ducks
10-31-2005, 12:35 PM
it might be a bull market for Wallace
Chicago will have the money and could target Pistons' burly center as free-agent acquisition.
By Chris McCosky / The Detroit News
Image
Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News
Ben Wallace, the Pistons' big man in the middle, could be at the center of some intense free-agent bidding next summer.
Keep your eyes on the Chicago Bulls.
Not so much during the season, because they are going to struggle. Losing Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis has left them barren in the middle, and that's death in the newly fortified Central Division.
But keep your eyes on them next July, when they take the $20 million in cap space they will have and start wooing free agent Ben Wallace.
The Bulls were a playoff team with Eddy Curry in the middle. With Wallace, they could be a title contender.
That's how intense things are getting in the Central Division these days. Maybe it's not quite as loaded as the Southwest Division, where the Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks and Grizzlies reside, but the Central has to be considered a close second.
What used to be a two-team race between the Pistons and Pacers has a couple of formidable new entries -- the Cavaliers and Bucks.
And Chicago, as the fifth team, even this year, isn't exactly a cupcake.
What other division can boast three all-star centers? Residing in the Central Division now are Wallace (Detroit), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland) and Jamaal Magloire (Milwaukee).
"I think it's great," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said of the beefed-up division. "I think what it shows is that a lot of teams have made changes to their rosters to try and catch us."
The addition of Donyell Marshall certainly helps the Cavaliers deal with the presence of Rasheed Wallace, and the acquisition of Magloire makes the Bucks a playoff contender, assuming he is properly motivated to play.
That brings us to the Bulls, who are desperately trying to get back to the top of the NBA world. And with $20 million to play with, and Wallace an unrestricted free agent in July, they could do it.
The Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks, the franchise closest to Wallace's home in Alabama, will be the two teams that come after Wallace the hardest.
But rest easy for now. The Pistons aren't going to let their foundation, the face of their organization, simply walk out of the door.
The Pistons have been prudently preparing for Wallace's eventual free agency the past few years. They should be in a position to reward him with the most lucrative contract offer in Pistons history.
Chicago will have the money and could target Pistons' burly center as free-agent acquisition.
By Chris McCosky / The Detroit News
Image
Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News
Ben Wallace, the Pistons' big man in the middle, could be at the center of some intense free-agent bidding next summer.
Keep your eyes on the Chicago Bulls.
Not so much during the season, because they are going to struggle. Losing Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis has left them barren in the middle, and that's death in the newly fortified Central Division.
But keep your eyes on them next July, when they take the $20 million in cap space they will have and start wooing free agent Ben Wallace.
The Bulls were a playoff team with Eddy Curry in the middle. With Wallace, they could be a title contender.
That's how intense things are getting in the Central Division these days. Maybe it's not quite as loaded as the Southwest Division, where the Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks and Grizzlies reside, but the Central has to be considered a close second.
What used to be a two-team race between the Pistons and Pacers has a couple of formidable new entries -- the Cavaliers and Bucks.
And Chicago, as the fifth team, even this year, isn't exactly a cupcake.
What other division can boast three all-star centers? Residing in the Central Division now are Wallace (Detroit), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland) and Jamaal Magloire (Milwaukee).
"I think it's great," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said of the beefed-up division. "I think what it shows is that a lot of teams have made changes to their rosters to try and catch us."
The addition of Donyell Marshall certainly helps the Cavaliers deal with the presence of Rasheed Wallace, and the acquisition of Magloire makes the Bucks a playoff contender, assuming he is properly motivated to play.
That brings us to the Bulls, who are desperately trying to get back to the top of the NBA world. And with $20 million to play with, and Wallace an unrestricted free agent in July, they could do it.
The Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks, the franchise closest to Wallace's home in Alabama, will be the two teams that come after Wallace the hardest.
But rest easy for now. The Pistons aren't going to let their foundation, the face of their organization, simply walk out of the door.
The Pistons have been prudently preparing for Wallace's eventual free agency the past few years. They should be in a position to reward him with the most lucrative contract offer in Pistons history.