Thoughts on the Pistons

Got an email from a friend this morning. Caused me to think a little more about the Ben Wallace thing. Here is his email and my response. Next year might be down a little, but the future is still bright.

I know this is probably a sore subject for you but I saw this in an article today and thought you might like it. I think Ben was over here the minute he didn't go back in to the game late in the season. I think it was wise of Joe not to overpay him but he needs to make some big moves to make up for the fact that he has drafted us jack crap the last few years.

Ben Wallace (26) went from being wildly underpaid and underrated to wildly overpaid and overrated in the blink of an eye. Just check his regular-season and playoff stats, for God's sake. He peaked two or three years ago.

(That reminds me, am I the only one who thought Chicago wasted much of its cap space for two extra rebounds per game, a mild defensive upgrade and the ongoing comedy of a Buckwheat-caliber afro? Congratulations, you get to play four-on-five for the next four years in a league where every rule adjustment favors teams that can score. Why not just keep Chandler for two-thirds the price? Instead, they overpaid for Wallace and gave away Chandler for a washed-up P.J. Brown and a draft bust that New Orleans was trying to dump? I don't get it. This is like Paramount Pictures signing William H. Macy to a four-picture, $60 million deal -- sure, he's a great actor, but that doesn't mean you pay him like a superstar. They will eventually regret this one almost as much as Wallace probably regrets filming that T-Mobile commercial that made him seemwhipped.)


Yeah, I read the article and I think it's right on. Though not too many people around here think so. Joe and the Pistons are being financially responsible. They were true to their word and were set to make him the highest paid piston ever. Don't know if he really deserved that even.

I think they knew it was coming, and that's why Joe was saying things like "We want him back, but ultimately it's up to Ben." They were already spinning the "he left us" line. I think the more telling thing, unless they were told to keep quiet, is the teammates silence. Not one has come out and questioned not signing Wallace. Hmmmmm, you think maybe they were tired of playing 4 against 5 on offense?

As far as drafting, how often do the teams in the Conf finals/Finals have a good draft? Rarely, if ever. The Spurs got Ginobli in a fluke 2nd round thing. We had a chance with the #2, and took a flyer on Darko.

But the elite teams rarely get a good draft, if they even draft. They usually trade away picks for vets so they can try and stay near the top.

I wouldn't grade Joe much on the last 3 drafts. Other than Darko. But it's not like he picked some guy that noone else would have. Most people had Darko #2, and some say if Cleveland wasn't picking, Darko could've gone number one.

If you're gonna grade Joe on his last 3 drafts, than you have to grade the Spurs, Heat, Phoenix, and Dallas. Other than Devin Harris on Dallas, no rookie for those teams played significant roles.

Beside I want to see how Maxiell, Acker and Johnson pan out. Max and Amir seem to have alot of upside. Think that might be why the Pistons let Ben leave?

Plus, Ben was on the way down. He peaked in 04. Nazr's not Ben, but he's also not 15 mil a year. He's younger, and can score.

There hasn't been much talk, but the Pistons have 2 1st round picks next year. Next year is supposed to be a deep talented draft. Plus, next year Dice and Davis contracts are up. We'll have to resign Chauncey. Either way,that's 9-16 mil and 2 draft picks hanging around with the core pretty much intact.

I guess it's all along way of saying "Let it pan out."

PS. I don't think it will happen, but Lebron hasn't reupped in Cleveland yet. Which makes him a free agent next year.

PSS. Another parting Ben comment. You would think a guy who has knocked off such money driven ego's as Kobe, Shaq, Iverson, etc, would see that less is more. He takes less money, and diffuses his ego thats now as big as his hair, and plays the way the team and NBA are heading, the Pistons would be in better shape.

He could've retired a Piston, left a legacy, and guaranteed his name and number in the rafters. It's no longer a guarantee with the way he left. He spurned Joe and Mr. Davidson, and probably burned bridges. Sounds alot like Dennis Rodman. Last I checked, Rodman isn't in the Palace rafters and he was here about 6 years, with 2 titles and 2 DPOY awards.

Ego kills. Now his big salary and lack of FT shooting and offense will eventually ruin the Bulls. Ben was great here, but as his latest coach always said. "Adapt or Die." Ben's wasn't adapting.

Writer's Block

I can't think of anything to write today.

I'm kinda bummed that my vacation is coming to a close. MAN, I could get used to being retired. Either that, or I need to get the writing/blogging thing down and find a way to live off of that.

For the most part, I am more creative when I have time to think. Lately, I've been so busy at work that I haven't been able to. Work comes first, so some of the things I enjoy doing have to be put to the side.

But I really enjoy writing and blogging. Am I any good at it? I don't know. I think I'm down to me and maybe one other person reading my blog. I hoped it would be more.

I heard a story about a guy who had his own sports blog. ESPN liked it and hired him to write for them. I'd love to have someone see this and hire me.

But like I said. Vacation is coming to a close. I wouldn't say I had the best vacation ever, but it was nice. I did alot of smaller things. Liza and I got to check out IKEA yesterday, and I was impressed. We'll be back when we get a house.

Speaking of house. We are more than ready for a house. The condo has been for sale for probably 4-5 months now (or longer) with very few nibbles. Meanwhile, we've seen quite a few deals on homes. Time will tell, and the Lord will provide when it's right.

Back to the vacation. Played some golf, to which I'm finally starting to play better. We got together with the family. We saw fireworks. Took the dogs to the vet. Cleaned the condo.

That's what's been going on.

Monday. Yes, that's when it's back to the real world.

The Reality of it all

The reality of it all is Ben Wallace was loyal only to himself.

The reality of it all is Ben Wallace wanted more money.

The reality of it all is I'd probably do the same thing.

The reality of it all is the internet changed the way we live.

The reality of it all is the internet changed how we live.

The reality of it all is only Jesus should change how we live.

The reality of it all is who most of us are in person in not really who we are.

The reality of it all is the most real we are is on myspace, where we think we can hide, but the world can see us.

The reality of it all then is we're not real at the times we should be.

The reality of it all is people are fairweather in nature.

The reality of it all can be proved by styles, trends, and pop culture. Everything is cool for awhile.

The reality of it all is people hated the Detroit Tigers for 10 years, but now you hear alot of people say "We" when referring to the Tigers. Just last year we said "They"

The reality of it all is billions of people could read my blog.

The reality of it all is maybe 3 people will read my blog.

So much for team

Six years ago, Ben Wallace came to Detroit. He, though an unknown, came as with Chucky Atkins to Detroit in the Grant Hill trade. I remember the day Hill left. Like many Pistons fans I felt betrayed, because he chased the money when he seemed like the one Superstar who wouldn't do that.

Hill could've bolted as a free agent, but he thought enough of the Pistons and Joe Dumars to agree to a sign and trade. Yes, this got Grant even more money, but he could've crippled the Pistons even further if he didn't agree to the trade.

And when Ben got here, Joe Dumars thought enough of him to give him a long-term deal that paid him 5 million dollars a year. Many thought he overpaid. Joe just said watch, and see.

I find it ironic that the guy we traded for Grant Hill wouldn't do the same for the Pistons. He was brought here and we built a tough, defensive, team theory around him, an undrafted journeyman player. We made him, a 6-9 (at-best) center and let him do his thing. No talk about his lack of offense. No talk about his free throw shooting. Ben became an all-star here. He became a superstar here. He followed only Steve Yzerman in Detroit star stature here.

And now he's gone.

Go through the archives and look at the things he's said while with the Pistons. It was all team oriented. He never lifted himself. His awards were "team awards". He loved his teammates. And the Pistons started winning.

He feuded with Rick Carlisle, though Carlisle openly campaigned for Ben to win his first Defensive Player of the Year award.

In came Larry Brown. He would end up feuding with Brown, though Brown always talked about Ben's selflessness, hustle, defense, and made sure Ben was a part of the offense, something Ben always craved but hardly deserved.

Then came Flip Saunders. The Pistons ran out to 35-5 under Saunders. Four Pistons starters were named All-Stars and they were suddenly the media darlings. This was team. Five selfless players, following Ben's lead of defense and hustle first. They were all brought here because they fit around Ben's game.

Then in Orlando Ben started acting up. He became greater than team. He no longer heard "Detroit" Pistons, but heard the media's "Ben Wallace's Pistons." Chauncey Billups was quickly becoming the more favored Piston, locally and nationally. Though, it appeared to me it was still Ben's team. In Orlando, Ben refused to enter the game in the 4th quarter when his team needed him.

That was the death of team.

It all quickly unraveled after that and the team with a season for the record books lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. When asked about what his free agent plans were, he told the press they knew where his heart was. Then he followed with "It's in my chest."

And you knew then he was gone.

So now we know what Ben was really about. After 6 years, after 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards, after 4 trips to the Conference Finals. After 1 title. After 2 trips to the NBA Finals. After multiple All-star starts and appearances. After shoe deals. After video game deals. After given his big chance in a city that sold out the Palace for 3 straight years to see him hustle and defend.
After all of that we now know what Ben was all about.

He was all about Benjamin.

Franklins that is.

Well

I didn't post every day. but I did post 3 right away.