Need for Sheed? Rasheed Wallace could return in time to play against the Celtics

Sheed's bald spot is one of life's great mysteries
If you forgot about Rasheed Wallace, I wouldn't blame you.

There's the fact that he retired following Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, and didn't play basketball for 28 months.

There's also the fact that a stress fracture in his foot seemed destined to end his return bid for the Knicks, appearing to end his season after just 20 games on December 13th.

But Wallace is reportedly recovering quicker than anticipated from surgery, and is looking to return to the team in one of their final regular season games as a tune up for the playoffs.

From the New York Post (link).

Rasheed Wallace could play for the first time since mid-December tomorrow when the Knicks visit Charlotte, Mike Woodson said.
Wallace, who had foot surgery in late February, is significantly ahead of schedule. Wallace was on the court running today on the Garden floor before they faced the Pacers in an attempt to clinch the second seed and draw No. 7 Boston.
According to Woodson, Wallace will make the determination if he is ready for a cameo vs. Charlotte. At the worst, Woodson would like to play him vs. Atlanta in the season finale.

When Sheed announced his return to the Association, I giggled. He was out of shape three years earlier in his only season with the Celtics, and at age 38 didn't exactly seem like a good bet to contribute to an NBA team. But Wallace played pretty well early this year, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in just 14.6 minutes per game for the Knicks. He had carved out a role of the bench, launching threes and grabbing more rebounds per game than he did as a Celtic, despite playing eight minutes less per contest.

However after major surgery, expecting Wallace to contribute to a playoff run after a total of 20 games played in the past 34 months seems a bit unrealistic.

Then again, Sheed has already surprised us once this season.

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