NBA Rumors: Ben Wallace’s Return to Pistons Would Help Andre Drummond

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Jul 112012
 

There are rumblings of a possible Ben Wallace revival in Detroit, and the Pistons couldn’t ask for better news as it relates to their first-round draft pick, Andre Drummond.

According to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News, “A source close to the situation tells the Detroit News that ‘it’s a pretty good chance’ Ben Wallace will return to the Pistons for another season.”

This report contradicts what Wallace said after the end of the 2011-2012 season, when he alluded to the fact that he was finished playing in the NBA. But as we’ve seen so many times in the past with athletes in all sports, quitting is never an easy thing.

His inability to walk away from the game he loves would be the best possible outcome for the Pistons, though. They have a young group of big men that need a savvy vet like Wallace to show them what it takes to succeed in the NBA.

Drummond is going to be the cornerstone of their team for a long time if he pans out, and he looks to be a massive version of what Wallace has been for years: a defensive dynamo. The biggest knock on him this summer leading up to the 2012 NBA draft was that he is immature. 

What else would you expect from an 18-year-old kid fresh out of high school? But I digress.

Drummond has all the physical tools to become great.

He just needs to keep up his motivation and drive if he is going to succeed in the NBA, and there isn’t a better mentor for him in this regard than Wallace, who is the antithesis of lazy. He’ll teach Drummond how to work his butt off every day in practice so he can become an elite player in the league.

Oh, and don’t forget, Wallace—the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year—can still play. 

He won’t just be there to teach, though that will be his most important role. Wallace isn’t washed up quite yet, and his energy and enthusiasm on the court on game days will go a long ways towards making the 2012-2013 Pistons a dangerous team to deal with.

 

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Chicago Bulls: Why It Is Time to Trade Richard Hamilton

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Jul 102012
 

Just like the last time the Chicago Bulls signed a big free agent from Detroit, one year was enough.

Now, I am not saying that the Richard Hamilton experiment was a disaster like Ben Wallace’s time in Chicago was, but it sure wasn’t great.

Hamilton’s time with the Bulls was derailed by injuries almost from the beginning. When healthy, he looked great, and alongside Derrick Rose, he made the Bulls look unbeatable. They were 21-7 when he was in the lineup.

However, that was the problem: He only appeared in 28 of the team’s 66 regular-season games. He was so banged up that minute restrictions were put in place so that he could be healthy come playoff time.

Hamilton signed a three-year deal back in December worth $15 million. The third year of the deal has a team option, so really the Bulls are only on the hook for one more season.

I say, why even be on the hook for that? Now is the time for the Bulls to trade Hamilton to a team that thinks it has a shot at winning this season.

Boston seems to be making a run at it one more time, and wouldn’t Hamilton be the perfect replacement for Ray Allen?

What about Memphis? The only shooting guard listed on its roster is Tony Allen. Hamilton would give them some veteran experience and some much-needed shooting at the position.

Hamilton was a nice addition last offseason, but without a healthy Rose, he is a luxury. They would be better off bringing someone in like Courtney Lee or Gerald Green and handing one of them the starting spot.

With half the roster in flux, it makes no sense that Hamilton hasn’t been mentioned to be on the move as well.

According to HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy via Twitter, they have informed C.J. Watson that they are not picking up his option.

Omer Asik has signed an offer sheet with Houston, per Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.

And the futures of Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver are both in the air.

Also, there has been no mention of bringing back fan favorites Brian Scalabrine and John Lucas III.

If the Bulls head into the season with Hamilton on the roster, it will be a missed opportunity. They cannot afford to hold onto him until the trade deadline or wait to see how Rose’s rehab is going, because Hamilton himself may break down before then.

They can easily sign Michael Redd to be their veteran shooting guard for a much cheaper price, which will help them avoid the luxury tax.

The iron is hot and now is the time to strike. Let’s hope general manager Gar Foreman can feel the heat.

 

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @dachicagofan, and check out my weekly Bulls podcast every Wednesday on my site, The MG Experience.

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The 10 Strongest Pound-for-Pound Players in the NBA Today

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Jun 262012
 

Certain NBA players pose a threat when they step on the court, not just by their scoring or defensive acumen, but by their physical prowess. Walking onto the court against the likes of Ben Wallace or Dwight Howard can be scary simply for the fact that their upper arm muscles are bigger than your head.

A team that has such a strong player finds an edge in certain areas. Extraordinarily strong players can help a team in rebounding in particular. Also, they can provide a nice scoring punch inside.

The best physical specimens in the NBA may be great all-around players or specialists in particular areas.

Following is a list of the strongest players in the NBA.

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Ben Wallace owns one insane vehicle

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May 232012
 

Ben Wallace has always had eccentric hair, and we have always loved him for that. Now, we finally see that his choice of cars is in the same vein. On Monday morning, SB Nation blogger Evan Dunlap found himself in the same auto garage as Wallace’s vehicle, and rightfully so, Tweeted out a picture of the gem. Kind of looks like a prop car for the next Batman movie to me.

via CSN Chicago
Article found on: Cosby Sweaters

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If he’s done, Pistons’ Wallace goes out a winner

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Apr 272012
 

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Ben Wallace isn’t sure that his career is over, but the Palace crowd wasn’t taking any chances.

The chant started with 90 seconds to play in the season, and Wallace sitting on the bench for the end of the Pistons’ 108-86 over Philadelphia.

At first, a few fans in one section began to chant “We Want Ben,” but it quickly spread to one full side of the arena and then to the entire crowd of 15,372. With the teams returning to the floor at the end of a timeout, Wallace bowed to their wishes.

“That was a crazy moment,” he said, fighting back emotions. “Even in my heyday, it took me a minute or two to get ready to come in. But all the fans here have supported me for so long, and if they wanted me in the game, I was going into the game.”

Wallace passed on an open 3-pointer in the first seconds of his return to the floor, but gave in to the crowd’s screams of “Shoot!” when his teammates found got him the ball behind the arc.

If he had made it, it would have given him a fairy-tale double-double on his night, but the shot was short and left.

“It was a good look, but it was a terrible shot,” he said. “As soon as it left my hand, I knew it was going to be bad.”

It wasn’t the first ugly shot of Wallace’s career — he’s the worst free-throw shooter in NBA history — but that wasn’t his game. He was always about defense — he had a block and a steal — and rebounding. Against the 76ers, he finished with a season-high 12 boards, the 529th double-digit game of his career.

“It hasn’t just been an honor to coach him, it has been an honor to watch him every day,” Frank said. “This is a man who was undrafted, originally projected as a 2-guard and made himself into one of the great defensive post players of all time. If this is the end, I’m glad he went out the way he did. He’s a special player.”

In basketball terms, the star of the night was Ben Gordon. He hit a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the second quarter — the team tied an NBA record with 11 in the period — and finished with 26 points.

“We wanted to go out there and honor Body, just in case this is his last game,” Gordon said. “We were extra inspired and we went out there and hit our shots. It’s going to be tough without him, because he is the epitome of the consummate professional.”

But there’s still a question. Wallace sounded sure that he was done earlier in the season, but he’s hedging his bets a little.

“Do I think it is time to retire? Yes, I do,” he said. “But it is harder to walk away when so many people in the game are asking you to come back. I’m going to take some time and think about it.”

If he decides to play a 17th season, he’ll be welcomed back. If he doesn’t, Thursday was the end of one of basketball’s most improbable careers. A player that no one wanted when he came out of Virginia Union, and who bounced around the league until he ended up in Detroit when Grant Hill bolted the city.

The Palace is where he became the greatest defensive player of his era, where he won four Defensive Player of the Year awards and where he helped the Pistons win a championship. The Palace was also where he was Public Enemy No. 1 after signing a huge free-agent deal with the Chicago Bulls.

When he returned a few years later, the fans forgave him as soon as they heard Big Ben chime, and he remained one of the team’s most popular players until the final buzzer Thursday night. He got a standing ovation when he started the game, another when the Pistons played a video tribute to him, and a final one when he reluctantly came back into the game.

The next one? That will probably come when his number is raised to the Palace rafters.

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Pistons don’t tank

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Apr 252012
 

Something funny happened last Wednesday. It looked, for a game, like the Pistons might be tanking:

They deactivated Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace.
They started Austin Daye, who had spent much of the season on the bench.
They played Vernon Macklin and Walker Russell big minutes.

Lottery teams do this kind of stuff all the time. For many already-bad teams, mildly increasing the chances of landing Anthony Davis seems more valuable than the potential of a late-season win.

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