Monday, December 18, 2006 Sayson: Big Ben finally shows his worth By Homer Sayson Second overtime
CHICAGO—As mandated by the terms of his four-year, $60 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, Ben Wallace's starting salary is $14 million, or roughly $170,731 a game for 82 games this season.
The 6-foot-9 Wallace plays just 34 minutes a game, which means he is paid $5,021 for every minute of playing time. The president of the United States gets an annual salary of $400,000, but then again, I never saw Bill Clinton grab a rebound or block a shot.
As of Friday night, when the Bulls were about to play their 23rd game of the season, Wallace's stats have thus far been so frustratingly prosaic. People here are wondering if they had really signed an ex-Piston, not an ex-convict disguised as Big Ben.
I was the United Center last Friday evening for the Bulls-Bucks matchup, and due to a media seating rearrangement, which happens often, I was moved to the elevated press table on Section 115, Seat No. 6.
I had a crystal clear view of the court and Ben Wallace. He is huge, gleaming with 240 pounds of playoffs-tested muscle. He moved slowly during the pre-game warm-ups, his sleepy eyes avoiding contact. And he seemed harmless as a first crush, innocent as a stolen kiss.
Silly as it sounds, I, too, have been entertaining thoughts that the Wallace acquisition might just be a flop. After all, his averages in 22 previous games have been oh-so pedestrian, 6.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per.
Has Ben lost his mojo after all those tough years in Detroit? Or has time simply passed him by at age 32?.
I was dying for answers early in the Bucks game, until Wallace went to work. He had nine rebounds after one quarter, 15 at the half. And when Milwaukee finally surrendered, 117-111, Wallace had plucked 27 rebounds to go with his 10 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 shotblocks.
I don't know the name of the Bulls accountant, but this much I can say: Pay the man, Charlie.
I feel awkward, if not foolish, to be have doubted Wallace in the first place. But my high expectations on him were only based on the lofty standards that the multiple All-Star set for himself. Wasn't it said that to whom much is given, much is expected?
And just to be sure that all those lingering doubts about his $60 million pay dissipates, Big Ben turned in another monster performance last night in Atlanta, where the Bulls improved to 14-10 by sneaking past the Hawks at the Philips Arena.
Logging in 49 minutes of action, Wallace had 15 rebounds, 6.0 points. 8.0 assists and 3.0 blocks. A mediocre 45.1 percent free throw shooter, he forged overtime by calmly sinking a pair of freebies with 35 ticks left in regulation. And he grabbed a missed free Kirk Hinrich free throw to preserve the Bulls 106-104 overtime win.
"It seems like I'm always in that position ( shooting free throw late). I just wanted to get it up there and give it a chance to go in," Wallace told the Associated Press.
Well, Ben, good players are often involved late game-winning plays. And the great ones almost always come through. That's what you did. And that's why you're great. That's also why your paycheck says $14 million on it.
SUNS STILL SHINE. The fastbreaking Suns have won 14 in a row, running past the Kings 105-98 last night at the Arco Arena in Sacramento.
In tying their franchise-record of 14 consecutive wins, the Suns used the same modus operandi: multiple players doing multiple tasks thereby inflicting multiple damage.
Steve Nash led the assault with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Amare Stoudemire had 20 and 9.0 rebounds while Shawn Marion tallied 14 along with the usual acrobatics. Leandro Barbosa came off the bench and fired 18.
The Suns record now stands at 16-6, No.1 in the Pacific Division over the Lakers, and third-best in the league behind the Jazz and the Spurs.
