The Return of Big Ben

Well Piston fans, guess who's coming home. That's right, Ben Wallace has signed a 1-year deal with the Detroit Pistons making him the fifth big man on the roster. I'm sure any Piston fan who remembers the 2004 championship is ecstatic about getting Ben back but let me be the first to warn you that the Pistons are not getting the Ben Wallace of old, they are just getting the old Ben Wallace. Big Ben will not be the player that fans remember from his time in Detroit but that doesn't mean that he can't contribute and be a leader on the team. If Ben is dedicated to the team, as I believe he will be, then the Pistons got a big man who'll grab boards, block shots, and play his heart out every single night. Having Wallace back will also give the Pistons a boost in the locker room. With the off season overhaul of the roster there are really only two veterans on the team, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, well now we can add Ben Wallace to that list. Ben has always been a great leader and the young players on the team should learn from his work ethic and determination. There's a bit of a question as to what role Ben's going to play on the team though. I think he can give the Pistons 20 or 25 solid minutes a night but are those going to be minutes as a starter or minutes as a role player? Right now the Pistons starting center is Kwame Brown and I, for one, am all for giving the starting spot back to Big Ben but I'm not sure what new head coach Kuester's plans are. One other question that needs to be raised is what number is Wallace going to wear? All Piston fans are accustomed to seeing Ben wearing the number 3 but Rodney Stuckey has that number as of right now. I'm pretty sure Stuckey would be willing to give Ben the number but the league might not allow it. If the Piston merchandise has already been made with Stuckey's name on the back of the number 3 jersey then the league will not let Stuckey give up his number. Seeing Ben Wallace wearing any other number might take a little getting used to but seeing him in the Piston red and blue will be a welcome sight. Altough there are still some questions left to be answered one thing is for sure, come October the gong of Big Ben will be heard in the Palace once more.