Wallace a scoring option??? Options

[Serbbojo]

Yes we all know Wallace has never been known for his scoring but do you guys think he could be a big part of the offense?

If you think about it, Chandler has had moments where hes put up some big numbers on the offensive side, and Chandler is prolly the least cordinated center on the offensive side there is. you pass him the ball and theres a 75% chance he wont catch it. Now we have a center in Ben Wallace who has the ability to catch the ball from bail out passes from our guards and also has the strength to go up and dunk it while taking a hit. If we give Wallace all the opportunities that chandler had and more he could become at least a 10pt per game player which is all we really need him to do on the offensive side.

Last season he shot 51% from the floor, i honestly believe if the pistons incorporated him more on the offensive side he wouldve produced sometimes and wouldve put up some decent numbers on offense.

[DutheDoduhon21]

i agree i think if he is given the chance to be a big part on offence he could be, he can catch the ball unlike tyson, so it could happen.

[ZoomSlowik]

It seems pretty unlikely. He's only averaged over 8 points per game twice in his career. Wallace actually got more attempts than Chandler did the past few years. Tyson never got more than 6.5 attempts in a season (and that was 4 seasons ago), and the last 3 years he got 4.5, 4.2, and 5.2 attempts per game, and that's without as much depth as we have now. Wallace got 9.2 per game in 03-04 and 8.8 per game in 04-05 (those also happened to be his two worst shooting years percentage-wise, which should tell you something) and 5.7 last year. So basically he'd have to get significantly more touches than Chandler did AND convert more efficiently than he did for most of his prime. Plus his horrendous free throw percentage will hurt his cause.

He'd have to get AT LEAST 8 attempts per game and make more than half of them. Even then, he'd need roughly another 2 points on the line, which is a fair amount above his career average. I don't really think you can justify giving him more shots than that given our depth, our other scoring options, and his lack of a productive history in the area.

[Serbbojo]

it may say that tyson never got more than 6.5 attempts per game but i dont think that counts every single time kirk or ben or another guard drove into the lane and dished it to chandler as he was open under the hoop, and then chandler completely missing the pass. he does that at least 5 times in every game where he completely fumbles a pass as he is open for a dunk.

im not really talking about low post scoring where wallace would back down and throw a hook shot but more of a drive and dish to the big man or an alley-op which hasnt been done with chandler for awhile becuz he basically has bad hands. i think our guards are a lot better than detriots especially when it comes to moving the ball, i just think with a center with good hands under the basket he could definitely put up some decent numbers and be a important part to the offense.

[Balta1701-B]

I think the whole question of B-wall on offense might be one of the more underrated aspects of the Bulls signing ben Wallace. His offense has actually improved over the years. IIRC, he actually has increased his PPG in recent years, and was actually scoring over 10 ppg last year, despite not being a real major scoring option in the Detroit plan.

Yes, we have better scoring options than Detroit did, with guys like Gordon, Hinrich, Deng, and Noc. But Detroit also had Sheed, who in terms of their big men, was sucking up a significant portion of their inside offensive game. B-Wall's job simply hasn't been to provide offensive support at any point in recent years...what he's given has basically been a bonus.

I for one am hoping that given major outside offensive threats like Gordon et al., Big Ben might turn out to be a better offensive addition than some people think he will be.

[Steve9347]

he was signed to play defense. he cannot play offense.

period.

[ZoomSlowik]

I think the whole question of B-wall on offense might be one of the more underrated aspects of the Bulls signing ben Wallace. His offense has actually improved over the years. IIRC, he actually has increased his PPG in recent years, and was actually scoring over 10 ppg last year, despite not being a real major scoring option in the Detroit plan.

Yes, we have better scoring options than Detroit did, with guys like Gordon, Hinrich, Deng, and Noc. But Detroit also had Sheed, who in terms of their big men, was sucking up a significant portion of their inside offensive game. B-Wall's job simply hasn't been to provide offensive support at any point in recent years...what he's given has basically been a bonus.

I for one am hoping that given major outside offensive threats like Gordon et al., Big Ben might turn out to be a better offensive addition than some people think he will be.

That's not really true. Last year he only averaged 7.3 points per game, which was down quite a bit from the previous two years. His highest average ever was 9.7 a game, and as I said, he's only been over 8 twice in his career. Plus in previous years he was a bigger part of their offense, because Prince didn't used to be a real threat and Wallace wasn't even on the team.

I just don't see how we can expect a guy that has never averaged more than 10 points a game that has about as limited an offensive repetoire as Tyrus Thomas and can't hit free throws is suddenly going to do it when he is 32 and playing on a loaded team. He's simply not going to get 5 dunks a game, and that's about the only way he can score. The guy isn't really better than Chandler offensively, other than the fact that he's on the court a bit more. In fact, in those years when he scored more he shot 42 percent and 45 percent, which is putrid for a big man.

As Steve said, we signed him to play defense and rebound, not be an offensive threat. We have 4 guys that are significantly better offensive options and at least 2 others that are also better. If Wallace is going to be a significant offensive factor on this team, we have problems.

[Steve9347]

we can't depend on him for scoring, or hope for anymore than he has ever given us... he is a superb defensive talent, and that is it!

i'll take his defense over a good offensive center on this team anyday!

[Serbbojo]

I just don't see how we can expect a guy that has never averaged more than 10 points a game that has about as limited an offensive repetoire as Tyrus Thomas and can't hit free throws is suddenly going to do it when he is 32 and playing on a loaded team. He's simply not going to get 5 dunks a game, and that's about the only way he can score. The guy isn't really better than Chandler offensively, other than the fact that he's on the court a bit more. In fact, in those years when he scored more he shot 42 percent and 45 percent, which is putrid for a big man.

are u saying tyrus thomas is as bad on offense as ben wallace??? where did u get that from, tyrus can shoot all the way out to the 3.

[ZoomSlowik]

are u saying tyrus thomas is as bad on offense as ben wallace??? where did u get that from, tyrus can shoot all the way out to the 3.

I can "shoot all the way out to the 3" too, that doesn't mean I'm good.

At this point in his career he's very similar to Wallace on the offensive end, only he thinks he's better. Just because he hits a handful jumpers over the course of a season doesn't mean he's good at it (and I do mean only a hand full). He shot exactly one 3-pointer all last season at LSU. He's far from a sniper. How many jump-shooters do you know that shoot 60%? The vast majority of his production comes on dunks and lay-ins.

[Serbbojo]

his high school coach said they stuck him in the post at LSU and didnt allow him to use his jumpshot or move to the outside.

I dont see how you can compared Tyrus to Wallace, they are just different players. Wallace is more of a player who can over power others, tyrus is more of a quicker, agile player who can spin around you and get to the hoop, or completely jump over you. He can also hit his free throws with more of a consistency. I doubt paxson wouldve drafted tyrus if he thought he was the same exact player as wallace, where he wouldnt be a offensive threat at all.

anyways back to the topic, if you put wallace in teh position chandler was in the past where the ball was passed to him, the difference would be Wallace would catch it and put it up, chandler would fumble it around and prolly lose it. No one is saying hes gonna be a HUGE part of the offense, but i think hes capable of averaging 10 or 11pts per game with put backs and bail out passes from our guards.

[ZoomSlowik]

his high school coach said they stuck him in the post at LSU and didnt allow him to use his jumpshot or move to the outside.

I dont see how you can compared Tyrus to Wallace, they are just different players. Wallace is more of a player who can over power others, tyrus is more of a quicker, agile player who can spin around you and get to the hoop, or completely jump over you. He can also hit his free throws with more of a consistency. I doubt paxson wouldve drafted tyrus if he thought he was the same exact player as wallace, where he wouldnt be a offensive threat at all.

anyways back to the topic, if you put wallace in teh position chandler was in the past where the ball was passed to him, the difference would be Wallace would catch it and put it up, chandler would fumble it around and prolly lose it. No one is saying hes gonna be a HUGE part of the offense, but i think hes capable of averaging 10 or 11pts per game with put backs and bail out passes from our guards.

Trust me, I've seen his perimeter abilities. LSU struggled mightily on offense when guys like Thomas, Davis, and Mitchell started shooting jumpers, and he wasn't any better from the perimeter in the pre-season games. He needs a lot of work.

I didn't compare the two players, I compared their offensive repetoire right now. Wallace is obviously a lot stronger while Thomas is obviously a lot more athletic. Plus one is just starting his career while the other is starting to wind down.

If Wallace averages 10 a game, that would consititute being a huge part of our offense. That means he's getting a solid amount of touches and has to actually create his own shot every once in a while. He's not going to get enough open dunks and layups to do that, and any intelligent team would just foul him because it's highly unlikely that he hits them both.

I still don't see a reason that he should suddenly score well when he rarely has done it before (and does 9.7 really constitute scoring well?). What, Detroit never passed him the ball? He never got an offensive rebound? That's simply not the case. He would have to be SIGNIFICANTLY better than Chandler offensively, and that's simply not the case. Just catching a few more balls doesn't translate to getting 3 more shot attempts a game and making a good number of them.

[sport1016]

Will he score more than chandler?

Absolutely. Just because he can catch.

Will he score more than last year?

Yes. He will get A COUPLE more opportunities. He was alienated from the offense by flip. Also, as opposed to being on a primarily jump shooting team like the bulls were for most of last season and the pistons have been for the last few years, he'll be on a team that will run more than an older pistons team did and HOPEFULLY will penetrate and dish more like the end of the season.

That still, however, maxes at like 8-9 pts. Honestly, if Big Ben can average 11 rbs and over 2 blocks, PLUS 8 pts, that's a nice bonus if you consider PJ will probably score some too.

[whitesoxfan101]

He's going to be similar to Tyson on offense, except worse on free throws, BUT he will dunk all those balls inside that Tyson was scared and passed on/dropped the ball. I have Ben as a guy that will be good for 10 points/12 boards a game this year, I think he'll score about 10 a game for us. But we need to keep him away from the free throw line, although he will draw some fouls, which will get us in the penalty earlier, which is a plus.

[Serbbojo]

he managed to score 7pts in just 20mins thats basically his average with the pistons, so it seems very possible for him to be a 10pt per game guy.