Rumors

ESPN: Cade Cunningham showing love to franchise royalty Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Dwane Casey. Cade's on the verge of winning Detroit's first playoff series since 2008

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Ohm Youngmisuk: Pistons celebrating former Detroit legends in the house from Grant Hill calling the game to Big Ben Wallace seated courtside. The Detroit crowd is loving it.

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The comparisons between Ben Wallace and Isaiah Stewart are natural, irresistible even. "I definitely see it," Wallace told ESPN. Both are underestimated, undersized big men who played well above their listed height. Both carry a clear edge in every aspect of their games. And both happen to play large roles in turnarounds for a city uniquely equipped to appreciate them. "He paved the way for us undersized guys," Stewart said. "I'm trying to live up to that and put my name somewhere positive in this organization."

ESPN

But Wallace loves to watch Stewart carrying on the gritty big man tradition in Detroit. And Stewart, for his part, cherishes the example Wallace set in the early 2000s. The big men's bond is unspoken but telling. Stewart, coming to the free throw line in the second quarter of a Jan. 15 game against the Phoenix Suns, spotted the 6-9 Wallace sitting courtside. The two made eye contact, and between deep breaths, Stewart pounded his chest twice. Wallace nodded in receipt. Seeing the respectful exchange, a source who knows Wallace well summed it up: "Ben looks at Stewart like a proud father."

ESPN

James Ham: Scott Perry compared Dylan Cardwell to hall of famer Ben Wallace, who he was with in Detroit when they were both members of the Pistons.

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Jorge Sierra: In his final game of the season, Draymond Green passed Ben Wallace in playoff rebounds for No. 21 all-time. He also moved ahead of Walt Frazier for No. 71 in scoring.

bsky.app

Asked if this year’s Pistons resemble past champions — the Bad Boys or the 2004 title team — Mahorn was clear: “I mean… you can’t. You’re talking two champions. Until you get a ‘chip, I can’t compare it.” Still, he acknowledged Cade’s All-Star caliber leadership: “Cade Cunningham — the way he’s playing, helping guys understand how to get involved — that’s one thing you can compare. Now their defense is getting better… but we’re talkin’ Ben Wallace, Rodman, Salley. That’s a different level.”

ScoopB.com

Dumars served as the chief strategy officer of the Sacramento Kings from 2019-22 and has been the NBA league office's executive vice president of basketball operations since 2022. Dumars ran the Pistons from 2000-14, winning the executive of the year award in 2003 and building the 2004 championship team. He made a series of moves that propelled the Pistons to seven straight seasons of 50 wins or more from 2001-02 to 2007-08 -- signing Chauncey Billups, trading for Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton, and drafting Tayshaun Prince.

ESPN

Noah Levick: Andre Drummond has moved past Ben Wallace for 28th on the NBA’s all-time defensive rebounding list.

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Along with that, Thomas feels the organizations needs to get back to defining what type of player is a Detroit Piston. “When you look at the Pistons right now, their identity in terms of who you would say is a Piston, they’ve lost that, and they have to get that back,” Thomas said. “I mean, when you looked at the “Going to Work” team, if Ben Wallace didn’t play for the Detroit Pistons, I don’t know if his style of play would have ever been accepted in another city. If Bill Laimbeer didn’t play for the Detroit Pistons, I don’t know if his style of play would have been accepted in another city or another state. So finding the right guys to fit our identity, we were successful in doing that...they’ve lost their identity and now they’re following and trying to find a home.”

Booth Newspapers

NBA on ESPN: 4x Defensive Player of the Year 🏆 Rudy Gobert joins Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the third player to do so 😤 pic.twitter.com/obrcxbb4sI

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Andre Drummond moved up from No. 37 to No. 34 in the rebounding all-time list after passing Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan, Ben Wallace

HoopsHype

It turns out nobody had shot free throws in an elimination game as poorly as Antetokounmpo in TWO DECADES. It last happened in 2003 when Detroit’s Ben Wallace also went 10-for-23 in Game 6 of the opening round of the playoffs. Wallace and Antetokounmpo, as Elias points out, are only two of three players in the history of the NBA to blow 13 or more free throws in a close-out game. The other was Chamberlain. The Dipper went 8 of 25 from the line in a playoff game in 1966 – or 57 years ago. So, while Budenholzer took the bulk of the blame for the Bucks stunningly premature playoff departure, you can vividly see Antetokounmpo had more than something to do with it as well.

Woelfel's Press Box

The Detroit Pistons are hoping that Ben Wallace will bring them lottery luck for the second time in three years. The former Pistons big man will represent the organization in Chicago on Tuesday night during the NBA Draft Lottery, the team announced Thursday evening.

Detroit News