Sam Smith

Imagine how good the Detroit Pistons would be if they had a big man with post moves to create even more space for their terrific perimeter players, perhaps someone with the skills of Rasheed Wallace.

Ah, 'Sheed. He's proven to be both the question and the answer.

Wallace is the reason the Pistons morphed from 50-win team and solid second round playoff contender to legitimate championship team with an upset of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.

The Pistons didn't have a true superstar until Joe Dumars shocked the NBA by acquiring Rasheed in midseason in 2003-04. Wallace doesn't act much like a superstar since he prefers being one of the guys and not "the Man." But he has remarkable skills and suddenly transformed the Pistons from a small, hustling team with 6-7 center Ben Wallace to a big team which could deal with everyone's matchup issues because Wallace could play inside and out and defend the giant centers.

Wallace also is the reason the Pistons stall so often after winning a few games in the playoffs, the real reason the Pistons are viewed as a team that doesn't take all the games seriously.

Chancey Billups is regarded as the Pistons' top player, though Rasheed is by far their most skilled and capable.

He just doesn't feel like it all the time, and when he's not into the game or doing what's necessary to make the difference, the Pistons look like they're taking teams casually.

So it was typical De-troit basketball, as the announcer likes to scream back home, when leading two games to none Wednesday against the Magic.

Orlando took a 20-3 lead, hung on through a Pistons rally within three late in the third quarter and then blew away the Pistons to close the game and pull within 2-1 with a 111-86 victory.

That's what the Pistons do: Take a commanding series lead and then it appears they play with their opponent like a cat with a mouse. They let it get away, then catch it again, then let it get away. But sometimes the mouse does escape, like the Cavs last season after losing the first two and coming back to win the series and go to the Finals.

There's always plenty of drama going on around the Pistons. Last season, there was Chris Webber pouting and blasting coach Flip Saunders for not being used in the playoffs, even though Webber had almost nothing left.

The season before it was Ben Wallace melting down against the Cavs and Heat. There's often Richard Hamilton getting caught up in his individual matchups and throwing himself at the basket.

My personal favorite moment, though, was the brilliant Game 5 when LeBron James had 48 points. Late in that overtime classic, James inexplicably got down the lane and to the basket for slam dunks. It seemed impossible against such a good defensive team as the Pistons. But Wallace, on his own, had gathered the players and overruled Saunders' defense and offered his own. In the chaos, James had open lanes to the basket.

Billups Wednesday suffered a groin injury early in the first quarter, and Saunders said afterward they expect him to play in Game 4. But such injuries tend to take long to fully heal, and a slowed Billups playing would cancel out a big advantage the Pistons have as they've abused the smaller Magic guards, especially Jameer Nelson.

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The Pistons are expert at seeking out and exploiting matchups in their favor and quickly identified Nelson as one they could use all series.

Should Billups not be able to play, it is a major loss for the Pistons and gives the Magic life that few figured for them, though nobody expects a short series with the Pistons.

Game 3 was classic 'Sheed.

One of Wallace's favorite ploys is to get a few early fouls and then sit down. Wallace isn't exactly the player to show up for every game. He'll be there for the big ones, but he gets bored easily, like when the Pistons are ahead 2-0. So it was no surprise Wallace was in early foul trouble Wednesday, though he seemed to be more into that game.

The problem was that for a smart player — and Wallace does have a high basketball IQ — Wallace plays dumb much too often.

So the Magic is home and the home crowd is pumped and the Magic bolt out to a fast lead and Billups is hurt and has to leave the game.

This is the time for the Pistons to slow the game. They do that, anyway, and the book on them always is to play faster, take them out of their suffocating half court defense and try to get them in a scoring game because they don't get many easy points or fast break points.

So what does Wallace do?

Instead of seeking out the ball in the post where the Pistons can slow the game, perhaps draw some fouls on Dwight Howard and make it the kind of grind it out game they like and would need moreso now with Billups out, Wallace starts firing 3-pointers.

Wallace shot a jumper and a three in his first two shots, already ignoring the chance to play a Pistons style game. At that point with the Magic up 6-2, Billups went down and out. So Wallace immediately follows with a long three and another miss, two of his first three shots missed threes, which are the easiest to run on. So the Magic wants to run and speed the game. Who played into that the best?

Wallace made a three with the Pistons down 20-3, and then his next shot was still another three that missed and the Pistons were in a deep hole. It wasn't until the Pistons were down 24-6 that Wallace went to the basket for the first time and dunked.

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Wallace is easily the most talented player on the Pistons. He's one of the biggest talents in the NBA, though declining somewhat now at 33. He has a soft shooting touch, has a classic postup game and is a terrific position defender. He could have been one of the all-time greats. He just never much cared to. A career filled with fines, controversies and feuds with media and managements didn't help much, either.

The bad guy, hot head image mostly has dissipated in Detroit, where he is surrounded by professionals and top management.

And he is the classic conundrum for the Pistons. They never would have been what they were without him. They could be so much more with him if he wanted to be.

The NBA keeps a plus/minus statistic now in box scores, and with a big loss like the Pistons had Wednesday, most everyone would be minus in their time on the floor.

Yet, it was so surprise the biggest minus by far was when Wallace was on the floor. The team was minus 30 when Wallace played. The next poorest was minus 18 for Tayshaun Prince. Wallace had his two first quarter fouls and four early ones and didn't play as much, which often happens in those kinds of games when he's firing away and not as much engaged.

The Pistons appear the stronger team and their third quarter comeback seemed to enforce that. But you can never quite tell with Detroit because you can never quite tell with 'Sheed.