Earlier this week, we made the argument that Ben Wallace deserves a spot in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
I do think that Wallace is certainly deserving, as he was the best defensive player throughout the 2000s and the best Piston of the 21st century. He also won a title without ring chasing and was a central part of that team. He was one of the best players in the league and led the league in both blocks and rebounds at one point.
The only thing missing is scoring, but that’s only one aspect of the game.
I personally think the Hall of Fame is too easy to get into, and it should be reserved for all-time greats but Wallace was a generational player, and no matter what the criteria are, he deserves a spot.
But if he isn’t inducted in 2021, then the voting committee must also reject Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony when their time comes.
Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace will set a new standard for Hall of Fame
Carmelo dominated one side of the ball, but he was inefficient and made the teams around him worse. The Knicks underperformed with him for seven years, and he was run out of Oklahoma City. He has not won a ring, nor will he at this point in his career.
Yes, he has a scoring title and six All-Star appearances, but Wallace has four and was a better and more important player on better teams that always overperformed and never were underwhelming.
Dwight Howard and Ben Wallace actually have had very similar careers. Howard’s was admittedly longer so he has more individual accolades, but he never won a championship as a starter. And isn’t that how we measure NBA success?
If the voting committee determines that Wallace doesn’t make the cut, I won’t be outraged. But the standard will have been set. Big-time names who had similar careers must also be left out, but since they played a more popular style of basketball, I’m not optimistic.
Ben Wallace will be an interesting case for the Hall of Fame that might set the standard for future players who had similar careers.