Ben Wallace returned bearing Offensive gifts

As the long and grueling NBA season heads into the home stretch, fans of the Detroit Pistons find themselves alone, with their team in an unfamiliar place.  With the hometown team not having any part in the upcoming playoffs.
  

How did this develop in the first place? It would appear that injuries have played a big part in this unusual outcome, for the boys from Motown. But injuries just might be the surface scar overlaying a deeper underlying fissure.

But there have been two things that give the true die-hard Piston fan hope for the future. One has been the rejuvinated play of the returning defensive great, Ben Wallace. And the reemergence of Ben Gordon's play in the last week or so.

Playing so poorly this season almost assures the Piston brass of having a good pick to select in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery . There hopefully are no Darko Milicic's out there, and it would be excellent if there were at least one Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or Carmelo Anthony available when it comes their turn to select. While on the subject of Milicic, I know it should be let go, after all this time; but everytime you see Wade, Bosh, or Anthony play, since they were still available when the Pistons could use the 2nd pick to take Milicic, one can only wonder how Rasheed would have performed knowing there was a Carmelo Anthony, who could really do something with the ball from all over the floor. It's amazing how one will perform when one is worried of being replaced or traded because there is another who can take your spot. From a talent stand point few power forwards in the League were potentially better in the post than Rasheed Wallace. Piston fans just think, now he's with the hated Celtics, and is averaging 28% from behind the three-point line.

Who knows how good Darko may have been?

 It would help the next year Pistons if they could develop some better chemistry. And a  certain center from Kentucky could help out a great deal next season. The season ending play of 'Mr. Big'; Ben Wallace has been great. Years ago when he was with this team and he wanted, desired and craved more offensive input and output to give this team;it seemed just like wishful thinking on his part.

But in the last few games, Wallace has made a remarkable transformation in his work. He has not been just playing around out there on the court. He will always be known best around here for his great defensive play back in the day. But he recognizes that he can no longer perform only in one dimension, on a nightly basis.  His wheels, his legs that is may have shown signs of slowing, but he can make up for that by knowing how to expend his limited energy. Whereas before it seemed he was unlimited in energy in games.
 

So now the team of the decade is finishing this season on a sour note. For the first time in a long time, the words 'wait until next year' are being heard in the Pistons lockeroom and pressroom. But time is going to do nothing for this team. Time does not tell you how you got into this mess and time will not help you to get out of it. What will help is to have a healthier group of professional players. Logjams at key starting positions need to be unclogged, by any means necessary.
 

   Wallace makes the team more balanced

Of late Wallace has two things working for him. One is he brings the element of surprise. That quick  first step around his defender must have left them wondering how could the elder statesman of the league brush by him so quick and  dunk on his image in the newspaper. Ben Wallace has changed his game up and we applaud him for knowing all along he could do that, but now he's convincing all those naysayers out there. His offensive prowess makes the team dangerous because now there are five offensive players on Detroit's team. Even when they won the championship in 2004, Wallace was a liability on offense that they just carried along for the ride. Now if they can get the other pieces in sync, look out!
 

Ben is smiling because he knows offense too

Probably, Wallace is still smiling when he came back here because the pressure was off. Noone expected that he could still play this well. And maybe not even he knew how well he could be with the ball in his hand, on an isolation play and his defender at his mercy.

Now he's making his free throws more regularly and that is the last adjustment he had to make.  Now with that center from the 'Wildcats' your best big man or center no longer has to be Wallace.

And that's okay, because Ben has had his day in the sun. Now its time he shared with the youthful talent on the team how to become a winner. Big Ben Wallace is a professor with a Master's Degree in the 'Backboard Jungle.' Think about this, after playing on a number of contending teams -- but it is only with the Pistons that Wallace has won it all.