"Big Ben" is back where he belongs
“Big Ben” will be gonging in Motown for two more seasons after veteran center Ben Wallace decided to stay with the Detroit Pistons until 2012. Wallace, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year Award
winner, might not still have the body to bang up with big dudes every single night, but one thing is for sure: the guy can still play.
After several years in futility, Wallace re-united with the Pistons last season, where he showed flashes of his throwback defensive game (minus the afro hair) in limited minutes. Although Wallace wasn’t
as dominant as he used to, the Pistons believed it was enough for them to award the veteran a two-year, $3.8 million deal. Wallace, who was the heart and soul of Detroit’s stifling defense for seven glorious seasons, will likely serve as the mentor for rookie
center Greg Monroe, who was able to show a solid defensive game during summer league scrimmages last July.
Big Ben’s likely role in two seasons
At age 36, Wallace perhaps does not have the conditioning to play over 30 minutes per game. However, Wallace proved last season that he could still contribute in limited playing time after averaging 5.5
points and team-high 8.7 boards in 28.6 minutes of action. Wallace’s defensive game was not shabby at all. In 69 games last season, Big Ben racked up 1.7 steals and 1.2 swats per game. He even reached a milestone on 2 February, when he became the 17th
player to reach 2,000 career blocks, a testament to his immense defensive prowess. With the feat, Wallace joined basketball greats David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Robert Parish as the only players to record 2,000 swats and 1,200 steals in their careers.
In spite of his nice showing, it was still a tough decision for Wallace to return for another season and postpone his law school plans. Wallace said that he needed time to rest and see how he felt for
another season. Despite the fact that Wallace was seriously considering retirement, Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations for the Pistons, evidently wanted Big Ben to continue playing with the Pistons. In the end, it seemed like Wallace felt the same
way too.
In his last two seasons with the Pistons, Wallace is expected to come from the bench to backup Monroe. NBA followers believed the veteran center can still deliver quality minutes for the Pistons in 15
to 16 minutes per game. More importantly, with Wallace still on the fold, the 20-year-old Monroe will have a perfect mentor who can help him improve his defensive ability.
Infamous Palace brawl won’t define Wallace’s legacy
Ben Wallace has a bit of notoriety in the league with regard to being hot-headed. In 2004, Wallace was involved in a chaotic, bench-clearing brawl with several members of the Pacers, more particularly
Ron Artest. In the heat of the confrontation, Wallace shoved Artest back, prompting Pistons fans to unload boos and jeers on the Pacers. However, the simple alteration eventually resulted in a nasty melee between the fans and players. Wallace was suspended
for six games and underwent community service due to the incident.
Many consider the brawl as the lowest point of Wallace’s career. Still, the fracas won’t define Wallace and his contributions to the ball club. At only 6-foot-9, Wallace accomplished things no 7-footer
could do before. Aside from his four Defensive Player of the Year plums (a record he shares with Dikembe Mutombo), Wallace was also selected in four NBA all-star, six All-Defensive team, and five All-NBA teams. Moreover, Big Ben helped the Pistons complete
a Cinderella story in 2004, knocking down the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers squad to capture the franchise’s third NBA title.
The Pistons are in a rebuilding mode. And In this busy off-season, Dumars surprisingly pulled off only a few deals. Although signing Tracy McGrady might be a decent move (due to the swingman’s budget-friendly
contract), the decision to return Wallace is arguably the best transaction Dumars could have all summer long.
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