Pistons' Plan to Keep Ben Wallace Fresh

Pistons' plan is to keep Ben Wallace fresh
By A. Sherrod Blakely
October 27, 2009, 11:00PM

AUBURN HILLS -- The stat line for Ben Wallace from the Detroit Pistons' 95-93 preseason win at Milwaukee last week -- five points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots -- was vintage Wallace.

But don't be fooled.

Ben Wallace isn't the same player he was during his first stint with Detroit.

However, Wallace will play a major role in Detroit's success and likely will do it as a starter in Wednesday's season opener at Memphis.

Pistons coach John Kuester has yet to announce his starting lineup, but it's expected to include last season's returning starters -- Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince -- joined by Wallace and Charlie Villanueva.

"I'm just going out there and play," Wallace said after Tuesday's practice. "I might wear down over the course of the season. But for every minute I'm out on the floor, I'm going to give it my all."

Kuester has raved throughout the preseason about what Wallace, a 35-year-old veteran, has meant to the Pistons defensively and in terms of leadership. But he understands that as much as he needs Wallace, he has to keep him as fresh as possible over the course of an 82-game season.

That's why he gave Wallace games off during the preseason, a strategy Kuester will consider doing in the regular season as well.

Wallace said he and Kuester haven't discussed him missing games to rest.

"I came back to play basketball," Wallace said. "If I wanted to sit around, I would have stayed at the house."

That competitive drive has been instrumental in Wallace's emergence from being an undrafted player from tiny Virginia Union into a four-time Defensive Player of the Year who helped Detroit win an NBA title in 2004.

"We know he has the energy," said Arnie Kander, Detroit's strength and conditioning coach. "We just have to maintain it throughout the season."

In addition to limiting his play in games, the Pistons also have limited Wallace at times in practice.

"We don't want to abuse it too much in here; save the energy for games and not let him become his worst enemy," Kander said. "His greatest gift is his passion and energy. That can work against him if he's killing himself in shoot-arounds and practice."

Even Wallace's weightlifting routine has been altered.

Wallace's workouts now include more stretching and flexibility exercises designed to improve his "connective strength."

"You need the things that hold things together, a little bit more when you get older," Kander said.

One of Wallace's exercises, for example, involves improving the flexibility in his ankles.

"If you can't bend your ankles, nothing else can occur," Kander said. "When he rebounds, that ankle flexibility is so important. Because if you lose that, the next thing you know, all these other type of injuries start to occur."