Ben Wallace eager for a big challenge

By foxsports
Published

Terry Foster
The Detroit News

Auburn Hills -- One big dog out of the way. Two more to go.

That's the way center Ben Wallace sees this week as the Pistons face a murderers' row of big men.

Wallace will face Dwight Howard and the Magic Tuesday in Orlando and again on Friday at The Palace. On Wednesday, Wallace will face premier big man Chris Bosh in Miami.

On Sunday, Wallace played against Knicks big man Amar'e Stoudemire, who signed a free-agent contract during the offseason. Stoudemire was a big reason why New York walked out of The Palace with a 125-116 overtime victory. He finished with 37 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.

Wallace said this week has energized him because he enjoys playing against the best. He also had family in from Virginia Sunday and didn't want to be embarrassed in front of them.

"When you get the opportunity to play against the best players in the league, that's that pride. That's what motivates you," Wallace said. "If you don't come out and are not on top of your game, there's a chance you can be embarrassed. There's that drive that motivates you to come out and compete against the best in the business."

Howard is averaging 22.6 points and 11.9 rebounds this season for the Magic (12-4).

Jason Maxiell started again against the Knicks in place of Austin Daye and that won't change this week. Pistons coach John Kuester likes Maxiell's energy and athletic presence against Howard and Bosh. That means more extended bench time for Daye, who has played in just three of five games since being dropped as a starter.

Kuester said he planned to use Greg Monroe, Maxiell, Wallace and maybe even Chris Wilcox in the post rotation.

"They are all going to have their hands full and they are going to compete against those guys," Kuester said. "Those guys have the ability to play them on the perimeter and Ben Wallace, at age 36 or 37, still has the quickness to defend people in this league."

McGrady wants more

Look for Tracy McGrady to get more playing time after his 13-point performance against the Knicks. The good news is he scored that many; the bad news is those points all came in the second quarter. McGrady said his next step is to develop into a player who can contribute throughout the game.

Nov. 30, 2010