Where would you take prime Ben Wallace among current players?

[iamgine]

He wasn't a scorer and can be considered a liability on offense with his terrible free throw shooting.

That said, if you're drafting a team from scratch with current players for one season only, where would you rank prime Ben Wallace?

[Phiology]

As far as centers go, i'd probably pick him first or second to KAT or AD, if you would even call them centers.

Problem is, as you mentioned, that he was so impactful, but only doing limited things.

So if you are a team in desparate need of a rebounder and rim protector, I'd not hesitate to pick him immediately.

As the first player of my team, I'd have to build the rest around him. This however may not be so easy, because all impactful (franchise type) offensive players may have already been selected by other teams. And we all know how important it is to have franchise talent in scoring/creating for others.

To answer the question: If that was possible, I might be inclined to pick him with my second pick, using the first for some offensive PF or a good wing.

If all talent i considered first pick worthy was already selected before, I might choose him first and try to surround him with specialized scrubs later.

[BigKAT]

Among big guys?

Top 5-10. I'd take guys like Blake Griffin, KAT, AD, Lamarcus Aldridge and Drummond before him.

Overall?

Late first round pick.

[swagga]

Among big guys?

Top 5-10. I'd take guys like Blake Griffin, KAT, AD, Lamarcus Aldridge and Drummond before him.

Overall?

Late first round pick.

lol at blake griffin and drummond. These dudes play loser ball, their head isn't in the game, and their stats are overrated by poor positioning and strategy. They post stats but their teams do the same with or without them .. that should tell you all you need to know.

and for you young posters ben wallace would THRIVE in this era of small ball.
If managers would know what they'd get with him would be a top 5 pick no questions asked. 15 rpg and 3 blk plus the best combination of PNR defense and rim protection in league history is just too much to pass up. He is the perfect center for this small ball era.

This forum really doesn't understand player IQ tbh ... wallace would be better in this era.

[tpols]

Ben Wallace would be a much bigger liability in today's game than he was when he played.. we're talking a guy who shoots in the 30s and 40s % for free throws, has absolutely no offensive game.. but really it's the FTs. With so much emphasis today put on analytics, teams have done the Hack a whoever much more often to limit team efficiency.. it used to be just shaq and maybe a few guys, now it feels like every center in the league gets this treatment if they cant shoot, and it really cripples their effectiveness.


Ben Wallace played in the perfect environment for his style.. an era and conference where efficiency was supplanted by physicality. iso heavy, thug ball early 00's East.. ugly, and mucked up battles. Today's league is too soft, too much microscoping and coddling especially to star's wishes. We just saw a dude get thrown out the Finals for basically nothing.. Big Ben wasn't made for that type of sh!t.

[ClipperRevival]

Ben Wallace would be a much bigger liability in today's game than he was when he played.. we're talking a guy who shoots in the 30s and 40s % for free throws, has absolutely no offensive game.. but really it's the FTs. With so much emphasis today put on analytics, teams have done the Hack a whoever much more often to limit team efficiency.. it used to be just shaq and maybe a few guys, now it feels like every center in the league gets this treatment if they cant shoot, and it really cripples their effectiveness.


Ben Wallace played in the perfect environment for his style.. an era and conference where efficiency was supplanted by physicality. iso heavy, thug ball early 00's East.. ugly, and mucked up battles. Today's league is too soft, too much microscoping and coddling especially to star's wishes. We just saw a dude get thrown out the Finals for basically nothing.. Big Ben wasn't made for that type of sh!t.

Of course there is some validity to the FT scenario but that doesn't stop D. Jordan or Drummond from impacting the game. And Ben's FT pct was around that neighborhood.

The bottom line is the guy was a freaken special talent and he would be impactful today just as he was in his day, maybe even more so given the small ball emphasis (small players) and his ability to defend in the perimeter, which is a huge premium right now. He was a GOAT level defender.

[tpols]

This forum really doesn't understand player IQ tbh ... wallace would be better in this era.

You dont understand the dynamics of the game if you think Ben would be better in todays light it up era on some hot shot small ball team.


The Pistons at their peak were a bottom half offense.. they didnt have much firepower in that regard. To illustrate, the Warriors had a 115 ORTG last year, the '04 Pistons had a 102 ORTG at their best.. there's no need to hack a wallace when the team is barely breaking even offensively. It doesnt make sense. But when a team has great offensive efficiency, it makes a ton of sense to hack their poorest FT shooter.


The reason Ben was able to stay on the floor back then and be so great is because his teams were heavily tilted towards the defensive side of the ball. If you threw him on some explosive offense, he would be rode off the court by any competent coach.

[tpols]

Of course there is some validity to the FT scenario but that doesn't stop D. Jordan or Drummond from impacting the game. And Ben's FT pct was around that neighborhood.

The bottom line is the guy was a freaken special talent and he would be impactful today just as he was in his day, maybe even more so given the small ball emphasis (small players) and his ability to defend in the perimeter, which is a huge premium right now. He was a GOAT level defender.

DeAndre Jordan is a great player but his lack of FT shooting cripples his team all the time, especially in high stakes scenarios. Drummond had to be subbed out at the most critical junctions of playoff games this past year.. it matters... big time today.

[DaHeezy]

The only team Ben would thrive on are the ones where there is so much offensive depth that he could solely concentrate on what he does. Lol at the posters thinking he's a top 3 front court player. The Pistons made Ben look good, not the other way around.

[HurricaneKid]

You
The reason Ben was able to stay on the floor back then and be so great is because his teams were heavily tilted towards the defensive side of the ball. If you threw him on some explosive offense, he would be rode off the court by any competent coach.

He was offensively challenged but STILL found a way to lead the league in RAPM. THATS how good he was defensively.

But the league has gotten REALLY good at getting defenses to switch out their interior powerhouses to the perimeter. Just watch what teams do with Gobert now. Everyone was disappointed in his season last year but it was just because teams figured out what scenarios the Jazz were allowing switches and running those actions before they started their sets.

If Wallace wasn't allowed the physical freedom he had (which today's players aren't allowed" AND he was brought out into space and forced to leave the paint, his impact would be lessened to nearly zero.

He was also a 41% career FT shooter and was even worse from the field. The year the Pistons won the title he shot 90/368 from the field outside of "at the rim" shots, including shooting 31/150 (.207) from 3-10 ft.

You just cannot get away with that level of one dimensional play any longer. Teams are far more adept at getting you into your areas of weakness and Wallace had plenty to pick on.

I tend to think he is wildly underrated. He was the best player on a Championship team, and almost was that TWICE (lost G7 to the Spurs) on the strength of his defensive prowess. But I also don't think his game translates well to today.

[tpols]

i would like to see big ben on a team like the Pacers with Paul George.. their output is so low that it wouldnt be much worth it to waste a ton of fouls on him.. and that defense would be nasty.

[tpols]

He was offensively challenged but STILL found a way to lead the league in RAPM. THATS how good he was defensively.

But the league has gotten REALLY good at getting defenses to switch out their interior powerhouses to the perimeter. Just watch what teams do with Gobert now. Everyone was disappointed in his season last year but it was just because teams figured out what scenarios the Jazz were allowing switches and running those actions before they started their sets.

If Wallace wasn't allowed the physical freedom he had (which today's players aren't allowed" AND he was brought out into space and forced to leave the paint, his impact would be lessened to nearly zero.

He was also a 41% career FT shooter and was even worse from the field. The year the Pistons won the title he shot 90/368 from the field outside of "at the rim" shots, including shooting 31/150 (.207) from 3-10 ft.

You just cannot get away with that level of one dimensional play any longer. Teams are far more adept at getting you into your areas of weakness and Wallace had plenty to pick on.

I tend to think he is wildly underrated. He was the best player on a Championship team, and almost was that TWICE (lost G7 to the Spurs) on the strength of his defensive prowess. But I also don't think his game translates well to today.

i agree he's underrated and would be a force in any era mid 00s going backward.. today's game is a real tough fit for him

[ClipperRevival]

The only team Ben would thrive on are the ones where there is so much offensive depth that he could solely concentrate on what he does. Lol at the posters thinking he's a top 3 front court player. The Pistons made Ben look good, not the other way around.

Please elaborate on how the Pistons made him look good.

[Kblaze8855]

I feel like a lot of this talk about what ___ would do today is a bit much at times. Especially when the player played pretty much everyone in the league now. Ben Wallace was still fairly effective like....5 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVEvZGAuNjg


Thats actually his career high scoring night....in 2011.....7-8 or so years past his best ball.

Andre Drummond just got 130 million dollar contract. Deandre has been a starter playing big minutes on a contender for 3 years and someone is gonna throw him 120 million once hes back on the market.

There would be a massive market for what Ben Wallace offered. People always overstate how much the league changes in short periods of time. 2004 was really different from 2010...they changed the rules to make it happen. But those times are rare.

Nothing has changed so much since 2010 or so that Ben wouldnt be effective today in his prime. Its a copycat league and at the moment people want to small ball it. Wasnt long ago the Lakers had people wondering what to do about two seven footers who could score.

The game is the game. It goes this way or that for a few years at a time....but great is great.

Ben would be an impact player in any era. You go defend the shit outta the pick and roll....block 6 shots...pull down 14-19 rebounds....5 on offense? You can miss some FTs and still be worth a damn.

[aj1987]

I wouldn't take him on the Heat for sure. We need scoring. Big Ben would be a perfect fit on the Clippers and the Warriors. Those teams would win 70+ EASY (Warriors 75+) with Big Ben.