In Deja Vu News, Ben Wallace Signs with the Detroit Pistons.

Who would you rather be the starting center on your favorite NBA team, Kwame Brown or Ben Wallace?

If this were 2006, you would have more than likely laughed in my face upon hearing that question. Though Brown was beginning to show signs that maybe he wasn’t a complete draft bust, Wallace was the powerful presence down low for the perennial contender Detroit Pistons, a rebounding machine and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. What he lacked in offensive prowess was made up for in leadership and intangibles; Ben Wallace may not have been capable of getting you 15 points per game on a nightly basis but he could be the catalyst for every other starter on your team to raise their game to where that would be negated.

However, this is 2009 and after knee injuries and poor play resulted in trades and contract buyouts, Ben Wallace has signed with the Detroit Pistons to be their back-up center for the 2009-2010 season. The starter? That’s right, Kwame Brown.

Funny how the NBA works sometimes, right?

Two players that were once on the opposite ends of the NBA food chain have crossed paths once again, the younger man on his way to proving doubters wrong and the older man fighting to keep his position in the league. They can learn a lot from one another, which makes this a good move for the Pistons. Wallace could rediscover some love for the game in Brown’s youthfulness and exuberance while the former number one pick can absorb some of Wallace’s leadership abilities and toughness.

In an Eastern Conference that has grown by leaps and bounds in a matter of a few years, the Pistons will be hard pressed to vault up the standings or challenge the upper echelon teams, but making moves like signing Wallace is a good place to start rebuilding. It’s not exactly on par with the Celtics signing the likes of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, but at least Joe Dumars is making a good faith effort. With some stability in the coaching position and the further development of the likes of Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell, who knows where the team will be in another 3 seasons?

Who would you rather be the starting center on your favorite NBA team, Kwame Brown or Ben Wallace? Not such an easy question now, is it?