Former Piston, Rasheed Wallace joined ESPN’s Bomani Jones on his The Right Time podcast on Thursday. “Sheed” said that his 2004 Pistons team could have beaten any of today’s great teams.
NBA and Pistons treasure, Rasheed Wallace joined ESPN’s The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast last Thursday. In a 40-minute interview, Wallace talked about the many stops in his basketball career
During that interview, Wallace declared his Detroit Pistons team could contend against anyone in today’s NBA.
Jones asked him if he felt his 2004 Pistons team could beat any current team. Wallace responded confidently, “Yes I does.”
He said the current era of NBA teams could not handle the defense of that team of himself, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace “We hung our hat on defense,” he said.
"“Today in this league, it’s not about defense. It’s about offense. They wanna put up all the threes and make it more of an exciting game for the fans.”"
Jones then pointed out how that Pistons starting lineup was built for the small-ball lineups we see today working for the likes of the Golden State Warriors.
“Ben Wallace and you and Tayshaun could play inside and outside, and stretch the defense out.” Jones said.
He also asked Wallace about how beating the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal-led Los Angeles Lakers felt after losing to that team multiple times earlier in his career.
“It made the redemption sweeter,” Wallace said about the Pistons’ championship-winning series in 2004 over the Lakers. Before being traded to the Pistons during the 2003-04 season, Wallace’s Portland Trail Blazers lost five playoff series to the Lakers.
“By beating the Lakers, the team that was pounding me for years, and stopping my path to the finals; so it felt good to get that one against them in Detroit.”
Wallace provided great insight into his time at North Carolina as well as his stints in Washington and Portland in the interview.
You can listen to the full interview from The Right Time with Bomani Jones here.