Ok, not the Big Baby rumors are old but guess who the Pistons are looking at to fill an oh so important roster spot. Big Ben….
A. Sherrod Blakely of MLive
“While there’s no deal imminent, the Pistons are going to explore the possibility of bringing one of the franchise’s greatest defenders, back to Detroit.
Detroit has about $3.5 million to use towards free agents, but would probably not use all of that to sign Wallace.
Boston’s Glen Davis remains an option, but the Pistons are reluctant to make him an offer because he’s a restricted free agent. And the Celtics have said repeatedly that any reasonable offer Davis receives – and Detroit’s offer would fall under that category – they would match.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I will forever be a fan of Ben Wallace. I will celebrate that he brought this team back from obscurity with his work ethic and determination but……….
I just don’t think he’s got what it takes to play the game the way he used to. His glory days are behind him and contrary to popular belief Arnie Kandor is a magician, but he doesn’t possess the fountain of youth serum in his bag of tricks.
We truly have started to rebuild so tell me how bringing Ben Wallace back makes any sense. I’m putting it to a vote for you, but you know how I already feel.
UPDATE: Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press says the Pistons have no interest in Wallace.
“a person with knowledge of the situation said today that the Pistons are not looking at Wallace, 34, because his career appears to be on the decline.”
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I would like him back if he signed for the veterans minimum, but that won’t happen. At least he could be a good leader in the locker room.
I’d love to have him back if we’re paying him the veteran’s minimum and he understands it’s a bench role and probably more of a player-coach to work with the young guys. Don’t know if he’d accept that, but under those conditions I would love to see Ben Wallace in a Pistons jersey again. Plus, I think it would be great to see him end his career here, although it would be strange either seeing him in a number other than 3 (or having the Stuckey jersey I bought last year already be out of date).
i say no, but he would offer a much needed defensive presence that I mentioned yesterday. I think he works well with tay and we all know he can guard shaq straight up. I just don’t think he’s got what he used to have, especially after a broken leg.
Oh Nat hell no!!!! You know how I feel about this one! Say it isn’t so…
Natalie you have to realize Wallace who fits in with teams like Detroit, or the Spurs, defensive minded teams. He was a AMAZING fit of Detroit. If we can put him back in that system, he is comfortable with, you will see his stats spruce up. He still has it in him. But than again, we don’t have the same system, or coach and only a few players… and is he 35 years old. But anything is better than Kwamme Brown we need to get rid of that scrub.
Hey Nat,
I see where you’re coming from but Big Ben can definitely help us out on the defensive end, if not by playing, by educating the younger guys how to play defense. I think he could be a great mentor to guys like CV. Also he would be a phenomenal team leader in the locker room and Tay/Rip would be excited as well, I’m sure. He doesn’t have to log huge minutes, and I’m sure he’s okay with that role. Also, money wouldn’t be an issue for him at this age. I would push for him to take on a Lindsey Hunter-esque role here in the D. I’d love to see him retire as a Piston too, despite past incidences.
That’s just what I’m thinking.
Big Ben is old, worthless and disgraced. He can take his two points and six rebounds per game elsewhere. At least Kwame can still play big minutes and be somewhat sorta-kinda productive.
We don’t need a player-coach. We need a big man who can produce.
Lol, somewhat sorta kinda productive…
Wouldn’t Big Ben work a bit better with Rasheed compared to Charlie? Isn’t this a bit backwards? Joe stretches and settles a lot.
No hateing on Kwame, he just might grow in to his role as a defensive center this year, I believe he has it in him!
But signing Ben would be just plain bad, like Nathalie already said: We are rebuilding. And I don’t see Ben in that picture at all, neither do I see this Davis deal go down.
What is everybody oppinion on the Rip and Tay situation? Will they dress for the Pistons this season or will they go for a younger two and a big? Man, everything is so blurry right now. Bussiest off-season in a while, haha!
I get where we need someone like Ben…but have you actually watched him play lately. He’s a shell of his former self and that’s putting it kindly.
Nostalgia wise it would be fun but other than that I don’t think he’s got anything left in the tank.
I would sure like to see Big Ben back with the pistons but I don’t know if it’s worth the risk. If we can get a better, younger player that could play good minutes it would be less risky than bringing an old player who last 2 seasons were awful.
If he would sign for the veterans min it wouldn’t count against the cap & we would still have money to sign a younger player. Let Ben play 1 year in a reserve role and retire a Piston!
i say no prob on my end… and thats my emotions speaking….
- i wudnt mind at all, however it wud work better if we were able to pull off in sum manner an additional big man… Joe and his staff shud get sum credit… i think this coming season is going to be interesting and exciting… we have sum fire power… my only concern is D! and i big man that defends & rebounds
I just came a little
Would I like to see Ben wallace playing for the Pistons? I’d like to see him come off the bench maybe, but no way do I want him as our starting center. I always thought he would be back though.
I would love to see Ben here again. He had no following or love from Scott Skiles in Chitown. And Cleveland never had a defined role for him, never really trusting a full time defensive player in late game situations. You may not want to see him as our starting center, but he’s better than Kwame Brown, so do the math. It would be great to see a guy retire as a Piston, I don’t think that’s going to happen much anymore.
I think that he owes it to the franchise because of when he did leave. This way he can come back and play his heart out. He knows that he only has 2 years at most left, so whats to stop him from playing his heart out in the end?…Also, at this point, it would nice to have a familiar face on the Pistons team. If this deal doesn’t work out, no problem. The pistons would just trade for another big man during the early to middle of the season. It’s not like it would cost a fortune to sign Big Ben.
Would have been awesome. If we got him cheap and short term it would be great. We aren’t winning anything for the next few years anyway, and Big Ben wouldn’t harm the rebuilding process in anyway. It would just make this upcoming season that much better.
FIRST OF ALL TO ALL YOU WHO SAY BEN WALLACE IS TO OLD TO HELP THE PISTONS, BEN WALLACE AT 20% IS BETTER THAN SPENDING ALL OF YOUR MAONEY ON THE GARBAGE BIG MAN ON THE MARKET,I AM SORRY BUT I PLAY BASKETBALL AND I WOULD STILL PICK BEN TO BE ON MY TEAM IF I WANT A DEFENSIVE PRESENCE OR A THREAT OF A D PRESNENCE OVER GLEN DAVIS, TO ALL YOU WHO SAYS HE IS A SHELL BECAUSE HIS IS 35, GRANT HILL, RAHEED WALLACE AND MY ANTONIO DYSE ARE ALL THE SAME AGE, BEN HAS BEEN HURT THE LAST FEW SEASON AND INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING AND SITTING OUT GAMES LIKE HALF OF THE LEAGUE THAT IS SPFT AS COTTON HE TRIED TO PLAY, HE TRIED TO PLAY ON A BROKEN LEG LAST SEASON PEOPLE, YOU WANT A MAN WITH THAT TYPE OF HEART ON YOUR TEAM TO TEACH THESE GUYS TO PLAY WITH SOME GUTS, AND OH BY THE WAY NATALIE, YOU SAY BEEN IS A SHELL OF HIMSELF, YOU ARE WRONG HE HAS THE HEART OF A CHAMPION, WAY MORE HEART THAN THE GUY YOU NAME THIS SITE AFTER WHO YEAR AFTER YEAR BLEW US CHAPIONSHIPS WITH HIS EARHEADED PLAY AND LACK OF HEART WHEN WE NEEDED HIM. lET BEN BE A PALYER AS WELL AS A MENTOR TO THSE YOUNG HEADS THEY NEED IT. WE HAVE THAT CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE OF BEN ATTITUDE AND PLAY THAT RUBBED OFF ON THE RESAT OF THE GUYS, BEN WAS THERE BEFORE RIP, CB, SHEED AND TY, OUR FOUNDATION WAS BUILT ON BEN,
Oh, Natalie- I’m so conflicted on this issue! Big Ben was my favorite player in the NBA before he became a drama queen and left. He didn’t fit the Bull’s system or get along with the coach at all. He was injured and limited in Cleveland and I agree that he’s played like a shell of his former self. So if the question is, would I like to see him in a Pistons uniform again, the answer is “not anymore.” However, if the question is, would I like to see him rather than Big Baby or Drew Gooden, the answer becomes, “ummmmm, yeah.”
Ben wallace at 20% is better than spending all your money on the garbage big man that are left, sign ben for the 1 mil, the man was hurt last few seasons he can still play and be a presence, and he still has a HELL of a BIG HEART. Stucky needs to give Ben his #3 back than after this season they need to retire that jersey.
i still would rather have big ben starting than kwame brown…
Ben coming home would be awesome.
Ben and CV31 would be great I really can’t see this failing. And Joe owe the fans at least one player from the championship year to retire a piston.
Sign Ben for the veteran’s minimum (1.3 million exempted from the salary cap) and go after someone else. I vote for Drew Gooden or Chris Wilcox.
Depending on if he’s healthy after his injury last year, I wouldn’t say he’s a shell … he got less minutes in Chicago and Cleveland than he did in Detroit, but his per-36 minute stats were decent … about 11 boards/2 blocks. If it was $2-3 million for a year or two, I don’t hate it.
I don’t really care about any of these rumors; I just really really want Terrence Williams. He’s too good for NJ.
sign him to a veteran minimun. Srsly it’s a small loss/big reward situation. He could develop Kwame and others into defensive powerhouses. We should atleast give a 10 contract and let him retire a Piston.
Guys, We are not a Championship Caliber team. Joe Dumars is not looking to make the NBA Finals. Ben Wallace would just get signed and maybe retire a Piston. While we are in “transition”. Stop whining about it, we know hes not good as he was cause it wasnt him that was good that won the nba 2004 finals it was the team of the pistons. Seriously be smart guys
the reason why Ben was so good is because we all had D and all had his back. These recent teams want him to block, rebound, and steal, while they do nothing to help
the reason why Ben was so good is because we all had D and all had his back. These recent teams want him to block, rebound, and steal, while they do nothing to help
Why are so many people down on the Pistons abilities this year? Yeah Joe has made some bad picks, but he doesn’t sit on them, he deals them away. He has also rid the team of some bad blood and has brought in two vary good free agents. We we’re close to winning so many games last season and could have easily won another 15 games if they cared. I’m looking forward to next season and would love to see Ben again. Hopefully Stuckey will be stripped of his number 3 so I can wear my Wallace jerseys again.
We as fans should be more positive, it’s not like we’re talking about the Lions here. I can honestly say that we’ll at least win 48 games next season and that’s still a sucessful season in my opinion. The Pistons need Ben as much as he needs the Pistons for his success. COME HOME BEN!!!!
HALLELUJAH!
Don’t forget one of Ben’s biggest problems was getting along with Flip Saunders was because he thought he focused too much on offense, not sure having ben would be very benificial especially with so many young players in the lockerroom and no one really to police him.
noouuuu please his mad old and see he only scored 1.7 per CL
so hes worser than arron affalo
You sir are an idiot!
but this idiot would never pick da guy cuz hes mad oldddd and he doesnt know how to play anymore my grandmother would play better lol
My God, I’ll LOVE to see Big Ben back in the red, blue and white. But the thing is, he’s only a shell of what he used to be back in 2004 and previous years. Ever since he left the Motor City for the Windy one, he’s been injected with the Injury Flu (not the bug, because it just stuck with him). And it’s true, if were going to rebuild, why bring back an old brick?
Sorry Ben, love ya.. but, in a old Sonic the Hedgehog reference, you are “waaay past uncool”.
I have mixed feelings about this. In the locker room I think he may just do wonders, but it would all depend on how much we sign him for.
ok honestly yes he may not have been a beast the last few years but that was after he left Detroit he started to Decline, so maybe just maybe he would come back into the Red Blue and start kicking ass and taking names..i would love to have big ben back in Detroit !
stop with the bashing of kwame. he is a good center and will post good numbers as a starter, when he was starting last year he was avg almost 10pts 8 reb. that is all we need at that spot.
thank you, enter kwame. starter = 10 pts 8 reb 1.5 blk avg
your ALL CAPS is rediculous and i highly doubt that ANYONE finished your LITTLE rant. it was just CHILDISH to think that using ALL CAPS would make us take you more SERIOUSLY. god i swear some people
u do the math he is nowhere better than kwame, look at the stats
i really hope that by your”bad picks” u are not meaning aaron afflalo, he WILL be a very good player. but he never got the minutes. if he gets the min in denver that dahntay jones had as the starter (that they lost) he will flourish with chauncey.
it wasnt that he focused too much on offense its that he didnt focus on bens offense, dont u remember?
? can u read? or did you pull that out your ass?
Yeah thats all we need, another losing season. Kid averages 7 ppg with 5 rebounds so I don’t understand where you are coming up with those numbers.
He averaged 4 ppg and 5 rpg with us last year. BUT THATS ALL WE NEED
Never was a Stackhouse fan but found this kind of interesting and almost made me want us to sign him. Then i remembered our roster.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090715/SPORTS0102/907150371/1127/rss13
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