Rasheed Wallace is NOT a Bad Guy


Rasheed Wallace has always been misunderstood. As Celtics fans, we had been preconditioned to hate him because he was on the Pistons, and in turn labeled him a bad guy. We saw the technical fouls, the lack of effort, the guy that never seemed to get the most out of his talent. It isn't just Celtics fans though. Wallace has always been seen as a bad boy around the league. Look, it isn't without merit. The guy leads the league in technical fouls almost every year. They even instituted a technical foul limit because of him. But what a lot of people don't realize is that just because you get technical fouls doesn't mean you're a bad teammate, and it certainly doesn't mean you're a bad person. In fact, everywhere Sheed has gone his teammates and coaches have loved him. Sure, technical fouls can be momentum killers. But wouldn't you rather have a guy that has a bit of a temper on the court then a guy that kills the locker room? This guy isn't calling out his coach to the media. He's not throwing his teammates under the bus.

The real issue with Wallace is expectations. Sheed might have the talent to be the star, but he doesn't want to be. That is what makes him the perfect fit for this Celtics team. A lot of people think he won't be okay with coming off the bench, but I think it could actually be a good thing for him. He'll be able to come in with the second unit and play loose. The only negative with Wallace is his tendency to settle for the 3 ball instead of backing down and shooting his patented fade away jumper.

I think Garnett is going to be a great influence on him. Think how scary that duo is going to be together. How is anyone going to get rebounds when Garnett, Sheed, and Perk are in? Sheed will allow the Celtics to spread the floor more as well. Now they have two big men who can shoot, which is going to be a match up nightmare. I think the Rasheed move was the most underrated of the offseason. You hear so much about Shaq, Artest, and Vince Carter. But it seems outside of Boston, Wallace isn't getting much recognition. But you know what, I'm just fine with that.

This is the best team on paper we've had since the Bird era. The only thing we're missing is a true backup point guard, but I think Eddie and Marquis Daniels will be fine for now. Rasheed is going to fit in perfectly with this team because of the personnel around him. I think the main reason he came to the Celtics was because he saw how well Paul, Ray, and KG played together, and wanted to be part of something special. Banner 18 here we come.