Sorry, I know this might not be worth a new thread, but I had to start one. Ben Wallace: 10 points, 25 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 TO, 3 Steals and 3 blocks. When I saw the box score, all I can say is OMFG.
I haven't really followed how the Bulls have played as of late, but I heard that they were rolling through and playing like the team everyone thought they could be when they acquired Big Ben. I still think that team -- along with Detroit -- are the favorites to come out from the East. I don't have much faith in Miami unless they get AI into a Heat uniform.
Wilt averaged nearly 23 rebounds (and 30 points per game) -- for his entire career. Wallace is a one-dimensional, WAY-overrated player.
Ben Wallace is the most dominant rebounder since Rodman and the best ever at his size (6' 7") I think the Wizards will win the East. Mark it down Tiger
Whoa there, Tiger... Jerry Lucas, 6-8, 15.6 RPG Wes Unseld, 6-7, 14.0 RPG Charles Barkley, 6-4, 11.7 RPG Dave DeBusschere, 6-6, 11.0 RPG Ben Wallace, 6-7, 10.7 And there are probably more. And those guys were great all-around players, with all but Unseld averaging more than 17ppg. NOBODY was near Wallace's pathetic 6.6 ppg.
The Wizards?!! LOL! I would take that bet any day of the week and twice on Sunday...you couldn't be more wrong or 'off' on your prediction. The Wizards are soft and inconsistent, even the soft Cavaliers team is better than they are.
Wilt is certainly a great rebounder and I'm on-board with the Wallace is overrated train, but let's put these stats into context. Wilt played in an era where they played at a much faster pace, took way more shots, and shot much worse from the field. Wilt is still one of the best, but if you put an elite rebounder of today like KG or Dwight Howard in that era, they would be able to put up similar rebounding numbers.
Granted the era made a difference in his stats (although I'd argue about KG or Howard coming close to those stats, even back then). Still, the above post was saying Wallace was "the best ever at his size," which is utter nonsense. Shawn Marion is the same size and his rebounding averages are nearly the same as Wallace's -- but Marion can also drop 30 points or 10 assists on you any given night. I'm not sure Wallace could do that in the WNBA with his poor offensive skillset.
dwight howard's physique was unheard of in the 60s and 70s. just look at his broad shoulders, so freakin sexy. -------- KG's talent was also unheard of in the 60s and 70s. wilt chamberlain was too gentle, he lacked killer instinct, he said it himself.
Whaaaat? Since I've given up on the Pacers, I hope you are right. Having Gilbert Arenas in the Finals would be awesome. Problem is that Wizards are such a schizo team and will likely remain that way. My preseason picks were the Bulls and Cavs and I'll stick with 'em. The Pistons have a shot but it's clear they have lost the chemistry that made them special. The Heat are almost dead but the East is sorry enough for anything to happen. On Big Ben's game: If the Bulls play focused and with great effort on defense, they will be hard to beat. Ben brings an energy, intensity and savvy to the game that Tyson Chandler just doesn't have.
People don't give Rodman his due. The dude's 6'8" and led the league in rebounding 7 straight years. I'd take Rodman over Wallace 9 times out of 10.
...and clearly you don't know a damn thing about basketball. Wilt was head and shouders bigger/stronger than his competition during the first 5 years of his career, which explains is unreal scoring averages. However, players of comparable size started coming into the league in the mid 60s. His scoring took a hit, but he maintained his 20 rebounds/game averages until retirement.
As was mentioned, those 20 rpg averages are greatly inflated because there were a ton more rebounds available. It's been a while since I've read it, but when Rodman was in his prime there was a statistical analysis that showed Rodman was by far the best rebounder ever (I have no idea where Wallace would fit in, but wouldn't assume that Wilt and the old guys were better).
