There is no doubt that Detroit's Ben Wallace is one of the most ferocious defenders in the NBA today, but is the Pistons forward finally getting the respect he deserves?  We think so.  

The NBA named Wallace as the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the fiesty forward averaging 11.0 points, 13.8 rebounds and 6.0 blocked shots and earning his first career triple double (17 rebounds, 10 points and 10 blocked shots Sunday in the loss to Milwaukee).

"To get the triple-double the way I did, I have to give my teammates a lot of credit," Wallace said. "They forced guys to blindly fly in there, and I was able come from the weak side and get the block. It's definitely a great feeling, and it was a great week other than not winning the Milwaukee game."

Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.