But even if the time off doesn't help, Wallace will be out there taking the jump ball against centers who are anywhere from two inches to a half-foot taller. And Wallace will continue to scrap and box out under the basket against big men who weigh more than he does.
It's no secret that Wallace, 6-feet-9 and 240 pounds, gives up a few inches and pounds as an NBA center. Even so, teammates expect him to give the Pistons a bully's mentality in the paint in every game.
Does he think his contributions are taken for granted?
"I don't think they take it for granted, but I think they've learned to expect it," Wallace said Tuesday. "To me, that's a good thing. You're supposed to be able to lean on your teammates. I think that's a sign of a true team -- anytime somebody's standing beside you expecting you to do something and you go out and do it."
This article seems about three years late, but looking back on Ben Wallace as an underdog is always fun to do. I saw on TV, Ben Wallace standing next to Danny Ainge as a means of measuring him, and how tall is Ainge? 6-5? There is no way Ben Wallace is over 6-7.
It's been a frustrating couple of weeks for Ben Wallace.
"He's all right," Saunders said. "I think he's just a little frustrated. He's banged up right now and he hasn't been able to really be himself on the court."
Wallace has been playing on a sore right foot and sprained left ankle, but, he insists, that's not the problem.
"They're cool," he said of his feet. "It's not any big deal. It ain't nowhere I haven't been before."
The seeds of Wallace's angst are in the numbers.
He is producing 11.4 rebounds and 1.69 blocks a game -- both well below his career averages as a Piston. His scoring average, 8.8 points, is down from 9.7 a year ago.
"I am not real happy with what I am bringing to the table right now," he said. "That's it. It's nothing about me being hurt or whatever. I am just not happy with my game right now. I wish I could be doing more."
Though it's true that he has been less involved in Flip Saunders' offensive scheme than he was in Larry Brown's, Wallace isn't blaming the system.
He knows that his reduced role has more to do with the early success of Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace than anything else
Unfortunately, Ben's time to rest has passed. The Pistons schedule is pretty packed this month from here on out.
Ben is banged up and it shows in his game play recently. That little extra hustle and energy that makes him so special is missing. hopefully we can lean on Dyess( who appears to be coming out of his funk) and Sheed to carry some extra load and try to limit Bens time on the floor. Cause we will need him later in the year regardless how well anyone else is doing.
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You know Dale Davis does serve a purpose other than to look intimidating from the bench and serve as one of the leaders on the squad. We signed him to play and that's what he should be doing now. I don't know what type of healing Ben needs, meaning, does he need to sit out 3 or 4 games? Or does he he just need a lighter workload? Either way Dale can help with that. It would obviously be a drop off in talent, but I'm sure Dale can be just as tough, as well as grab just as many rebounds. More importantly the guy has been waiting to play.
Ben needs to find out if the injuries are holding him back or is he just losing a step. He's probaly too proud to sit out with the "minor" injuries.
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Ben Wallace blocks out aches, pains
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