Breaking down Ben's departure

When I first heard that Ben Wallace would run with the Bulls next season, I put my head in my hands for a minute or two, and then I thought, "You know what? Ben did us well. For six years, he worked his ass off for the red, white and blue. Contagious defensively, reckless on the offensive boards, and fun as hell to watch -- I'll miss him. But, in the end, Big Ben did what most people would do: He took the money."

So that was my initial reaction. Nothing big; not terribly distraught.

Then, as I was driving on a rainy, Nashville road today, I heard about his signing with Chicago on the radio, so I naturally began to reminisce.

My fondest memories of Ben are sitting courtside, watching him erupt out of the tunnel, just smoking of intensity, then clanking jumpers in warm-up lines. I also loved Game 5 of the '04 Finals. He had two ferocious tip dunks that game, not to mention a 3-point attempt in the middle of a big Pistons run that missed horribly, but what made it great was that if he had made it, my friends and I would have torn my buddy Dave's house down -- that's how rowdy it was.

My point is, Ben was all about energy. And nothing represented that more than Mason's announcing of his name. That's what really got me when I was driving today. I realized, I will never again get to say his name that way. I love reciting Ben's name in the way Mason intended for it to sound. It gets me pumped up -- not just for Pistons games, for my games, too.

So the Pistons will never regain that energy. But is it the end of the world? No.

If Joe Dumars had chosen to spend what the Bulls spent on him, he would have kept Ben in Detroit. But he also would have made a commitment that, quite frankly, wouldn't have been worth it.

Ben showed us this year more than any other what a liability he is on the offensive end. Yes, he led the NBA in offensive rebounding, and yes, he can dunk the ball as hard as anyone. But he has small hands and such an erratic jump shot that no one really needs to guard him. He also outdueled Shaq this season for the prestigous The Biggest Joke at the Free Throw Line award.

What he gave us on defense can never be replaced. That said, the NBA is evolving -- actually it's reverting to what it used to be like -- into a high-scoring league with less and less defense. Could the Pistons have still won playing their style of old? Probably, but it would have been a much harder journey than their W versus the Lakers. These days, they'd have to play virtually perfect ball.

Now, minus Ben, we'll see the Pistons change. Expect a higher scoring starting five next year, one that might expend more energy on that end than in past years.

For them to get back to the Finals, they'll need another big man with a scoring presence. Amare would be an obvious choice, but there's no way Phoenix is letting him go. A more realistic idea is Chris Webber. They could trade somebody for him, I'm sure. Expect Joe to be dealing at some point before October. (They've already signed Nazr Mohammed, which doesn't really excite me. Nazr can walk and chew gum at the same time, and that's about it. They'll need someone who can add a third dimension or more for them to get back to the Finals ... or maybe Jason Maxiell could just blossom into a star, like Ben, with a little more touch on his J.)

Still, it's the end of an era. Never again will a 'Fro as mighty roam the Palace in red, white and blue. Never again will shots be altered so repeatedly. And never again will the Pistons be subject to Hack-A-Ben.

But, sometimes, it was worth it. You gotta admit, Ben made you smile a lot more than he made you cringe. Thanks for the memories, Big Ben. One more time, for what it's worth...

B-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-Ben ... wwwwwwwwwwWWWWWWWWWWallace!!!