Low - sorry but that is just not true. Ben was not a throw in. Dumars had targetted Ben as an FA before the sign and trade. The trade happened after all parties had agreed to switch teams. Ben was an up and comming PF at the time who had a great year for them.

I also corresponded with an Orlando beat writer at the time and as I recall he was surprised that Dumars had offered Ben so much. Everyone wanted to keep Ben but did not expect Dumars to make "such a huge offer" as he had described it.

Ben came here for the money and he went to Chicago for the money. Whats so hard to understand?

Yes he is going to play for us for 5 years and decide to throw it all away over a disagreement with the coach.

Ben isn't too hot in Chicago is he?

Maybe a month ago I would of booed at Ben, but I won't now. It will be unfortunate to see him in a Bulls jersey. I have only seen a part of one Bulls game this season so that sight will still be new to me.

I hope Chauncey is healthy by Saturday. The game won't be complete without him.

Ben doesn`t strike me as the sensitive type, he probably doesn`t give a flying fish about the booing.

I want to see Ben and the Brahma face off; old school vs. new school!!

Teacher vs student.......Delfino and Tay will have their hands full with Deng and Nocioni, should be a great game, with or without CB.

bball...that's not very nice...taunting MoTown like that

Did someone say something?

I miss Ben. He's given me no reason to believe he isn't a great guy and I hope he plays well against us only to lose in the end. That would be the perfect scenario. Hopefully the crowd shows some class and cheers for his years of dedicated service.

well he's given me plenty of reasons to believe he isn't a great guy.

the game is in chicago. but i heard they are booing him there too. now jmax will dunk on ben. twice probably. he can blame it on having no legs since it's a back to back.

I never said he was a "throw in." I said he was less known than Atkins at the time.

Additionally, no matter how many times you say it. Ben did not come here for the money. Orland traded him here. He was happy to come because he would have an opprotunity to get minutes and improve his game. He was ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT and there was NO discussion of his salary involved in his arrival. The one contract he DID received was AFTER he had already been a Piston via the trade from Orlando.

Duh, I knew that.

If he performs well, which I expect, I'm sure the crowd will be behind him. 20+ rebound games heal wounds quickly.

I don't like the way Ben left. Seems like he could have given Joe a warning instead of leaving us high and dry, and still got his big paycheck.

Still, I wouldn't boo him. I can't forget all the great basketball he brought us as well as a championship to boot.

If I were at the game, I would applaud. I might even give him a standing O. No, I wouldn't whoop and holler, but I'd show my appreciation for the good times.

For all of his petulance, he stood for what we've come to love about this team.

Oh yeah, and I hope we kick his traitorous Bulls ass all over the court!

__________________
"Quite simply captain, I examined the problem from all angles, and it was plainly hopeless. Logic informed me that under the circumstances, the only logical action would have to be one of desperation. Logical decision, logically arrived at." -- Spock

Ben was not coming here for money, furthermore, he was underpaid during his time with Pistons.
I miss Ben, but the fact was a roster shake up is inevitable because every team can foresee every offensive play of our starters who had been together this long. And unfortunately he was the one to go because ther's no his business in Flip S' game plan.
We have had an old proverb, "the barracks stay like iron while the soldiers flow like water" sounds curel, right ? I miss the days of non-fly-zone and the guys who created it side by side.