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Fizzled Firework

By leftcoast, Section NBA
Posted on Thu Jul 06 2006 at 1:44 AM EST
More on: Bulls, Pistons, NBA, Ben Wallace (all tags)

There is this weird feeling that I felt when I heard that Ben Wallace was going to sign with the Chicago Bulls this off-season instead of the Detroit Pistons.  It is hard to explain, I wasn't upset or happy.  I'm not a fan of either team, but I don't dislike either of them like the team that wears purple and gold.  I enjoy watching the Pistons because they are one of three or four teams that still play defense, and the Bulls are that team of young guys who shoot pretty well and are a player away from being really good.  This off-season might see an Iverson trade, or a KG trade, and some definite shake-ups in New York, but one thing was supposed to be A-B-C, Ben Wallace re-signing with the Pistons.  So when the news leaked that he was Windy City bound, I really felt "blah" about it.

Do you see my point yet?  This is a really good player changing teams (in the same division no less) and the consensus is that this really doesn't mean a whole hell of beans.  Other than Ben Wallace being an instigator in the Palace brawl, he is not an unlikable character.  He was undrafted from a small school and has become an All-Star in the NBA.  He is what some call "blue collar" with the way he plays hard and just brings his best every day and doesn't ask for accolades or awards.  I'm just surprised that a player of his caliber, changing teams is not more of a concern for some.  Granted this isn't Shaq going to Miami, but it is intriguing.  

I would like to have seen people in Detroit get more upset perhaps.  Kind of like the way Boston fans got pissed at Johnny Damon for leaving, but that is not fair to compare the hatred between Yankee and Sox fans to Bull and Piston fans.  But these two teams have some history.  In the last twenty years there hasn't been two Eastern Conference teams more prosperous than Detroit and Chicago.  Remember the Jordan/Isaiah wars of the late 80's and early 90's?  Besides, I thought Ben Wallace was the glue of the team that held the best starting 5 in basketball together.  Don't Pistons fans feel betrayed a little bit?  It would be nice to see Sheed fly off the handle and get genuinely mad at Ben for jumping ship.  He is going to a division rival and an up and coming team that might be on the rise past the Pistons.  Does Ben know something we don't?  Did he see the way Detroit almost blew it against Cleveland, and then got schooled by D-Wade and the Heat and figured it was time for a change?

Regardless, I think the reason why Ben isn't that big of a concern is that he may have been the most expendable player in Detroit.  Facing facts, he is horrid offensively; he might as well stay back on D.  No disrespect, but people are right when they say it is 4 on 5 when the Pistons are on offense.  This may work out good for the Pistons and Flip who could perhaps open things up a bit more if they insert McDyess in the lineup.  Who is a definite upgrade offensively and is a respectable defender.  It might be time for an identity change for the Pistons who used to be gritty and gutty... grind it out style.  Perhaps a high octane offense like Phoenix/Dallas is the next step.  What Chicago inherited though might not pay the dividends that they want.  They needed a low post scoring threat, which he is not.  They have good perimeter players in Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, and Nocioni.  But Chandler and Wallace are as inept offensively as it gets.  They improve an already good defense and get deeper on the bench by perhaps pushing Chandler to the pine.  

The rather lack of luster from this signing is beginning to make more and more sense.  It is perhaps the fact that neither team is genuinely better or weaker from the whole ordeal.  Hopefully the fireworks from the 4th of July aren't the only ones we see this summer.  This was just a sparkler.