<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If anything was gained from Rasheed Wallace's two-game absence because of ankle soreness, it was the upgrade of Jason Maxiell from question mark to rotation candidate. But when Wallace returns, most likely Thursday at Cleveland, how can one more worthy rotation candidate find playing time? "He's not going to play 32 minutes," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said of Maxiell, "but he's going to play." Add Dale Davis' sudden resurgence, and the Pistons have an enviable problem: too much of a good thing. Davis, 37, was in vintage form last weekend, grabbing nine rebounds Saturday against New Jersey and 13 Sunday against Seattle. When paired, Davis and Maxiell -- the Good Squad or the Bruise Brothers, they're calling themselves -- wreak havoc in the lane. "There's no question that when those guys are on the floor, the identity of our team changes," Saunders said. "We become a much more grind-it-out, physical, go-after-you (team), both offensively and defensively." All five of the Pistons' bigs have arguably earned playing time, but there aren't enough minutes to go around. If anyone has yet to make a case, it's Antonio McDyess, a notoriously slow starter who has hit just 39% of his shots. Saunders has said he assumes McDyess will return to his usual sixth-man form sometime around the All-Star break. But he also said he would let performances on the court dictate playing time. "We have to ride it out and see," Saunders said. "As I've always said, I don't determine who plays. Guys who play well will play." As for Wallace, the team won't rush him back, nor will it keep him down just because Maxiell and Davis have come on strong. When team strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander gives him the all clear, Saunders will activate Wallace. Period. "Now, I might cut minutes," Saunders said. "But that's because of how these other guys are playing. 'Sheed's always been a guy who can still get you big numbers in lower minutes. Even if he plays 28, 29 minutes, he might get you the same stats he'd get you in 35."</div> Source
