Ratliff fitting right in with Pistons

Former Timberwolf Theo Ratliff's return to the Detroit Pistons is a homecoming in two ways.

He's back on a playoff-bound team for the first time since he played with Allen Iverson in Philadelphia eight years ago. He's back with the franchise that drafted him when he was a young, supple fellow 13 years ago.

"There are still a lot of the old faces around here," he said. "As an organization, they haven't strayed from who they are. It does feel a little like home."

Former teammate Joe Dumars is now president of basketball operations, Michael Curry is an assistant coach and Lindsey Hunter still plays for the Pistons. Some of the security guards he greets now entering the Palace of Auburn Hills every night worked there when he was a rookie.

Most important for a 12-year veteran who turns 35 this month and has undergone more surgical operations than he can count: Trainer Mike Abdenour and conditioning coach Arnie Kander are still there.

"Arnie's been working on me," Ratliff said Monday before the Pistons flew to Minnesota for tonight's game against the Wolves. "He's popping things and getting things moving that haven't moved in a long time."

Ratliff played 10 games for the Wolves after he was included in last summer's Kevin Garnett trade and before he and the team worked out a contract buyout that allowed him to sign with the Pistons as a free agent on March 4.

Those four games played in November and six in February were separated by a mystifying knee injury that eventually required arthroscopic surgery. You might have presumed the Pistons, a team already loaded with talent and a set rotation, signed him as an insurance policy and yet Ratliff immediately started two games because Rasheed Wallace was injured. Ratliff has found his way into the team's rotation on a limited but consistent basis since then.

"First two games activated, they threw me right out there," he said. "I'm trying to do a little bit."

He has blocked a shot in seven of 10 games with the Pistons and is yet one more weapon on a legitimate title contender that already had plenty of them. Ratliff has reached the playoffs four times but never advanced beyond a conference semifinals (with Philadelphia in 2000) in his career.

"I like 'em a lot," Ratliff said when asked about the Pistons' title chances. "This is the most talent I have ever played with. It sure is a lot better playing with these guys than battling every night against them. This is an ideal place for me at this point of my career."

Ratliff said he is "very grateful" to Wolves basketball boss Kevin McHale and the team for the contract buyout that allowed Ratliff to leave for a contender and saved the Wolves money on the remaining weeks of Ratliff's expiring $11.6 million salary. He and his agent quietly proposed a contract buyout to the Wolves weeks before the two sides agreed just before the March 1 waiver deadline.

"He handled it the right way," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "I enjoyed my time with Theo. I thought he was a very professional person and that goes a long way in my book."

The Wolves and Pistons haven't played each other all season. They'll now begin and end their two-game season series in the first two weeks of April.

"I know, it's funny," Ratliff said. "It'll be fun seeing the guys. I enjoyed those guys. I know they're losing right now, but they were a lot of fun to be around."

Asked if he would be looking to block one of big Al Jefferson's shots tonight, Ratliff laughed. Wolves guard Rashad McCants was asked if he expected Ratliff to swat a couple of shots tonight.

"Well, he blocks about three shots a game," McCants said, "so I expect he'll get a couple."