"Ben Wallace has some advice for Sacramento rookie center DeMarcus Cousins.

Remain cool and calm, and the world will be yours.

"The boys that can settle down, control their emotions and continue to approach the game with a positive attitude are the ones that usually take off the fastest," Wallace told the Sacramento Bee after the Pistons' 100-94 victory over the Kings on Sunday. "The sky is the limit.

"He has a lot of talent, and he is going to have every opportunity to be a star in this league. He just needs to keep working and not get frustrated."

That's a tough thing to do while being guarded by Wallace, who used his quick hands to force loose balls when matched up with Cousins.

Cousins, the No.5 overall pick from Kentucky, was coveted by the Pistons before the draft, but they were unsuccessful in trying to trade up from No. 7. The Pistons are pleased with their eventual first-round pick, Greg Monroe from Georgetown, who appears to have locked up a spot in the rotation after not playing the first two games of the season.

Monroe and Cousins finished with identical six-point, eight-rebound stat lines Sunday. Cousins needed eight shots to Monroe's five, and Monroe played five minutes less. And when they were matched up against each other, Monroe did more than hold his own. You can make a case that Monroe was the Pistons' most effective rebounder in the first half."