You last saw Rasheed Wallace in June of 2010. He was 35 then, and admittedly out of shape. Presently, Sheed is 38, two full seasons removed from NBA basketball, and working out with the New York Knicks. Wait, what?
According to ESPN’s Ric Bucher, Rasheed worked out with Knickerbocker veterans Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas on Saturday, and the team is “considering” its options. Other free agents recently linked to the Knicks include Tracy McGrady and Kenyon Martin, but neither of the two are said to be seeking the veteran’s minimum.
So, does this leave New York with a need for ‘Sheed? Word on the street is that they’re after a defensive specialist, and Wallace once fit the bill. RotoWorld.com reports that the all-time leader in technical fouls “is not in very good shape,” but with a full training camp and preseason coming up, maybe the Knicks feel that they can work him back into form. After all, he would be just the fourth-oldest player on the roster.
Now, in all seriousness: As happy as I’d be to see a favorite figure from my childhood back in the league, I’m not exactly convinced that this is good idea. When I said Rasheed “once fit the bill,” I meant like six or seven years ago, not during his stint with the Celtics. While I’ve always argued that ‘Sheed really stepped up in that seventh game of the Finals, I’m also forced to admit that he fired nearly four threes a night whilst connecting at a mere 28.3% clip over the course of his entire tenure. There’s no denying that the man had become a certified gunner, and an ineffective one at that.
Unfortunately, I do not believe the Knicks have a need for ‘Sheed. Fortunately, I do believe that this won’t prevent them from signing him. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
