So, now that the Pistons have been manhandled in the semi's (of the Eastern Conference, so basically battle for the 8 seed in the West) and their offense totally licked do y'all think Wallace could become available for the right deal? I know he lead the team, but he is not the guy to build a team around. You don't build a team around a guy that blocks, rebounds, and that's it. They need offense and they need it badly. Could we pry him away if we gave up the right package of young offensive stud? I'd start with Griff and possibly #15 or something to get Wallace. We don't need superstars, but roleplayers that are committed to team play and doing the dirty work. Wallace would give us that along with a big man that actually plays like a big man. I have no doubt that he would be a guy that we would definitely want but it would be a tough deal for Detroit to do. They have to realize that their team has no shot at a championship as is. They have absolutely no offense outside mini Iverson (aka Brickhouse). EG could be a good start for them and Nachbar or someone like that at 15 could really give them a spark as well.
It was not Wallace's fault that the Pistons lost. Ben Wallace is the defensive player of the year at a cheap price. Joe Dumars loves his style of play. He would not trade for Eddie Griffin, even though he has enormous potential. I would drool all over my keyboard if we got him, but it probably won't happen. I would be reluctant to let go of Griffin anyway. That's a pretty good offer and idea bsb8532, but I could not see it working.
I agree that Wallace played well and its not like he choked or anything, but that's the problem. It wasn't that they played badly, they just aren't very good! How can they get better without trading away quality talent to get quality players? I doubt they do the deal either, but after next year when they're back below .500 (which still might get them the 5th seed in the East) then they might start wondering what needs to get done. They have no superstar talent (outside of White possibly developing) and have an extremely hard time getting FA's to go there. They might have better luck this year in the FA market, but if not then getting guys that they need to develop would probably be the best scenario for them. And I'm saying this from the standpoint of if I were their GM. They had a great year, yada yada, but they have to know deep down inside that the team they have is a .500 team in most years and certianly not a contender. Defense wins championships but you have to be able to score at least 90 points on any given night as well!
You have a good argument there. The GM of the Pistons is Joe Dumars though, and he tough players like Ben Wallace. He would hate to see him go.
I don't know if anybody's into architecture, but Ben Wallace's hair tonight looked strikingly like Le Corbusier's chapel at Ronchamp. Or, like an 18th century British Navy Sailor's hat, no?
Ben Wallace IS wuality talent. He's their best player and for the contract he's signed to, he's a bargain. Without talking Eddie Griffin and picks, Detroit isn't even going to think about letting him go. Many of the Miami and Knick teams of the mid 90s never scored 90 points a game, predicating their entire success on defense. They did pretty well with it, too. Detroit doesn't lack scorers - Stackhouse and Williamson are pretty good at it, though Stack slumped in the playoffs. They do need another star to get over the top, but trading one that they already have isn't the answer. They drafted Rodney White last year and he may still turn out well. Don't forget they were without Rebraca in this series and still have the draft to improve in.
Didn't the Pistons win 2 championships with a rebounding/defending machine named Rodman? NO WAY they let him go. DaDakota
Building a championship team requires balance. With those pistons teams, you had the Dumars/Microwave/Zeke trio for the raw talent and scoring. They only became the champion 'Bad Boys' because the overacheaving tough guys like Mahorn, Lambier, and Rodman (who was on the Pistons' championship teams) were on the roster and, in addition to doing the dirty work, helped set a tone for the team that rubbed off on the 'talent'. I think this Pistons team, on the other hand, has the tough guys, it is just a bit lacking in the Iversonesque 'talent' guys. I also think that many of the Rockets fans have latched onto Wallace, because they see a team, like those Pistons teams, that has the talent guys in the backcourt in Mobley and Francis, yet is lacking in the character/hustle type of guy that Wallace seems to personify. And no, the Pistons would never trade Wallace, as he is both a big contributor, a solid clubhouse guy, and the biggest 'fan favorite' in Detroit since Zeke.
We saw the best year that Ben Wallace will ever have. There is no way that I would trade Eddie Griffin for him at this point. There is simply more upside with Griffin. As someone notably said recently, let's think for the long term with the Rockets. You still have to have difference making *offensive* talents to win championships. Look at the Spurs...their defensive prowress is not much different this year than in 99 when they won the championship. The difference is that the year they won it all they had people like Avery Johnson and Sean Elliot hitting big shots besides Tim Duncan. The Knicks and Heat never won championships because they didn't have enough players to take over a game down the stretch in the playoffs. Eddie Griffin has shown that he has the potential to be this kind of player. It took a few years for teams with a young nucleus like the Celtics to bloom, so I wish people here would have a little more patience before trading off players before they've reached anything approaching their full potential.
I like Wallace's game, but I wouldn't do this trade. Griffin could not only develope into a great offensive player, but also a guy who is at the top of the league in blocked shots and rebounds. Then if we can get Hilario with our pick that's even more than just Griff. We could potentially be giving up two guys capable of Wallace type D. We're not winning a ring in the next year. Read the sig.
