What I was talking about!

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-24-47/The-War-in-John-Paxson-s-Mind.html

I guess we’ll see about Chicago’s GM . . . answers a plenty after this series is finished.

Now, I’m honestly not trying to bash Ben. I loved the guy from 2001-2005, I proudly wore my #3 jersey before it became THE fashion accessory in Detroit. But the way last season played out, from a fan’s perspective, I felt both sides needed a change. To think that it would have been the same if he came back is crazy. Think about the block on Shaq in game 5 of the Miami series. The fact that people made a big deal out of it tells the entire story. It’s the type of play we were lacking all year, and its as if in that moment we collectively realized it (at least I did). I don’t mean to sound callous, but I’m glad he’s gone. And I’ll boo the hell out of him every single time he walks back into the Palace wearing opposing colors (especially black and red), but when he retires and comes back, I’ll be the first to stand and applaud.

Anyone who thought going into last off-season that Tyson Chandler would have the kind of year he had this season shoulda talked to me, because I have a bridge I could sell you..

Tyson Chandler is a great athlete, he has great size, and he runs the floor well. That’s it. He does not have the basketball “smarts” that Ben Wallace has, and although his stats may prove otherwise, Ben Wallace is a much more polished player.

PJ Brown is a serviceable power forward who brings a little bit of offensive ability to the team. He brings a lot more than any of the other big man on the Bulls’ roster, partner that with his $8 mil salary coming off the books this season, he’s a valuable commodity on the trade market OR going in to the off-season knowing that you have potentially $8 mil to invest in another player OR $8 mil to pair with players to go after a guy with big salary.

Chicago isn’t far off… I don’t agree Ben Gordon is the best guy for his position. I think you can find a far better “fit” at SG than Gordon simply because of the height advantage other team’s SG have when they match up against him. Chicago’s a couple of pieces away from being the best in the East. Whether they actually come up with those pieces, or let Detroit gradually age themselves out of competitiveness (see the Cavaliers), is up to them.

the “homer” side of me hopes for a sweep… the nba fan side of me hopes the series is close because Chicago deserves a lot better than this. They’re a good team, and yes I harp on them a bit on the blogabull.com page, but they’re a good team. I don’t like the Bulls because I don’t like Jordan/Pippen/Phil Jackson… It’s not that I don’t like Skiles, I think Skiles would have fit in good in Detroit had he been available when DET hired Flip.

Ben opened up on that day and uttered a number of quotables.

In particular, the wrist that needs reconstruction was also part of my reason to link the article.

The NBA is a league where people would throw over 70 million at Erick Dampier, who clearly makes Ben Wallace’s deal a bargain, if we’re throwing names of absolute laughingstock contracts into the hat. However, we’re talking about another team, the Bulls, shelling out for slightly-damaged veteran goods.

Detroit had him at a bargain, and Joe D was willing to slightly overpay for his ‘legacy.’ Then Ben received an offer with a larger sum from Chicago, and despite whatever Ben said, few extra million was his top priority.

So hey, Ben Wallace is special . . . but he’s not so special around these parts . . . not any longer.

The only on-the-verge guy for the youngins on the Bulls . . . Luol Deng.

“It doesn’t even make for good trash talk” (because Paxson Jackson says so). lol! Okaaaaay, champ. You responded directly. THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!1!!

You can’t read too well - that’s not my problem.

So trot on back to the blogofbullcrap and suck on the teat of your own garbage. We need more comedy.

A mistake in my last comment that should be cleared up. Detroit didn’t play Miami in their title run but the following year.

Yeah, Ben Wallace seems like an upgrade, compared to Chandler. Ben Wallace is a 2nd season warrior on the court. The jeering by Pistons fans won’t get to him . . . he’s heard plenty over the years.

The universal opinion believes the acquisition of Ben Wallace to have been a declaration to win the championship . . . soon.

I still expect plenty of fight from the Bulls. If they beat Detroit, I’d probably be inclined to root for them, since they’d have defeated another solid club in the conference, and they would have likely earned the attention with a respectable regular-season record.

“The guy was a huge part of putting a championship banner in the rafters for Detroit and established an ethic and a culture that still constitute big parts of the team identity. The only story here is how lame some so-called Pistons fans are behaving toward him.”

Although I agree with you on Ben’s part in bringing a championship banner to Detroit, I don’t think he was any bigger of a part in brginging winning it in 2004 than any of the other starters. I don’t think they would have come close to beating L.A. or Miami if you had taken any one of the starters out of the picture.

With regards to establishing an ethic and a culture that still constitute big part of the team identity, I disagree. The city of Detroit has always had the culture and ethic that the Pistons team now embraces, and it was Joe Dumars who decided to bring that back to Detroit through smart moves in the off-season. Yes, Ben was the face of the Pistons and yes, he contributed to the re-establishment of that culture to the Pistons, but he was only a part of it.

“And you probably wouldn’t get over a Chicago exit in this series, ‘cuz you’re the kind of guy who’d hop on over to a Detroit Pistons blog and give it all kinds of yap when someone might actually mention the Bulls.”

what does that even mean?

I’ll stop reading and posting here if you want. I’ve been coming here since we beat the Heat, because you guys follow the Pistons and have been following them for years, and know things about them that I dont. I thought I could chime in with my 2 cents the same way about the Bulls during this series.

After his current contract expires, I envision a slightly aged Wallace as a veteran who’s become comfortable with his sixth man status but continues to infuse a team with the drive needed to win. Hey, maybe Cuban’s interested!

I’ve seen both Chandler and Wallace play with the Bulls and trust me I’d take Wallace in a second. In terms of smartness they are the complete opposite. Not everything shows up in the stat line either. How bout tipped balls for second and third opportunities? How bout staying out of foul trouble? How about stronger body? Most importantly how about playoff experience? Chandler could not guard Shaq last playoffs, while Ben did much better without getting into foul trouble either. And I forget the specifics, but Paxson was able to structure Ben’s contract to pay more up front and less later so that by the time some of our younger players’ contracts expire, Ben’s will be less than 10 mil to give room for other contracts. AND, no way on earth Chandler would have put up the number he did this year while on the Bulls. You put anyone decent on a team that is horrible and they can show decent numbers.