The worst starter in the NBA
Ben Wallace
The names and the teams may change, but NBA training camp is annually littered with position battles. This year, for example, you’ll have Steve Blake trying to keep his starting PG job safe from Andre Miller in Portland; Brandon Jennings and Luke Ridnour (and perhaps Ramon Sessions) fighting for top QB duties in Milwaukee; and in Washington, Nick Young, Randy Foye, Mike Miller and DeShawn Stevenson will vie for the starting backcourt spot next to Gilbert Arenas, while JaVale McGee and Fab Oberto challenge Brendan Haywood for minutes at center.
Most of the time, you can predict the winners fairly accurately before camp even opens. Not so much in Detroit. While Pistons president Joe Dumars has been active in free agency and looks to have had a solid Draft, he’s still being criticized for failing to (at least effectively) address the hole at center left by Rasheed Wallace. As it stands going into camp, the candidates to start at the five are Kwame Brown, Chris Wilcox and Ben Wallace. In yesterday’s Detroit Free-Press, columnist Michael Rosenberg speculates on who could win the job:
The Pistons ostensibly signed Wallace to back up Kwame Brown, but I already can hear Pistons PA announcer John Mason doing the pregame introduction: “Aaaaaaaaaat center … Kwame Brown?!?!?”
I suspect newly acquired Chris Wilcox will be the starting center before long. Wallace’s role should be limited: 5 to 20 minutes per night, depending on matchups and his energy level.
While five minutes a night seems like a low number, there’s no argument that Big Ben shouldn’t be a starter at this point in his career. Kwame is getting better (really), but I doubt he’ll ever get out of the “just focus on defense and rebounding and don’t try to do too much” mode. Ideally, he’s a backup. And then there’s Wilcox, who isn’t too undersized (6-10, 235) for center, but is a natural power forward and leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to rebounding (5.3 rpg for his career). Wilcox is also wildly inconsistent — in production and effort — and not somebody you can depend on to log major minutes for you 82 games per year.
The only guarantee is that whoever wins the job, he’ll automatically become the front-runner for the 2010 Mike James Award as the NBA’s worst regular starter. And, more importantly, he could be an easy scapegoat if Detroit misses the playoffs for the first time since ‘01.
Who is the worst starter in the League?
August 14th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Daddy Dollars says:
If JR Smith doesn’t start in Denver, I would give that honor to Arron Afflalo.
August 14th, 2009 at 8:14 am
POPPI GEE says:
Whoever it is, it has to be at the center position more than likely just off of first thought.
August 14th, 2009 at 8:18 am
smoove chips says:
breaks my heart to see big ben in that position.This is why i say cats gotta learn to manage they paper.i don’t think its the love for the game any more.Even when he wasn’t playing injured,its like the game’s left him.time to ride out into the sunset.you can’t have spent all 60 mill that you got from the chi!!
August 14th, 2009 at 8:25 am
rick773 says:
Unless the sixers start Lou Williams it’ll probably Royal Ivey….Or Corey Brewer unless they start Ellington
August 14th, 2009 at 8:56 am
K-Bear says:
Whoever starts at power forward in Milwaukee.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:14 am
wiz says:
Stevenson is gonna keep that starting job in Washington foye is the backup point and mike miller is the back up small foward that leaves stevenson starting and nick young (red rooster aka the city aka the bean burrito)as his back up. If any one takes stevenson job it would nick young.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:20 am
bone0315 says:
I think this should be re-named the Dhantay Jones Award for his contributions to Denver last season – play the first seven minutes of each half, then waive towels the rest of the time.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Kobeef says:
Worst starter in the NBA, 100%, hands down is…Houston’s entire starting lineup this October.
Seriously, T-Mac probably won’t be ready for the start of the season, Yao is out and Ron Ron is gone, so who is starting? Battier, Ariza, Brooks, Scola, Landry? That is not good.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Dennis Castro says:
Willie Green has had this title on lock for 2 years now. He’s almost eligible for the lifetime achievement award for this title now.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:49 am
karizmatic says:
Nah the lifetime achievement award for this goes to Eric Snow. I don’t know who the worst starter would be. Hmm Varejao? Who’s going to play center for the Heat? Maybe Spencer Hawes should be considered for this award.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:58 am
King says:
You actually said a of batlle between Andre miller and Steve blake??!?!?
But who knows one time this season me and a friend had a convo talking about why does Steve Blake always start on teams he plays for
August 14th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Borgs says:
Erick Dampier.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Sanssasin says:
what about cj miles of the jazz? would he even be on another teams roster that is a playoff contender?
deshawn stevenson is one. cat has no game.
what about the bucks pf? who starts? amir johnson? if so, that’s it hands down. it’s either him or joe alexander.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:51 am
shake&bake says:
I guess since I don’t watch too much of him, I never realized Chris Wilcox was that bad.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:53 am
MSkittle says:
When they start him, Brian Scalabrine
August 14th, 2009 at 11:10 am
THE_REAL_SHAQ says:
@Borgs
Ericka Dampier
August 14th, 2009 at 11:36 am
TJ says:
How about Roy Hibbert, whoever starts at SG for the Wolves (Ellington, Brewer, Carney???), or Varejao?
As a Cavs fan, I vote for Varejao.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:52 am
brickhouse says:
Erick Dampier
August 14th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
jryu says:
3rd vote for erick dampier..
i dont know wtf mark cuban was thinking…
August 14th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
fan says:
Chris Duhon.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Beno Udrih. Worst starter for the league’s worst team (last season).
August 14th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
sh!tfaced says:
…and Ericka Dampier.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
@ Kobeef everyone you just named went to the Western Conference Finals and took the Lakers to 7 Games.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Phila25 says:
Willie Green
August 14th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Willsway says:
I’ll nominate the whole Raptors team, Except Bosh.
Colangelo is the worst GM.
August 14th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Mack Brownee says:
Varejeo…I don’t care how much money Cleveland throws at sideshow bob, that guy belongs in the circus more than the starting line-up
August 14th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Mark says:
What’s he earning, a veteran’s minimum of 1.3 million for 5-20 minutes a night? If he plays all 82 games, that’s ~$15,800 per game, so aside from working out, that’s works out to be (estimated, 30 minutes a night)… ~$550 per minute, or about $9.00 per second.
And yet, nobody expects anything from him. If only our lives could be so easy.
August 14th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Tim says:
It’s impossible the Pistons miss the playoffs
August 14th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
pdxballer says:
how can you guys say anything bad about blake?
he wasnt spectacular but he did everything he was supposed to without many turnovers. he provided great clutch shooting in at least 5 games and was one of the most reliable hardworking blazers all season…
and by the way, nate mcmillan has already said blake is likely to start.
August 14th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Arno says:
I don’t know if Bargnani will be the worst. But, after an horrible first game vs France, where he was eaten alive by Flo Pietrus, he had a 5 pts (2/9) and 5 rb in the back game, letting Turiaf, Batum, Diaw and Pietrus dunk at will on Parker’s assists.
It looks bad…
August 14th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
the cynic says:
Ericka Dampier. He may not technically be the “WORST”, but i’m giving him bonus point for being one of the top 5 worst starters in the league for like 6 or 7 years
August 14th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Kellan says:
Worst Starters
Houston Nominees
Landry/Hayes/Anderson (whoever starts)
Brent Barry (Could start if Battier starts at 4 and Ariza at the 3)
Minnesota Nominees
Everyone except Love, Flynn and Jefferson
Wing Options
Ryan Gomes, Corey Brewer, Damien Wilkins
I would like to point out the season finale last year the T-Pups started Kevin Ollie, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, Mark Madsen, Jarron Collins aka the worst starting 5 in the history of basketball at any level.
Pistons Nominees
Wallace, Wilcox, Brown
August 14th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
tindore says:
@ 27 that was the best f’in post, thank you 4 that!
Im mean he makes minimum wage 4 his profession, wtf! lol.
August 14th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
David_Brandon says:
i’ma have to agree w/ sh!tfaced… beno couldnt lead the kings outta the locker room. and i know we got my man tyreke, but he’s not a pure point and thats what the kings keep looking for and arent finding yet.
August 14th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
kevin says:
Ben is still good. He’s getting hold thats all
Michael Jordan! sportsupdates4you.blogspot.com!
August 14th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Luigi says:
Alright. my vote goes too……Nenad Kristic. OKC startin C….then also for last yr. Beno Udrih. then this year….the starting Center for the NYKs. Either David Lee comes back or that thing goes to Eddy Curry. kuz we all know that Al Harrington cant play C…..then we’ll see what goes on this yr
August 17th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
James says:
come on guys…
last year the bulls opened the season with Aaron Gray as the starting C.
the ben miller trade/noah emergence late in season put a stop to it, but it was real bad.
August 17th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Griff says:
Why is it that Detroit gets picked on for this? There are a lot of worse off centers and other starters in the League then Wilcox, Brown, and Wallace… Just for example: 1. NJ Nets- SF = Simmons? 2. Houston- C = Anderson? (who is that? LOL) 3. IND- C= Jeff Foster (gimme a break I would choose any of the 3 Pistons over that joke). Burton has no clue wtf he’s talkin about here at all…
August 17th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
dont matter says:
lmao r u serious u cant be serious thats the best you can do come on my dude….u point out ben wallace as the worst starter in the nba r u serious…..let me help u dummy…ok just for centers alone starting,i can point out 2 thats better than ben thats,superman and superman jr…and ben gives dwight a run for his money because ben has a)a ring b)is a four time defensive player of the year c)a four time all star…now lets look at the rest of centersdummy…..joakim noah,brad miller …zaza pachulla..eric dampier..oh yea cant forget nene…marcus camby he’s injury prone…Andris Biedrins ok…. eddy curry yea he’s nice,,so you must really like spencer hawes and calvin booth…oh no not the twin towers hibbert and foster…channing frye….marc blount i could go all day my dude…
August 17th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Seven Duece says:
that a living person could play worse than Eddy Curry is hard to fathom. Dampier sucks because he doesn’t have the talent, Eddy just wants to eat. us. all.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Sean says:
A nominee for the lifetime achievement award might be Jason Collins…
August 23rd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Greg says:
It has to be Bruce Bowen form last year!!!!
September 25th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
BT says:
Chris Duhon is not getting enough hate, if he wasn’t in the SSOL system he would be laughed out of the D-League. And Curry, damn my Knicks suck.