Wallace
Wallace
Wallace will play, Clifford Robinson is out tonight.
Wallace will face Duncan, Robinson
April 12, 2002
BY HELENE ST. JAMES
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Pistons defensive standout Ben Wallace ended Thursday's practice session with a demonstration in front of coach Rick Carlisle and strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander.
They all agreed on Wallace's status for tonight's game against San Antonio: He will play.
"I took two games off, that's long enough," Wallace said. "I'm not one to sit on the sideline and just watch my teammates while they're battling hard and knowing that there's a chance I might be able to help them. Sitting over there in street clothes, I can't do anything."
The Pistons went 1-1 while he nursed a sprained right ankle.
His presence against the mighty inside duo of David Robinson and Tim Duncan is crucial because the Pistons will be without starting center Cliff Robinson. Robinson has a funeral to attend, but he is expected to be back for Saturday's game at Chicago. His absence means Zeljko Rebraca will start for the third straight game. Normally the backup center, Rebraca spent the past two games replacing Wallace at power forward.
Wallace spent 15 to 20 minutes doing drills with Kander and Carlisle, and landed again and again on his right foot. Kander saw no wincing, which did as much to convince him of Wallace's readiness as Wallace's own opinion. To be cautious, Kander will continue treating Wallace's ankle until it heals completely.
"We can't tape his ankle because he hates the feeling of compression around his joints," Kander said. "So we have to isolate the ligaments and tape them individually. It takes awhile."
The game should be a great test of the ankle's stability, pitting the leading rebounders in the NBA against one another. Wallace will take his 12.9 average up against Duncan's 12.7. On a larger scale, the game presents the opportunity for Detroit to improve its home performance, a 5-6 mark in its past 11 games at the Palace.
"I just go out there and work hard and have fun," Wallace said. "I think if everybody approached the game like that and not worried about who we have or don't have, good things will happen."
NOTEBOOK: President Joe Dumars said the team planned to activate point guard Dana Barros today after a three-month, 45-game hiatus. "We intend to take a look at him in game situations before the playoffs," Dumars said. A left hamstring injury has kept Barros out since Jan. 8. Barros, who turns 35 Saturday, has started 20 of 27 games played, averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 assists. If he doesn't play tonight, he has three games left before the playoffs. . . . Should the Pistons win three of their remaining four games, Carlisle would surpass the franchise-record 49 victories by a first-year coach set by Chuck Daly in 1983-84. Ray Scott won 52 in his first full season, in 1973-74.
Contact HELENE ST. JAMES at 313-222-2295 or
stjames@freepress.com.
