Dumars Had No Idea Ben Wallace Would Contribute This Much

Joe Dumars had no idea Ben Wallace would contribute this much
By Patrick Hayes
November 07, 2009, 11:00AM


Ben Wallace has surprised his boss this season.

Ben Wallace has unquestionably been a pleasant surprise this season for Pistons fans, but as Joe Dumars told FanHouse, Ben's even surprised him a bit:

"I just thought he'd be great for the young guys to be around, an undrafted guy who worked his way up without any shortcuts. Just for the young guys to see him every day. That's why I got him,'' Dumars said Friday before the Pistons played in Orlando. "But he's been better than I ever imagined. It's like an added bonus.''

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The piece is a good, quick read, detailing just how close Wallace came to retiring because of his frustrations with injuries:

"I had no expectations when I came back here. But I also knew if I was healthy again, I was still capable of playing at a high level. I will tell you, basketball is no fun when you're not healthy. It's nothing but frustration.''

Some questioned the move when Dumars re-signed Wallace, and not just from a playing ability perspective. Wallace has never been known as a vocal leader, and on a young team in Chicago, there were rumors he didn't easily mesh with some of his teammates. So far though, Wallace's tone-setting defense seems to have rubbed off on non-natural defenders like Charlie Villanueva and Jason Maxiell. Now, if he could only get through to Chris Wilcox.