observers feel that the team is saving its louder rumblings during the latter part of the off-season.
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