Ben Wallace has stated this will be his final season. He is playing about 14 minutes a game. He is averaging just more than a point per game. He isn't among the NBA's leading rebounders. Long ago, he stopped being the best off-the-ball defender in the league and a true force guarding the rim. Considering the current state of the Pistons and NBA overall following the lockout (other than Linsanity), it ultimate winding down of a career.
But Wallace's recent milestone - playing the most NBA games ever for an undrafted player - brought back reminders of just what a unique player Wallace was during his prime.
He was the best defensive player in the NBA for a number of years. A great rebounder. Sometime he'd struggle in the post with the NBA bigger centers (Chris Webber, for example, gave him fits), but his "help" defense was second to none.
Offensively, he was a disaster much of the time. And it wasn't pleasant when he'd whine about not getting the ball enough. Some of the attitude issues shocked people near the end of his first stint with the Pistons - it had been perceived he was the quintessential team player - and it didn't go nearly well in other NBA stops.
But this much is clear: No Ben Wallace, no NBA title for the Pistons in 2004. No reaching the finals and pushing the Spurs to seven games another year. It's doubtful the Pistons would have reached the Eastern Conference as many years in a row as they did (six).
I think he was the most important "Going to Work" Piston. No. 1. Even though he never averaged double digits scoring in a season, I still believe Ben Wallace was a truly great and unique player.
And I hope, as time goes on, people will remember just how great.