Human Victory Cigar

Chris Webber vs. Ben Wallace.

 

From a series of fan previews and matchup analysis from the members at Pistonsforum.com

Max

Ben will be out for blood but Cwebb is hungrier. This may be CWebbs last chance at a title.

Advantage: Push

 

TaShawn

This one is like trying to compare apples to oranges. They are so different in every way imaginable.

Ben plays incredible defense and Webber is wearing moon boots.
You can feed Webber in the post and Ben eats post players for breakfast.
Webber has eyes in the back of hit head and Ben’s afro has a mind of its own.

I don’t know who wants this title more. And I’m really not sure if either guy could hit the game winning free throw if it came down to it.

I would give the edge to Wallace based on how much I like his style, but the Pistons seem to be playing as well with Webber as with Ben, and all else is about equal. Slight edge to Ben, but not enough to be official.

Advantage: Push

 

Jammertime

This match-up is a tale of 2 ends of the court. On offense, it’s all C-Webb and on D is all Big Ben.

Against most bigs, Webber would have a clear advantage in the assist category, but Ben isn’t that bad himself, averaging 2.4 per game to Chris’ 3. Both are very unselfish players, the difference is, Webber is an offensive weapon while Ben does his damage on the other end.

And then there’s always the FT’s….

Advantage: Push

 

DLev59

Webber can draw Ben away from the hoop where he is not very comfortable. Webber on the high post can either pass, shoot or even put the ball on the floor. C-Webb is slow of foot which will hurt him down in the trenches against Ben. Webb must not be tentative if he has open looks, because Ben will be cheating to play help defense if needed.

If Webber’s J is falling Ben might fall for a pump fake or two for a couple of fouls. Simple boxing out could limit Ben’s rebounds, please Chris, just do the simple things.

Advantage: Chicago

 

Linwood

Great offense vs. great defense. Lousy defense vs. horrible offense. This should be a great matchup to watch. I expect Wallace to have one great scoring game when the Flip Saunders Pistons forget to guard Ben, and the Bulls use that back-door-lob-to-Wallace-for-the-dunk play that LB used so often. That will only happen during one game though, as the veteran Pistons will quickly adjust.

I expect to see phenomenal play from Ben, as he earns his large payday.
I expect to see phenomenal play from Chris, as he exorcises the ghosts of Michigan Past.

Advantage: Push

 

Cloudwalker

Both players bring essential elements to the table that their respective teams feed on in pressure situations.

Wallace brings them mental toughness and huge plays on the defensive end that could put them over the top against anyone.

Webber gives our offense the fluidity that makes fans, players, and coaches of other teams like to watch the Pistons as long as they are not playing them.

Both of these things are necessary to teams aspiring to be champions, therefore I cannot choose one over the other.

This matchup is only slightly less vital in my eyes than that of Prince and Deng. If one wins big, so likely, will his team.

Advantage: Push

 

Dumars4Ever

CWebb stepped up against Orlando with some timely drives to the hoop and savvy maneuvering in the lane. He should be able to get some of that against the Bulls as well, but Big Ben’s dominance on the boards and in the lane on D are enough for me to give the edge here to Chicago. Another big factor is Ben’s familiarity with almost every key player on the Pistons’ roster, which will be the best scouting report that the Bulls could hope for. That doesn’t apply as much to CWebb in particular, of course, but overall, it’s a big intangible in Ben’s favor.

Advantage: Chicago

 

BillLaimbeer

I’m calling this one a push. Webber is useful on one end of the floor and Wallace is useful on the other. Wallace’s free throw shooting is a major liability, but Webber hasn’t looked very good recently at the line himself. The Piston bigs should be able to sag and help on guard penetration since they won’t have to guard Ben Wallace. Of course, Big Ben will not offer a friendly welcome when Hamilton or Billups visit the lane.

Advantage: Push

 

Himat

I will give a slight advantage to Chicago in this matchup, but I would not be surprised if Webber dominates against Ben. C Webb is better on offense, and Ben is better on defense. This matchup will come down to hiding weaknesses. The Bulls have no low post scorer so Webb should be able to hide his slow defense.

Advantage: Chicago

 

Dba

This can go either way. Webber pulls Ben out on the floor, opens up the middle for all kinds of Pistons cutters, and rains midrange jumpers. Or, Ben crowds him leading to turnovers, missed shots, and Bulls run-outs.

Ben was my favorite Wallace last year, but I don’t think he matches up well against the Pistons.

Advantage: Detroit

 

The Low

This should be a most interesting match up as Webber will be regarded largely as a replacement for Ben Wallace although history should really account for the production (or lack thereof) of one Nazr Mohammed. Offensively I don’t see much difference as Webber has recently taken to averaging about 10-12 PPG with the exception of a 15 Pts+ game every now and again. For the most part, Ben Wallace has been able to duplicate the 10 Pt production mark on most nights with a handful of dunks and a fade away here and there. The biggest and most noticeable disparity will be Ben Wallace’s ability to make Webber look glued to the floor concerning rebounds. Wallace may not be able to keep Webber from scoring completely, but he’s less likely than, say, a Tyson Chandler to be moved out of position. If the Bulls don’t do a lot of double teaming, Ben Wallace should be able to have a larger individual impact on this series than Webber. Hack-A-Ben strategy should not be a factor in this series as it has proven to be unsuccessful and more importantly the Bulls seem to respond positively to it.

Advantage: Chicago

 

Mercury

Ben’s game is well documented… hustle, defensive and offensive rebounds, steals etc…. Mr. Intangible.
Sheed got very upset when the Clippers went to hack-a-Ben… this is one of the interesting strategies of this series… it has been tried and failed by several teams.
Both players set solid picks.
Webber will be used as a trigger man for the Pistons cutters… if Chicago picks up well then CWebb will go to a turnaround mid range shot or inside hook (good at shielding with his body). Good handles for a big man.
Webber is slow to react on defense.
Webber can sag on Ben but he has to be careful helping on others or Ben will get the easy bucket inside.
Will Webber be able to keep Ben off the glass?
Will Ben be forced outside?

Advantage: Chicago