Ben Wallace Year 2 with Bulls

[xanadu]

I haven't seen any bulls games this year, but it looks like the ben wallace decline is continuing:

2007-08 Statistics FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G GS MIN FGM-A FG% 3PM-A 3P% FTM-A FT% OFF DEF TOT STL
Season 15 15 32.3 32-90 .356 0-1 .000 10-30 .333 3.5 5.1 8.5 1.67

BLK TO PF AST PTS
1.40 .73 1.67 1.5 4.9

Apparently, he is playing better lately as he has been getting more minutes, but still- 36% FG 33% FT. The FG% is even more unbelievable when you consider he only averages 4 shots a game. I wonder what his non-dunk percentage is. Reportedly, he is unhappy and unproductive without playing 35+ min a game. However, ben wallace is more of a specialist at this point and a coach has to really work around his offensive deficiencies in the modern nba. So Skiles has to play him 75% of the game to be useful- despite having an already offensively limited team. given the attitude and lack of production, I wonder if the current pistons are better off without him even without considering the $15 mil he is making this year. Ben was great while he was here, but I think the pistons are better off this year (definitely the next 2) because of his signing with the bulls. When you consider the FA money or trade manuverability the bulls would have without wallace, they look pretty bad. Could they have gotten kobe if the lakers could've dumped more salary onto the bulls without getting wallace back?

The only question is whether the pistons could have won the title last year with ben- i doubt it. Considering that amir + chauncey make less than ben, and that we might not have had one or both this year, it looks like the decision was a no-brainer for dumars.

[Glenn]

As hard as it is to admit, I do think that we are better off without Ben and his contract. Mostly the contract.

It's odd though, when I think about the one piece that might be missing in this squad if they are to win a championship, it's a big man that rebounds and blocks shots.

Hopefully the Amir/Max combo addresses that concern.

So far, so good.

[Hermy]

Yeah, I was EXTREMELY critical of the decision not to match, but it seems to be working out for the best now.

[xanadu]

I agree with the lack of shot blocking, but mcdyess/sheed/jmax should be able to make up for ben's rebounding in theory. I think the biggest problem will be wade/lebron in the playoffs. (especially's ben's hustle to block and-1 attempts after the whistle) However, the pistons playoff offense has been brutal and it seems like ben is worse than ever offensively.

Also, not to derail this thread- but how dumb does the bulls' gm look with the wallace contract, passing on lamarcus aldridge and compounding the aldridge screw-up by drafting noah. They could be a sub-40% shooting team this year.

[Cross]

Ben is obviously on his decline and needs big minutes to produce big numbers. I just saw him getting 48 minutes recently in a non-overtime game. He's going to wear out by the end of the season. With the shitty play of the Bulls as of late, i smell a pretty big shakeup in their roster

[metr0man]

Well I think we ended up about the same. The next year it was the same story - good regular season, go out like bitches in the Conf. Finals because we can't defend a superstar.
I do think our interior defense has taken a hit (and the numbers show this) while our perimeter defense has improved a bit.

[Big Swami]

I have maintained from the very beginning of this thing that Ben Wallace put himself in that spot, and Joe was 100% justified in not matching.

I strongly believe that the lack of a defensive inside presence killed us last year (and the wrongheaded and sentimental decision to put Chris Webber in that role didn't help) but it was infinitely preferable to being saddled with Ben's contract and no money to give out to promising youngs (and maybe even no money to retain Chauncey, which IMO would have been a disaster).

[Timone]

Who the fuck is Ben Wallace?

[Big Swami]

Who the fuck is Ben Wallace?

Ugly guy with a mushmouth and bad hands. You'd know him if you saw him.

[Zekyl]

Gotta ask, Karl.

G.O.A.T.?

God of all threads?