<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Pistons coach Flip Saunders and forward Rasheed Wallace took offense Thursday to a national story that used the word hate to define their relationship. "I don't think he hates me," Saunders said quietly. "That's a pretty strong statement." Wallace did not speak directly to the media, but following practice, he shouted at ESPN.com writer Chris Sheridan and said: "Have you ever heard the word hate come out of my mouth?" In his story, Sheridan wrote about "a growing note of discord and disharmony_aw, heck, let's just call it hate - between Rasheed Wallace and coach Flip Saunders." The assertion by Sheridan mostly centered on the way Wallace left a huddle during Wednesday's loss to Utah. Wallace usually pops out of the huddle quickly and retreats to center court to sit at the scorer's table. Sometimes he chats with radio analyst Rick Mahorn, or with teammates or coaches who wander over. Sometimes he watches the entertainment and laughs. Often he shakes his legs in a nervous habit and stares into space. "He's done that his whole career," Saunders said. "Some guys want to sit down; some guys stand and walk around. His thing is he goes there and kind of sits at center court and thinks about things." The Pistons know and accept Wallace's routine, which Saunders said has nothing to do with the coach. The Pistons don't have any problems with it, Saunders said. "He's not doing it out of disrespect," Saunders said. "We went through the same thing in the playoffs (last season). He did that all 64 games we won, and all 18 games we lost he did it. "He's never doing anything to be disrespectful. He's not leaving the huddle before everything's said - when he leaves the huddle, it's because we're done." The Pistons are conditionally pleased with Wallace's mood change in the past week. They don't want him to continue to get technical fouls late in close games, a problem Saunders addressed after the loss to Utah and again Thursday. (Wallace was assessed his 11th technical against Utah and will serve a one-game suspension if he receives 16.) Wallace has played with focus and fire in the past week, and the Pistons will take a fired-up and passionate Wallace over a bored and disengaged Wallace any day. "It's a fine line with `Sheed," Saunders said, "because two weeks ago he had no emotion, and that's all we kind of talked about. So we've got to get in-between. He's got to play with emotion." The Pistons are also being patient with Wallace as he continues to get his conditioning back. He sat out two games in December and has been hampered with ankle pain off and on all season. Saunders said he wants to limit Wallace to about 30 minutes a game and rely a bit more on a resurgent Antonio McDyess, as well as Jason Maxiell. "We've got to find a way to play Maxey," Saunders said. "We need his energy. He's our best pick-and-roll defender; he's our best guy for taking charges. So we've got to find a way to get him into the mix." </div> Link
