[Chicago Tribune] Skiles, Wallace butt heads in win

That's dedicated to anyone that thought the Bulls were legitimate NBA title contenders *cough -- anyone that watches 2 or 3 nba games a month* this season.

 

I knew whomever was stupid enough to pony up that much money for him was eventually going to regret it.

However, from the Bulls' perspective, they gave up an overpaid Tyson Chandler (about $10 mil per) and signed another big man to a bloated contract.

For one thing, Wallace is not that young anymore, and he's nothing more than glorified Dennis Rodman, and you just don't pay a Dennis Rodman $15 mil per.

But again, that's just me...

 

Rodman set better screens, made fabulous passes in the Triangle, and was averaging 17.3 rebounds a game at age 32. Ben's averaging 9.4.

I warned all the Bulls fans that Wallace has had issues with FIVE consecutive coaches, Doc/George/Rick/Larry/Flip -- but 13 games in? A new record for "Big" Ben. Very impressive.

 

I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it. There had to be something between them because Big Ben hasn't played up to his capabilities. He isn't the only player on the team that has a problem with Skiles. At some point during the season, Skiles could become the main issue with the Bulls instead of their unbalanced roster and lack of low post scoring.

 

don't any of u think that skiles might hav overreacted??? it's a headband... i don't c any problem with wearing one!

 

That is definitely weird. I'd like to know why he is banning headbands.

 

I agree Rodman was the better and smarter player, so I should have just said a "poor man's" Rodman.

$15 mil per? There are so many undeserving players who got ridiculously large contracts and will never live up to it.

 

I didn't object to what you posted, I just wanted to point out the wide gulf between the two players you mentioned.

What's the killer is that this year, and especially early this year, we were supposed to see the last of the "real" Ben Wallace. Remember, he's making 17 million this year, and it goes down from there. This Wallace v. Coach stuff wasn't supposed to happen until year three, I hoped. I knew it was going to happen ... just not in the first season ... and so early!

 

I think the banning of headbands is weird, just like what Sloan is doing, but it's a matter of preference. If the Coach doesn't want it, then don't wear it. It's a friggin headband, how hard is it not to wear?

It's a simple rule, very easy to follow. Wallace couldn't follow a simple rule and I would do the same thing, as would all other coaches would given this situation. I don't see this as an overreaction from Skiles.

I don't know why anyone would defend Wallace on this. He's an overpaid idiot.

 

Rodman was also nowhere near the shotblocker Ben was (since this has morphed into a rip Ben because he isn't Rodman thread). They were different types of players even though they were both defenders. Rodman was better for longer, but Ben had 2-3 years as good as any defender ever.

Ben has been in decline for a couple seasons now, so his not being dominant in Chicago is no surprise to me. If they use him correctly they can still get very good production from him for a couple seasons, but that contract was an albatross from the day it was signed. Chicago has the pieces (to trade and draft) so the deal doesn't really mean anything if they're willing to go into the luxury tax.

 

Certainly, but while we're there, Rodman's defense was just as good as Wallace in other areas: specifically his man defense when he was with the Pistons.

Where Ben did his damage throwing shots back, think of the range of players that Rodman has defended, and in some cases, shut down: MJ, Pippen, Bird, Magic, Shaq.

To go from a Ron Artest/Prince-type to the best big man defender in the game, during the course of a career? Awesome.

 

Kelly, since you're a Bulls guy, how much of this do you pin on Skiles? BTW, I agree with you Big Ben is a malcontent.

 

Don't bother answering. Just read the Trib account of what happened. Ben Wallace is a bigger troublemaker than I ever imagined. It almost sounds like roid rage. LOL! If anyone else cares: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...gamer,1,5137419.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines

 

What's astonishing is how much Wallace has diminished since the 2002-2003 season. His minutes, rebounds per game, blocks per game have all gone down every year since then...and he's only 32!

 

I your manager/boss at work tells you to stop wearing pink ties, STOP WEARING PINK TIES!!

 

He's no Dennis Rodman anymore (I'm not sure he ever was, no one's ever going to grab 18 boards a game ever again). In fact, I'm thinking keeping Tyson Chandler might have actually been a better move. At least, Chandler still has plenty of upside and was a solid rebounder and defender.

Chandler won't get any worse while Ben on the other hand is actually going to slowly just fall apart. Bad move on the part of the Bulls.

 

More from the Trib.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-061126bulls,1,5000533.story?track=rss

What's Ben thinking?
Wallace's frustration finally rears its head

By K.C. Johnson
Tribune staff reporter
Published November 26, 2006, 9:00 PM CST

The frustration behind Ben Wallace's insubordination Saturday night has been brewing since the first week of training camp.

According to league and Bulls sources, Wallace has felt unfairly singled out by team rules that have taken away his pregame music, his headband and his tape-free ankles.

General manager John Paxson is to talk Monday after practice about Wallace's breaking a team rule by wearing a headband in Saturday's victory over the Knicks. However, Wallace is expected to miss practice because he needs an MRI on his right wrist and fingers after injuring them in the second quarter in New York.

Wallace played after the injury, which neither he nor coach Scott Skiles addressed in New York. Paxson hopes similar solidarity will ensue once this public dispute fades.

Sources said Wallace became upset early in training camp when Skiles enforced a team rule to tape ankles. Wallace never taped his ankles when he played for Detroit.

Wallace left practice to get his ankles taped and, unaccustomed to being constricted, had trouble running and sat out most of the practice, the sources said.

Less than a week later, Wallace hooked his MP3 player into a docking station to play music in the locker room before the first home exhibition game. Asked then if he now allowed pregame music inside the locker room, Skiles said he was unaware any was playing.

By the next home exhibition game, Wallace had headphones connected to his MP3 player. The headphones hung from a hook in his locker, with the volume turned up so loudly that music clearly emanated from them throughout the locker room.

Several people within the organization, including players, theorized Wallace was marking his turf for what perhaps was an inevitable clash between two strong-willed men.

Skiles even addressed such a dynamic during a one-on-one interview earlier this season. He talked about minor clashes he'd had with coaches as a player and, at the time, called such give-and-take "healthy."

Skiles acted unconcerned then about a similar scenario happening with Wallace, who hasn't played pregame music loudly since the regular season began. Skiles underscored that calmness late Saturday when he said he isn't concerned this latest issue would have lingering effects.

Still, Skiles considered the issue serious enough to conduct a 25-minute team meeting after Saturday's game to stress unity. Wallace didn't apologize for wearing the headband, according to two people present at the meeting.

Skiles, who gave his team Sunday off, declined to discuss the reasoning behind the Bulls' no-headband rule. It's not uncommon for professional sports franchises to impose such rules.

George Steinbrenner doesn't allow the Yankees to wear facial hair. The Knicks demand players wear suits while traveling. And White Sox and Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who is believed to be behind the no-headband rule, asked catcher A.J. Pierzynski and Joe Crede to get haircuts during last spring training.

What annoyed Wallace, a source close to the player said, is that he wasn't informed of the no-headband rule until after he signed his four-year, $60 million free-agent deal.

Bulls management considers itself to have minimal rules. Most just seem to have rubbed Wallace the wrong way, which could be manifesting itself in his uneven play.

Despite Skiles' consistent public insistence throughout training camp that Wallace's transition has been seamless, the coaching staff is perplexed by his occasionally listless play. That's why Skiles didn't criticize Wallace going one-on-one against Samuel Dalembert on the Bulls' first two offensive possessions Friday night in Philadelphia, leading to two wild misses.

In fact, Wallace might get more touches in an attempt to jump-start his defensive play.

Wallace, who is expected to be fined, still talks regularly to his former teammates in Detroit. His history with coaches there isn't great. He clashed last season with Flip Saunders and had a deteriorating relationship with Rick Carlisle before Larry Brown replaced him.

Less than three weeks after being hired in 2003, Skiles uttered this classic quote in regard to a standoff with Eddie Robinson: "I've never lost a battle of wills in my life. And I don't plan on doing it now."

Wallace, who called himself "stubborn" in the preseason, clearly viewed his decision to wear a headband as payback.

With Wallace signed through 2010 and Skiles through 2009, the task is for these two to find compromise or, at least, some common ground.

kcjohnson@tribune.com

Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

 

I can't decide which is more baffling to me - the fact Big Ben is so dedicated to headbands or the fact the Bulls forbid wearing them. What's wrong with wearing headbands? I don't get it. Headbands have been in the league off and on for decades. I just don't get it.

 

Wallace needing so much coddling is unbelievable - I shouldn't have to follow the rules since they didn't ban headbands before I signed my contract? Seriously? He's acting like a brat child, which is exactly what led to him quitting on the Pistons last year. Next will come the whining about Skiles not calling enough plays for him on offense, I'd assume.

Evan