<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">AUBURN HILLS-- Beneath the happy surface of a 15-3 start, a potentially troubling issue is bubbling for the Pistons. Ben Wallace has not been Ben Wallace. When Kris Humphries of Utah dunks in his face, posterizes him without much resistance, something is wrong. When the Pistons get outrebounded for eight straight games, including a 55-27 drubbing by the Jazz on Monday night, something is wrong. When the Jazz get 16 layups and dunks, the night after the Clippers get 19 layups and dunks and score 58 points in the lane, something is wrong. Not all of that is on him, of course, but when Ben Wallace isn't in the top three in the NBA in rebounds and blocks -- well, he's not being Ben Wallace. "I don't know what's going on," a visibly frustrated Wallace said after getting six rebounds and four points (on three shots) in a 92-78 loss Monday. "I don't even know what my role is. I am just out there running around. ? I am sick of this ?" Wallace wouldn't comment further. After the Pistons beat Golden State on Friday, though, he gave a hint as to his frustration. "It's just about me playing basketball," he said. "I am just not happy with my game. I've got to be better. I've got to play better. I have to play harder. I have to bring something more than what I've been doing." Wallace has been playing through pain. He has been getting daily treatment on his right foot, left ankle and left elbow, which he apparently hyperextended. But he refuses to use these difficulties as a crutch. The Pistons also have been on an energy-sapping schedule grind. The five days off last week notwithstanding, they have played 12 of their 18 games on the road in the first 6 1/2 weeks. "Ben is an energy guy," coach Flip Saunders said. "As many games as we've had, it feels like we've been on the road for three months. That sucks the energy out of you." Wallace, who prides himself on being one of the best-conditioned athletes in the game, won't use that excuse, either. So, what is it? It might have something to do with his role in the offense, which is shrinking. When asked whether he felt as if he wasn't involved enough offensively, he ended the interview. "I don't have no more comment," he said. Saunders acknowledged that might be part of the problem, part of the reason Wallace feels as if he's running around without much purpose on offense. "What has happened is that some of our guys have gotten off to real good starts," Saunders said. "Rip (Hamilton), Tayshaun (Prince) and 'Sheed (Rasheed Wallace) have been so good, what's happened is, we haven't utilized Ben enough offensively. We've talked about this. We probably need to get him more touches and get him involved more in what we are doing at that end." Wallace has averaged fewer than five shots the last seven games. "We do have to play off him more," Saunders said. "But what has happened is, we have scored a lot off of our first options. We haven't had to turn it over and get to our second and third options, which would include him more." Under coaches Rick Carlisle and Larry Brown, Wallace had very defined responsibilities on the offensive end. Carlisle basically told him to stay out of the way and try to get offensive rebounds. Brown ran basic post plays for him. Saunders is asking Wallace and the rest of the team to read defenses and make decisions based on how they react. "I always say the game is not played in black or white," Saunders said. "It's played in the gray area. I think it's been an adjustment for some of our guys. The two previous coaches had Ben stand on the hash and not do much of anything else. We are asking Ben to make reads and react, and maybe that's not as comfortable."</div> Source
