Wallace unique: He creates matchup problems playing defense. Think about that. In the NBA, a matchup problem normally means nobody can defend a guy.

But with Wallace, there is nobody he can't defend. When the Cavaliers had their normal starting five on the floor, Ben often guarded 7-foot-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas. When the Cavs went small, he guarded James, maybe the best wing player in the league.

"That's what it's all about for me," Wallace said. "It doesn't matter who I'm guarding. In different situations, I think I can switch out on anybody, guard anybody for five or six minutes."

He smiled.

"As long as I don't have to guard him for the whole game ..."

Hey, James will still score a bunch in this series. He is the most gifted player in theleague. But if you saw him dominate the Washington Wizards in the first round, you noticed something else: Washington's interior defense was a joke. The Wizards couldn't stop Paris Hilton from reading a book.

Cleveland coach Mike Brown can stay up all night watching film, drawing up plays and holding a siance with James Naismith. Unless he convinces Ben Wallace to retire, his team can't win this series.

If the Cavs ask James to be the main ball-handler, as they often did in the Washington series, Wallace can trap him when he crosses half-court. And then, as the rest of the Pistons play their usual lockdown defense, Wallace can scoot back and patrol the lane.

These Pistons are so good, they tend to suck the tension out of a playoff series.