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Detroit Pistons general manager Joe Dumars tried his very best to keep the hard working Ben Wallace within the Piston fold. But Wallace had a 60 million-dollar reason not to stay. With Big Ben off to greener pastures, the Pistons’ identity has been shaken. They are definitely in transition right now as they need to re-define their identity.

For the past five seasons, the Piston game has been characterized with a shackling defense. They suffocate their opponents taking away the hopes in the eyes of the opposition. Their defensive-oriented strategy has brought them a championship in 2004, and they have been a perennial Eastern Conference Finals contender. And in the middle of that overpowering defense is Big Ben Wallace, their “heart and soul.” Wallace has been the binding force in every Piston block, defensive rebound and steal. He is the anchor. Wallace has been a major contributor in Detroit’s success.

Now that Big Ben’s gone, and with coach Flip Saunders around, the Pistons may have to incorporate the trend that most NBA teams are adapting – the offense-minded approach. Last season, they showed that they too can run an up-tempo type of offense, setting a record 64 wins. Most likely, they will have to abandon the defense-oriented system, and tinker on the offensive play book. Expect Flip Saunders to set and draw a lot of offensive plays, and provide his players with a lot of scoring opportunities.

Their starting five has been consistent throughout the years. Ever since acquiring Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons have had the same five to begin ball games with. It’s pretty much “standard issue” to have Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups as the starting five. However, there has been much debate on who will take over Ben Wallace’s role. I’ll be honest here: NOBODY can replace Big Ben’s contribution. Not a single one can. They did acquire center Nazr Mohammed from San Antonio. But we cannot expect Mohammed to pile up the same numbers. They play a different game. One thing’s for sure though, Mohammed can rebound. He averaged 14.1 rebounds per game last season, ranking ninth in the league.

The starting center slot is a toss-up between Mohammed and veteran Antonio McDyess. Both are not really good defenders. And Mohammed has lesser blocks than is expected of him. He averages just 19 minutes a game for his whole career. He will see more minutes, but not a significant increase in output. The difference, though, is he is can contribute much more in offense than Ben Wallace. He has a better free-throw percentage as well. On the other hand, McDyess can contribute well in an up-tempo type of game. He averaged 7 points and 6 rebounds last season, playing just 20 minutes an outing. If I were Saunders, I’ll start with Mohammed. The other four guys can well handle the offensive production. Mohammed will just be a complimentary player. I will let McDyess come off the bench to provide more bench scoring.

Wallace, Prince, Hamilton and Billups all can play heavy minutes. They are all in their prime, and I expect Saunders to play them to their limits each night. They just don’t tire out easily. Thus, an eight-man rotation is installed for this year’s Pistons. Coming off the bench are Lindsey Hunter, McDyess and Flip Murray. These three will provide instant offense. And Hunter is a good defensive guard. Carlos Delfino, Dale Davis, Ronald Dupree and Amir Johnson complete the active roster for Detroit.

As I look at their line-up, Saunders may want to adapt the “small ball” offense being popularized by the Phoenix Suns. He may want to play Prince at four, Wallace at five, Hamilton at 3, Murray or Hunter at two and Billups at one. They will need to adapt to this new offensive strategy right away as all other teams have become better during the off-season. Their firepower, on the other hand, has gone south with Big Ben gone. The sooner they adjust to this new system, the better chances they have in retaining their stronghold as one of the top two teams in the East. Definitely, Cleveland is their toughest opponent if they are to reach the Eastern Conference Finals once again. The Cavaliers will challenge them for the right to face the Miami Heat. (pics courtesy of nba.com)