By D. Chip James

Wallace out for at least 2 weeks By Chip James Ben Wallace is listed at 6-9 but stand him next to a 7-footer and he looks a heck of a lot more like 6-7. In 2001-02, he did what some would have thought impossible for a man that was never drafted by an NBA team when he became just the third player to lead the league in rebounds and blocked shots since blocks became a recorded statistical category in 1973.

This season, Wallace has carried the Pistons on his mammoth-size shoulders while averaging an incredible - and again, league-leading - 15.4 boards per game. He's also again number one in blocks per game again, swatting away 3.15 shots a night. The only other players to lead the league in those 2 categories are guys named Adbul-Jabbar, Walton, and Olajuwon and nobody has ever done it twice.

In the up-and-down Eastern Conference, Detroit held the number 1 seed until Sunday night’s loss to San Antonio dropped the Pistons behind New Jersey and left them just 1.5 games ahead of Indiana in the Central Division.

While the Spurs’ Tim Duncan played 44 and tallied 25 points and 21 boards, Ben Wallace was forced out of the game late in the first half after playing just 18 minutes and collecting 10 rebounds. Seldom-used Pistons rookie Tayshaun Prince fell into Wallace, the Pistons’ only all-star, resulting in a sprained MCL in Ben's left knee.

The injury couldn’t come at a worse time for Detroit. Not only are the Pistons in a dogfight for playoff positioning with New Jersey, Indiana and Philadelphia but their second-leading scorer, Chauncey Billups, is out indefinitely as well, with a sprained ankle. Billups has proved to be an excellent off-season acquisition for Detroit, averaging just over 16 points per game.

The Pistons expect to be without Wallace for 2 weeks and with the playoffs starting on April 19, he could miss some of the first round or more if recovery is slower than expected.

Wallace’s name has been thrown around in MVP discussions for much of the year along with fellow all-stars Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Duncan. The obvious knock on Wallace is his ability to score. Despite leading Detroit in minutes played per game, he is seventh on the team with a 6.9 ppg average. Those who feel he is deserving of the MVP trophy site obviously his rebounding and blocked shots but even moreso his overall importance to the success of Detroit. Never will that be more evident than in the coming couple of weeks.


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