Rasheed Wallace

[V]

Thoughts?

[Jamisonite]

Wallace is a cancer. Look at what hes done in portland...absolutely nothing. All he does is cause trouble. Hes very talented but his attitude is horrible and it more than cancels out any shred of talent that he might have. On top of this a trade for wallace might screw us in the future. Nash is FA next year and so is Wallace. And walker has the option to opt out of his contract and with wallace here he just might do that. If wallace comes to dallas that will be the day i loose all faith in mark cuban

[Jeremiah]

I just don't see any reason to add him. He'll defer like AJ, and he'll do the little things as well. But really, I don't think he does anything better for us than our current personnel.

[MikeB]

Rasheed Wallace is tremendously talented and a complete headcase who doesn't like WHITE people. How in the hell is he gonna fit in with Dallas? Plus while he can score and defend in the post...he really doesn't like to do either and if you think Dirk has been drifting lately Sheed is even worse. In theory...maybe...but in reality it would probably be disasterous.

PS- Jamsonite is probably right that they would all opt out and we would be left with less team than we have now.

[V]

I am really suprised by the results so far... 66% in favor of adding Wallace!!

I love Wallace... but I thought I would be in the vast minority due to perceived off-the-court troubles...

Perhaps the responses will change if we get more votes? Or maybe this is just fallout from two consecutive losses.... or maybe more people are seeing the bigger problem.... i.e the Mavs have allowed teams to shoot 45% over the last 10 games (posting a record of 5-5)... and 47% over the last 5 games losing 3 of those 5.

Giving up 45% shooting is good for second to last in the NBA

Giving up 47% ... well that's good for last.

Overall for the season this team is in the bottom 6 or 7 both in points allowed per game & opponents fg percent.

Keep the votes & comments coming. This is interesting. Thanks

Edit: Spelling

[Dirkenstien]

Sheed in a cancer that would not help this team out..he's lost the passion for the game and seems to be more concerned about other things as is shown in his latest embarrasing quotes. I agree with Jamisonite in the sense that the day we trade for Wallace is the day I'll also lose all faith in Cuban to make this team a title contending club.

[V]

Originally posted by: Dirkenstien
Sheed in a cancer that would not help this team out..he's lost the passion for the game and seems to be more concerned about other things as is shown in his latest embarrasing quotes. I agree with Jamisonite in the sense that the day we trade for Wallace is the day I'll also lose all faith in Cuban to make this team a title contending club.

Whoa.

I disagree... but I like your passion. Keep 'em coming! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Dirkenstien]

I would like to know who is voting Rasheed as the answer and for them to provide solid information that would back up such opinions. So far the only ones that have actually posted on their votes have been in favor of not adding Rasheed while provided legitimate reasons in doing so. Are these pro-Sheed people struggling to find any good reason Sheed should be here?? I think so.

[kg_veteran]

I'd like to change my vote. I voted that he was the answer, but Kiki has finally changed my mind.

I want no part of Rasheed.

[V]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
I'd like to change my vote. I voted that he was the answer, but Kiki has finally changed my mind.

I want no part of Rasheed.

Doh!! Too late... you already voted [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

I've already posted my thoughts in another thread HERE... High points below:
---------
In the eight seasons Wallace has been in Portland, the Blazers have been so busy trying to find their franchise player that they never noticed he was already right there, the guy with the headband and bald spot, rocking in vintage Air Force Ones.

Despite the inconsistencies in salaries, character and coaching techniques, there is, was and will be only one player in Portland who is, has, will be still shooting 50 percent from two-point range in every season as a Blazer on a variety of devastating snap dunks and deadly turnaround jumpers from the baseline; one guy who increased his 3-point shooting from 16 percent in 2000 while hitting only eight triples to 35.8 percent in 2003 while hitting 110; one guy who remains the team's best interior defender while losing very little on the perimeter.

There is only one guy recognized by every franchise but the one he's on for what he is... a marvelous basketball talent.

[LRB]

I voted cancer, but I might take a chance under the right circumstances. We'd just need to haver our chemotherapy prepared when he arrives.

[V]

19 votes & the majority has finally turned against 'Sheed... now only 47% of you think that he's "the answer."

I'd like to get a few more votes & then maybe we can let this thread die... unless something happens relevant to Sheed & the Mavs, of course....

Stay tuned....

[V]

Mavs in hunt for Wallace?
By Art Garcia
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


NBAE-GETTY IMAGES/JONATHAN FERREY
Rasheed Wallace is "one of the toughest matchups in the NBA," Mavericks assistant Donnie Nelson said.


PORTLAND - If ever there was a poster boy for what ails the NBA -- and possibly all of professional sports -- Rasheed Wallace could be the guy.

He's rich beyond the wildest dreams of most, but feels exploited by the league that has made him so. He's vulgar and volatile. He's uncooperative and, some believe, uncoachable.

He has turned off a fandom that was as rabid and loyal as any in basketball. His team's management would love nothing better than to ship him out of town.

Once the centerpiece of a franchise on the brink of a championship, Wallace won't be part of Portland's future.

And, though talent alone doesn't erase considerable baggage, it does provide for second chances. Fresh starts. New leases.

Wallace will be in a uniform next season. It just won't say "Blazers" on the front.

It just might say "Dallas."

Though the the NBA's tampering rules prohibit the Mavs from discussing the possible acquisition of Wallace, team sources confirm a definite interest in the nine-year veteran. A deal for Wallace before the Feb. 19 trading deadline isn't likely, but the Mavs could be in hot pursuit of the troubled star when he becomes a free agent after the season.

Expect the Mavs to be mentioned in almost any trade rumor dealing with Wallace -- or almost anyone else -- from now until the deadline. The team's brass, however, insists it is done dealing unless a "no-brainer" is presented.

"We're answering phones," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "We're always looking to upgrade our front line. That's why we did the last two trades [for Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison]. But we're not going to make a trade just to shake things up."

The Mavericks (15-11) would rather shake their losing ways, having dropped three in a row heading into tonight's game in Portland. The two-game road trip ends Christmas Day in Sacramento.

There's little doubt that Wallace has the physical tools to help the Mavs, who didn't address their need for a dominant presence on the front line during the off-season. Wallace, 29, is averaging 17.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season.

"He's one of the toughest matchups in the NBA," Nelson said. "He's a 6-11 guy who can play bigger because of his length. He can shoot the 3, block shots; he's a solid rebounder, good passer and athletic. When he's focused, he can be an excellent defender."

Focus has to be the chief concern. Wallace's unique set of skills should place him in the exclusive category of MVP-caliber power forwards, yet he's not mentioned in the same circles as Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.

Wallace's laundry list of indiscretions and suspensions runs the gamut from drug charges to obscene gestures. He has had run-ins with the NBA, the law, officials, teammates, opponents, coaches, management and fans.

"I don't know what Rasheed aspires to," Blazers coach Mo Cheeks said. "I know he's a very talented player, and I know he loves to win. In saying that, I don't think he wants to go out and be a star who has 35 points and 20 rebounds night in and night out. He's capable of doing it, but I don't think he aspires to be like that."

Would a change in scenery change his motivation? Wallace is in the last year of his contract at $17 million, and Portland would rather not lose him without compensation. The Blazers can move Wallace before the trading deadline or attempt a sign-and-trade deal next summer.

Waiting does involve the risk of Wallace signing with another team as a free agent, leaving Portland with nothing in return. Considering the market and his history, it's doubtful Wallace would receive a contract approaching his current pay scale.

The Mavericks, according to sources, would be interested in signing Wallace to a contract starting at the mid-level exception, expected to be about $5.4 million. A sign-and-trade is also a possibility.

"Rasheed Wallace is a good guy, and he's a good teammate, and those are two things you have to look at if you're thinking about bringing him on your team," Cheeks said. "Maybe he's done some things or said some things that weren't perfect, or maybe they were things he thought later that he shouldn't have done or said, but we've all done that at some point.

"Is he going to get condemned for it? Over the long haul, I don't know."

The Mavs have a successful track record recently with so-called "problem" players. Other than Dennis Rodman, the team incorporated several players with troubled reputations to varying degrees. Nick Van Exel and Christian Laettner are two that came and went with nary an incident. Walker and Danny Fortson were added before this season.

Van Exel found an unlikely ally in Mavs assistant Del Harris, his former coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. Harris also knows Wallace well, having been with Portland in an advisory capacity before joining the Mavs at the tail end of the 1999-2000 season.

Nelson said the support structure is a product of the Mavericks' core players -- Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley -- coach Don Nelson and the culture created by owner Mark Cuban.

"It starts in the locker room with the character of the Big Three," Donnie Nelson said. "People want to be a part of this environment. It's a certain degree of professionalism. And, outside of the locker room, Mark's commitment and drive to win only enhances it.

"And when you talk about Nellie, he's seen and done it all. If someone isn't pulling his weight, he gets called out. If he gets called out too often, he'll get planted to the bench, and, after that, we won't stand for it."

[MightyToine]

Ugh! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img]

[kingrex]

I chose the third, but I would add "only if he has matured". The only thing preventing Wallace from being the best at his position is his mind-set and attitude on the court. I dont' mean his surly toughness, but rather his penchant to self-destruct and cost his team at the worst time possible. I have watched this Portland team intermittantly this year, and I've actually seen an improvement in Wallace.

Normally, I would choose the first one, but like I said I've seen an ever so-slight change in Wallace this year. I think getting Wallace's rebounding, help-side defensive-ability and low-post scoring will give Dallas the inside-outside game that could put them over the top.

[V]

Originally posted by: kingrex
I chose the third, but I would add "only if he has matured". The only thing preventing Wallace from being the best at his position is his mind-set and attitude on the court. I dont' mean his surly toughness, but rather his penchant to self-destruct and cost his team at the worst time possible. I have watched this Portland team intermittantly this year, and I've actually seen an improvement in Wallace.

Normally, I would choose the first one, but like I said I've seen an ever so-slight change in Wallace this year. I think getting Wallace's rebounding, help-side defensive-ability and low-post scoring will give Dallas the inside-outside game that could put them over the top.

Good objective post Rex... most people on this board think that I want Wallace in Dallas... but that's not necessarily true. I'm sort of the neutral on Wallace while most posters are clearly polarized...

On Wallace it's Cancer versus The Answer...

Bringing Wallace to Dallas is a HUGE gamble... but if he comes to play the upside is greater than just about any other option we have... including, btw, any of the other top-tier players that have been discussed on this forum - TMac, Big Z, Bryant, Kidd/Martin, etc.

I've watched a lot of the Blazers & I think - at times - Wallace has shown something this year. But I've also seen some negatives. For example... He is playing out of position this year at the SF.... and although I've seen strong defensive effort... and an uncanny ability to funnel players to difficult spots ... he needs weakside help against smaller, quicker players. And when it's not there I've him shake his head at the mistakes of his teammates rather than play though it. I've also seen him drift... refusing to post up. And I've seen him run the pick & roll... and refuse to roll.

So what's the upshot? You just don't know what you're going to get.

[V]

From Mike Fisher at Dallasbasketball.com

Wallace, the troubled Portland ought-to-be-a-superstar-but-isn’t, is the subject of so many Mavs-related trade rumors that we’ve decided to quit laughing it off as some sort of nightmarish joke and to instead give it serious consideration.

Rasheed Wallace – the man who brother-in-Blazerdom Bill Walton recently referred to as a “chronic underachiever,’ “a malcontent,’’ “a disruptive force,’’ “a negative personality, selfish, emotionally immature, bitter, endlessly angry, ‘a boor,’ ‘a bully,’ “a lost soul’, a lunatic, “obnoxious,’ “sad’ and ‘pathetic’ (and that was all in just one Walton paragraph) – as a member of Mavericks Utopia?
Maybe.

Let’s deal with the basketball stuff first. Most of the rumors have Dallas giving up someone of quality (Antoine Walker? Michael Finley) to acquire Wallace. Purely in terms of basketball ability, that sort of a swap would be tempting. Mavs officials scoff at anything like this, insisting that it is Portland soliciting deals, none of which have tempted Dallas. Still, in terms of Dallas’ on-court needs, Wallace gives the Mavs things they do not presently have.

Between Dirk Nowitzki, Antawn Jamison and others, the Mavs can find people to do Walker-like work. Between Nowitzki, Tony Delk and Josh Howard, the Mavs can find people to do Finley-like work.
No, Walker and Finley aren’t superfluous here. Dallas simply is loaded with perimeter offensive talent.

But – and this is only on-court-related now – people who can do the things on both ends of the court like Wallace does them (or at least can do them) are hard to find.

The 6-11 Wallace, still just 29, is a brilliant post defender (have the Mavs employed one of those in our lifetime?), a quality perimeter defender of 4’s and maybe even 3’s, a capable rebounder (8.2 boards once upon a time), a good leaper and shot-blocker (1.7 blocks a game this year), and a versatile scorer with range beyond the arc (and even with the 3’s he’s shot better than 50 percent from the floor in five of his nine seasons).
The greatest conflict between Rasheed’s personality and his game: On the floor, he is exceedingly unselfish, a fine and willing passer. Wallace could possibly handle a Don Nelson ‘point forward’ role, and at the very least could be like what Nowitzki is working to be in terms of having the offense run through him.

However, if it was just about basketball talent, Portland would never give him up. Ever. He’d be Mr. Blazer. He’d be a six- or seven-time All-Star instead of a two-time All-Star. His Portland teams would be achievers, and he’d be the leader of the achievements.
Unfortunately for the Blazers, Rasheed Wallace is a nut.

And now we get to the juicy non-basketball issues.

Wallace is constantly in trouble with either the team, the league or the law. When he doesn’t speak (refusing to cooperate with the media in last year’s playoffs), the NBA hits him with a $30,000 slap. When he does speak, he says things like:

“I know I'm Public Enemy No. 1. … They (NBA higher-ups) look at black athletes like we're dumb-ass n------. It's as if we're just going to shut up and sign for the dollars and do what they say. … In my opinion they just want to draft n------ who are dumb and dumber, straight out of high school. … I ain't no dumb-ass n----- out here. I'm not like a whole bunch of these young boys out here who get caught up and captivated into the league.’’

I’ll admit one thing: If I were a Blazers fan, man, would I be longing for the days when Rasheed did get captivated by being in the NBA.
And just when Wallace supporters worked to make known his extensive contributions to charity, Rasheed made known his decision to keep his pot habit hidden came to him only after his wife told him the controversy reflected badly on her and the kids.

Says ex-Blazers superstar Bill Walton: “Wallace is a chronic underachiever, a malcontent, a disruptive force, a negative personality -- and that does not even begin to address his selfishness, emotional immaturity, bitterness and endless anger. I have also personally found him to be a boor and a bully. Those of us with the misfortune of ever having anything to do with this lost soul had to unfortunately accept the lunacy and obnoxious behavior of this sad and pathetic individual.’’
Says NBA commissioner David Stern: "Mr. Wallace’s hateful diatribe was ignorant and offensive to all NBA players. I refuse to enhance his heightened sense of deprivation by publicly debating with him.’’
It has been argued that Wallace’s ignorant remarks came by design – that he was attempting to create a stir that would force Portland to trade or release him. Nice try, but Wallace’s career-long behavior has been this ignorant, and therefore, using that logic, what? He’s been trying to win his release from Portland since the day he got there?
His pedigree (North Carolina, fourth overall pick, a Philly-born respect for basketball’s roots) belies his problems. Wallace’s volatility could, theoretically, be funneled in the proper direction. So far, playing ‘Angry Young Black Man’ has mostly added up to league records in technical fouls.

The Blazers now seem intent on getting their finances and their image in order. The recent trade of equally troubling Bonzi Wells to Memphis for guard Wesley Person, cash and a first-round draft pick was such a step. Person will be a free agent next summer, so the Blazers open up cap room and open up the nuthouse gates with the deal.
Can Rasheed Wallace be had in the same manner?

The Blazers could let Wallace walk when his contract expires next summer. But they’ll get nothing for him until then except continued headaches. If they swap him? Forget about reports that the Blazers must get a big man in return, or anything else in return. In the Portland public eye, trading him for someone with talent who also has a quality rep as a good person (Finley?) would be applauded. Period.
That same concept – perception, reputation – would be on the line if Dallas ever pulls the trigger on this deal. Nellie has been here before, with that really good Golden State team that, he finally decided, needed to roll the dice to get bigger and better. It didn’t work there. It didn’t work again in New York, when Nellie thought he could rescue Patrick Ewing’s career and instead discovered that he wasn’t really in charge of Ewing at all.

Nellie talks often of how much he enjoys coaching ‘these kids,’ the members of the Mavericks culture who don’t skip practices, don’t get arrested, don’t buck the system unnecessarily. Dallas fans have become spoiled by the good nature of this bunch. Having to deal elsewhere with headstrong, volatile, angry superstars has been Nellie’s undoing twice, and if the Mavs’ Bible-Belting public had to deal with Wallace (and too few major successes), it could be the franchise’s undoing.
You could sew Ewing and Webber together, ‘Stuck On You’ style, and it wouldn’t add up to the ugliness Rasheed Wallace brings.
Bottom line: Other players whisper about how Rasheed is loafing in games (17 points and seven rebounds a game are numbers he could achieve without even trying). He openly talks about the money ($17 mil this year, in his case) being the overriding issue in everything. And there is a story going around that when Wallace goofs up in a game, opposing players poke fun at him by suggesting -- to his face – that he’s high.
You want Rasheed Wallace? You take him

[kingrex]

Like I said, I like him for his skills, but will he ever mature?

[Dirkenstien]

not a gamble id be willing to take in exchange of one of our talents.

[V]

From Greg Anthony at ESPN Insider:

Q. Taheri, Centreville, Va.: Do you think the Blazers are looking to move Rasheed Wallace, or are they waiting it out for his contract to end? Also, what's with Darius Miles and the DNP's he's collecting? Has Paul Silas given up on him?

Rasheed Wallace
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
25 17.2 7.0 3.0 .434 .716


A: In terms of Rasheed, this is perplexing for Steve Patterson and John Nash, the Blazers' President and GM, respectively. While Rasheed often has been a PR nightmare with this team (especially after his recent comments), he is still their best player. This team is desperate to make the playoffs and own the outright record for most consecutive playoff appearances, something owner Paul Allen covets.

The problem with a trade is that most teams that would be willing to give Portland equal value also want assurances they can re-sign Rasheed, and he has a short list of teams with which he is willing to extend. Also, there still is hope the Blazers can turn things around with the existing roster, making a trade less likely. But being winless on the road doesn't help, and the patience they have shown might start to dissipate.

[V]

From Hoopsworld

Rasheed Wallace is feeling the heat over the team, his performance, and his recent comments in the Oregonian. Rasheed is getting very frustrated over the occasional mental lapses by many of his teammates. This was very evident in Rasheed being upset over the constant ability of the Spurs to get to the rim. Rasheed also understands his need to be more active in the post and has played effective games over the last few nights in the post. He is taken a more active and vocal role with the team in this regard. Rasheed is also taking serious heat from his close friends and family over his comments to the media. Rasheed is even more doubtful of the media, but also seems to be opening a glimmer of understanding as to the reasons why Rasheed needs to learn how to effectively communicate with the media.



The Blazers recognize that the biggest weakness on the team is at the small forward position and have inquired about Tracy McGrady for Rasheed Wallace, which is one of many conversations that the Blazers had about trading Rasheed. They also inquired about Paul Pierce and were similarly rebuffed.

[Cybertx]

The Blazers recognize that the biggest weakness on the team is at the small forward position and have inquired about Tracy McGrady for Rasheed Wallace, which is one of many conversations that the Blazers had about trading Rasheed. They also inquired about Paul Pierce and were similarly rebuffed.[/quote]

lol wallace for tmac or pierce that's a joke.

I vote for the third because wallace is a better defender than anybody that we already have but i would not give any of our top 5, they can get najera, fortson,delk and best or a similar package but it's too risky to give some our best 5 players for him in his last year of contract(probably walker).
But i don't think that cuban wants to trade najera he brings over 5 million a year in rights from Mexico and he pulls a big mexican public.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Cybertx
But i don't think that cuban wants to trade najera he brings over 5 million a year in rights from Mexico and he pulls a big mexican public.

But just think of the Columbian public that Wallace can draw. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Cybertx]

Originally posted by: LRB

But just think of the Columbian public that Wallace can draw. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

lol

I think wallace can be controlled just don't put him around guy that will follow his lead to do bad things and he will have to settle down.

I think finley, dirk, nash and even AJ can put him on track.

They have done it with fortson, van excel and walker

[bernardos70]

He's no answer to the mavs needs, he's a cancer. I wouldn't mind seeing portland just straight up pay this guy off and release him. I wonder if anyone would pick him up. Actually I bet there's a team dumb enough in the league to hire his services, after all, memphis traded for bonzi wells.

[Max Power]

All I want for Christmas is to never EVER see CTC Wallace in a Mavs uniform!

[V]

Originally posted by: bernardos70
He's no answer to the mavs needs, he's a cancer. I wouldn't mind seeing portland just straight up pay this guy off and release him. I wonder if anyone would pick him up. Actually I bet there's a team dumb enough in the league to hire his services, after all, memphis traded for bonzi wells.

You can't be serious?! You "wonder is anyone would pick him up?" I'm trying to stay objective on this subject... but you've got to be kididng. Of course Wallace would be picked up. And before he signs there would probably be 28 teams asking his price... (maybe $40M starting around $8M/yr ??). So if he's released don't act suprised if the winning bidder is your Dallas Mavericks.

[V]

Meet Rasheed Wallace, thinking man | From Alan Grant at ESPN

OK, this is a tough one. First off, thanks, RW. I woke up this morning, thinking maybe I should suggest doing something on Rasheed Wallace. Last night, I read pieces by Bill Walton, Rick Bucher and Ray Ratto on the errors of 'Sheed's ways. Predictably negative responses all, but no one posed the question: Why? Why did he say those things? What would make one think such things, then have the cajones to actually give them utterance? Why? It's the same response I have to folks who bring up the black coach issue. They agree that it's strange there are so few black coaches, but no one dares ask why.

But "why bother?" I asked myself. No one wants to hear that maybe 'Sheed is just bored with the game the way any grown man who makes his living at a child's game eventually gets bored and starts to notice things outside himself. It's inevitable for the thinking man (and yeah, despite the clumsy way he expressed his thoughts, I do reluctantly call 'Sheed a "thinking man"). I also know, from experience, that the thinking man/athlete (a slash is needed here because throughout my life I've been told that this is a unique strain of human being) might only suppress his thoughts for so long until they come gushing forth like a fart. Excuse you, Rasheed Wallace.

I gasp each time an athlete reaches down into the well of "social consciousness" and emerges with a cup only half full. I grow tense not because of what he's saying, but because of what he's omitting. And I'm compelled to fill in the blanks. I believe that search for dumb and dumber extends to the corporate sector. There is an all-points bulletin for dumb n-----s, who will gladly bury their opinions, bug their eyes, shuck and jive, and of course sell out the other not-so-dumb n-----s, all for the sake of "diversifying" the workplace. David Stern strikes me as a fairly bright man, so he undoubtedly detects a ray of truth in 'Sheed's words.

But what does all this have to do with sports, specifically the Portland Trail Blazers? Perhaps nothing.

I'm going back to bed.

[V]

From Marc Stein

Embarrassment of the Trimester: Rasheed Wallace's exploitation "speech."

As Charles Barkley recently said: "What Rasheed said may be the stupidest thing I've ever heard in 20 years in the NBA. People who work for huge corporations and aren't making any money, those are the people being exploited."

[V]

From ESPN The Magazine

Opposing coaches rank the Rasheed Wallace dead even in talent with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

Blame the 6'11" forward's solid-but-unspectacular numbers on the Blazers' depth and his unselfishness. Shutting down the opposing team's best frontline scorer, providing help defense, making the extra pass, delivering rally-crushing dunks and sweet turnaround J's -- that's what makes him an All-Star. What is uncertain is if Wallace can stay clear of the officials long enough to get it all done.

"He's almost the perfect basketball player," [former coach] Mike Dunleavy says. "Great size, great athletic ability, great outside shot, great post-up game. He can guard guys off the dribble, and defend on the block. He's a total team guy. What else could you ask for? Just that one thing."

But to get that one thing -- a semblance of composure -- Rasheed Abdul Wallace will have to be convinced he isn't selling out. It's not enough for him to remember where he came from. He wants to make sure you never forget either. That's why his 'fro is rarely trimmed or combed, and why he resolutely wears those way-out-of-date Nike Air Forces. He rents an apartment in Philly every sticky July and conducts free camps at his alma mater, Simon Gratz High. He's appalled by teammates' offers to teach him golf. "Gamers don't play golf," he says. His underwear still consists of practice shorts and NBA socks, so he's always prepared in case a game breaks out, just as his high school coach taught him. If that keeps everyone but his family and fellas away, so much the better.

The truth is, R.A.W. is more than his monogram and the moniker for his charity foundation and radio show. "I must've known something," says [his mother] Jackie, "because he is raw." As in a big ol' softie. One who does as much charity work, in both Portland and Philly, as any player in the league. Who lights up when he autographs a photo for a girl with Down's syndrome, and when she kisses his cheek. And who patiently stands in line with his three sons so they can sit on Santa's lap, and then hovers, making sure the boys are in place and behaving.

But he's also the guy who resents NBA referees because he sees no indication that basketball, or winning and losing, means as much to them as it does to him -- and yet they're telling him what he can and can't do. "Half of them are short and most of them never played," he says. "They're into the power trip." It's that perspective, as much as anything, that earns him points at home. "Philly kids respect Rasheed more than anybody," says his former rec league coach, Tennis Young, "because he's the ultimate Philly player."

Jackie worked hard to keep him in line growing up in Philly, and now she sits in an elegant lakeside house in Durham, N.C., courtesy of Rasheed's six-year, $80 million extension signed before the '97-98 season. She knows where her son gets his combativeness.

There's a Blazers sticker on the front door and Tar Heel decals in the windows, and Jackie plans to plant team flags in the front yard as well. She knows that will violate community rules but adds defiantly, "I'm going to put them out there and see what they do." She once asked a high school player brought to tears by her son's dominance, "You want a tissue?" So she smiles when somebody mentions the fruit not falling far from the tree. "I guess," she says, "I might be responsible for a little bit of what he does."

She had the first of her three sons -- Rasheed is the baby -- three months shy of her 17th birthday, and raised them working full time as a public welfare case worker. That none are in jail or dead or strung out is a minor miracle, considering the neighborhood. North Philly is where once-elegant brownstone and brick row houses are now boarded up, their windows covered by plywood, front doors padlocked and stamped with orange "Do Not Trespass" stickers. Where every other block sports an abandoned car stripped, gutted and sometimes torched. Where the numbers on the few houses still occupied are in gray spray-paint scrawl. The only break in the dreariness is the bright orange double rims and fresh backboards on the summer-league outdoor courts.

"When you're in Philly, there is no other world," says Malcolm, at 32 the oldest of Jackie's sons. "You're just in Philly."

It was in that world that 'Sheed learned from two pairs of opposites -- his two older brothers and his two coaches. Malcolm is as much of an introvert as Muhammed, two years younger, is an unabashed extrovert. Both now work for 'Sheed's foundation. Then there are the two men who shaped Rasheed as a player -- Young, now a R.A.W. foundation board member, and Simon Gratz High coach Bill Ellerbee. Young taught Wallace to play from the perimeter with hip-hop swagger. Ellerbee made Wallace into a no-frills, back-to-the-basket center.

So is it any surprise, then, that Wallace is a bundle of contradictions? He is fundamentally sound, calmly passing out of the stiffest double-teams, yet there are the primal screams and the technicals. He's always wearing a black knit cap, even in practice, and he has tattoos on both arms, giving him the look of a longshoreman. But then you find out the bulldog is the Gratz mascot and the Egyptian mural is a family portrait of 'Sheed, wife Fatima and their three boys.

On the rare times you find him in the Blazers' dressing room while it is open to the media, he has his back to the room and earphones on, an invisible but perceptible "Do Not Disturb" sign over his head. But then there's the day he and teammate Antonio Harvey, in front of a handful of reporters, stage an impromptu pro wrestling bout in the middle of the locker room, complete with faked elbow drops, ricochets off imaginary turnbuckles and unexpected mock blows of a chair from behind. His avoidance of the media is particularly striking since he is part of it as co-host of a hip-hop Saturday night radio show.

Ellerbee says he has never had a more astute player, which makes 'Sheed's no-win knucklehead harassment of the refs all the more perplexing. The Wallace family theory is that he's too much of a team guy to yell at his fellow Blazers when they're not playing hard, so he vents on the striped shirts. "There's only one game that it cost us, the loss to Dallas," Dunleavy says. "But there were other situations he put us at risk. It could definitely hurt us down the line."

The league and the refs clearly have their radar up for 'Sheed, which is why his teammates sympathize with this problem rather than criticize him for his outbursts. Example: The same ball-slam that earned him a T against the Knicks goes unpunished when Celtics center Tony Battie does it a few nights later against Portland, the ball winding up on the Blazers' bench in the lap of swingman Stacey Augmon.

"No T?" Augmon asks referee Mike Mathis. "If 'Sheed did that, it'd be a tech." Wallace, standing at the foul line, turns around and says, "You know that!" Mathis, ignoring 'Sheed, says to Stacey, "He's paranoid enough, don't do that."

During a Celtics' trip to the line later in the game, Wallace barks at referee Hank Armstrong, "Watch the three seconds, please!" Armstrong barks back, "We are watching it!" then exchanges a smile and a nod with Mathis. The next trip down the floor, Mathis whistles Wallace for an offensive foul the first time he touches the ball. Coincidence? Maybe, but Oliver Stone has worked with less.

If 'Sheed won't relent, it's because he believes, as Malcolm does, that the refs will come around. "It happened with Barkley," says Malcolm. Or maybe it's the Muhammed side of him, the one that publicly tortures the refs just because he can. But feeling picked on is not new. Cora Griffin, his childhood babysitter, says Rasheed hated being teased about his height. It didn't help that he had a round birthmark of blond curls at the top of his afro, a mark that didn't change to its present snow white until after he became a Carolina Tar Heel.

While the father of Malcolm and Muhammed died in a shooting, Rasheed's father, a well-known Philly high school player named Sam Tabb, was still around and would occasionally promise to pick Rasheed up and take him to the movies. Tabb wouldn't always show, though, and Rasheed would spend the day on the porch, waiting. Sensitive? "If you yelled at him the tears would come to his eyes," Young recalls. "I couldn't stand him and he couldn't stand me. He'd look at me and breathe hard."

But Young admits he encouraged Rasheed to let his emotions take over on the court. "Some of that crazy stuff might come from me," he says. "I'd tell them, 'If we don't win, we're all going to die!' That's a Philly coaching tradition. I told him you have to bang that drop-step dunk and then growl at them.

Ellerbee doesn't let you do that kind of stuff."

The dunk, yes, the growl, no. Wallace rode some bench for both coaches, though, which they believe is the key to keeping Rasheed under control.

"No offense to Dean Smith," Young says, "but he'd let Rasheed get away with murder and still play him." Ellerbee says Rasheed drew one technical his entire high school career, for punching the stanchion pad in frustration over a defensive mistake -- a call Ellerbee considered so egregious he got ejected protesting it. But Ellerbee also played him only 19 minutes a game his senior year and benched him once when he started the game with his hair uncombed. Wallace fumed for an entire quarter before tightening up his 'fro.

Wallace insists he won't let his temper get in the way of a Blazers title run, noting that he has never been tossed from a playoff game. But the people who know him best say there's no a la carte service with 'Sheed -- it's all or nothing.

"When he's crazy, you're seeing his true self," Young says. "It's not an act. He flies right off the planet, and it's hard to bring him back."

Should that happen in the postseason, something else will fly off into space: the Blazers' title dreams.

[V]

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Portland plays host to Minnesota in Part II of Friday's ESPN doubleheader, leaving only two more Blazer dates on the Worldwide Leader's schedule between now and the Feb. 19 trading deadline.



Significance: Breathe deeply, because we could be down to our last few nationally-televised glimpses of Rasheed Wallace in the Pacific Northwest.


On Feb. 8, it's Seattle at Portland. On Feb. 18, it's L.A. Clippers at Blazers on the night before the deadline.


Then again...


What if Portland is serious about turning down anything less than a no-brainer trade offer and letting 'Sheed walk at season's end without compensation? I can't believe that the Blazers would part with their most tradeable asset so freely, just for the promise of major salary-cap space in the summer of 2005. Yet executives from the teams that have tried in recent weeks to pry 'Sheed away keep saying that the Blazers are seriously prepared to do just that.


Prepared to let 'Sheed play out his contract and then wipe $17 million off the Portland payroll in July.


If that really does happen, this summer's resulting 'Sheed Sweepstakes should be quite spirited. There will be only a few teams possessing the cap room to make Wallace a better-than-average offer -- if they're so inclined -- and lots of teams praying that 'Sheed would be willing to join them for a mid-level exception worth about $5 million next season.


At that price, 'Sheed would have to make many more ridiculous attacks on commissioner David Stern to scare teams off. There will be a significant clutch of suitors ready to "CTC" and risk hearing 'Sheed announce to the world that he's being exploited. Again.


This week's Stein Line looks at the list of would-be 'Sheed bidders:



Philadelphia 76ers
Everyone knows the Sixers need toughness and size on their front line. It's even more clear that 'Sheed needs a community that can understand and accept him. If he's not embraced in his hometown of Brotherly Love, he won't be loved anywhere. Hard as it is to imagine Randy Ayers coping with Allen Iverson and 'Sheed in the same locker room -- given the questions already floating about Ayers' handling of AI and (more specifically) Derrick Coleman -- this would be a dream signing for Philly. And then if the Sixers can somehow get Mo Cheeks away from the Blazers...



Dallas Mavericks
No team is linked more often with 'Sheed than Mark Cuban's team, but the Mavericks would rather not part with a core player like Michael Finley or even Antawn Jamison to trade for 'Sheed. Especially if the Blazers' letting him walk is a legitimate possibility. There are concerns that 'Sheed's penchant to hover on the perimeter would clash too much with Dirk Nowitzki's tendencies, but 'Sheed would inarguably become the Mavericks' best defender instantly. Maybe the bigger concern is the Mavericks' two-decade streak of missing out on marquee free agents. Cuban will be a strong contender if the bidding centers around teams with no more to offer than the mid-level exception, but Dallas has had its hopes dashed before. Just rewind to last summer's free-agent frenzy, when the Mavericks' mid-level exception netted... no one.



Miami Heat
If Pat Riley was willing to gamble on Lamar Odom, he'll be more than ready to sign 'Sheed. That's doubly true when you consider that 'Sheed's salary would come in at roughly half of Odom's yearly take. If 'Sheed can't get more money elsewhere and has to choose between teams (and cities) offering the mid-level, the lure of South Beach will be strong.



New Jersey Nets
Assuming the new owners continue to let Rod Thorn be aggressive, the Nets will also be a player in the 'Sheed Stakes... whether or not they hang onto Kenyon Martin. Either Martin will continue to be used as a sign-and-trade lure for 'Sheed, or Thorn will really have his way and re-sign Martin to a reasonable extension and then try to bring 'Sheed in for the mid-level exception. Of course, with the Nets also expected to be searching for a new coach, that would add up to another very expensive summer.



Detroit Pistons
The Pistons wouldn't appear to have a huge need for another big man with Ben Wallace and Mehmet Okur already in place, Elden Campbell on the books for one more season to provide depth and Darko Milicic on the scout team. Joe Dumars, though, is always aggressive and won't be able to resist chasing 'Sheed if he's on the open market. It's even more of a given when you remember that Okur will be tough to keep, unless the Pistons can move Chucky Atkins to clear more salary-cap room. Okur might well be this summer's Gilbert Arenas; Detroit won't be able to give him a raise beyond the league's average salary (nearly $5 million) unless it gets more than $5 million under the cap.



The field
Let's be honest. The list of Eastern Conference clubs that will be interested in 'Sheed stretches all the way to Portland. Isiah Thomas in New York will undoubtedly take a swing. Ditto for John Gabriel (or whoever is running the Magic) in Orlando. Larry Bird, Donnie Walsh and Rick Carlisle? Probably. Atlanta's new owners figure to make a bid, in hopes of making an early splash, assuming they ever get league approval to take over down there. Cleveland's basketball people would also love to get involved, but Cavs owner Gordon Gund is from the conservative old guard and would have to be convinced to change his policy when it comes to bringing in a rogue like 'Sheed. As we covered last week, Cleveland could certainly tempt Portland with a Zydrunas Ilgauskas-for-'Sheed trade right now if Gund were willing.


"Any team in the East is going to be hot after him," said one West executive, "because he could be the difference in a team in the East going to the Finals or not."


As for additional Western interest, Memphis is an intriguing possibility. Attempting to put 'Sheed alongside Pau Gasol is a classic Jerry West move, but you wonder whether even The Logo would dare reuniting Bonzi Wells and 'Sheed. San Antonio, meanwhile, has been exploring trades for 'Sheed, but signing him as a free agent would be tougher for the Spurs, who first must worry about re-signing Manu Ginobili. The Argentinean slasher is another Arenas/Okur waiting to happen, which is why the Spurs have a good bit of cap room saved for the summer of '04, to make sure they keep Manu before going after anyone else.



The wild card
That would be Denver. The Nuggets can outdo any of the aforementioned teams in terms of money because they will have significant salary-cap space available. It's difficult to imagine 'Sheed giving Utah or the L.A. Clippers a look just because those teams have money to spend, but the Nuggets are in a different category. Even with Nene Hilario and Marcus Camby in the frontcourt rotation already -- along with long-term project Skita Tskitishvili -- Kiki Vandeweghe is a member of that Daredevils Club with Cuban, Dumars and West. He can spoil a lot of dreams out there by pitching some serious cash to 'Sheed.



The long shot
Portland could always re-sign him at a lower rate than 'Sheed's current $17 million salary, and the Blazers are indeed sending signals that they're open to that very scenario. Color me skeptical, though. Sounds like a tactic to get teams to sweeten their trade offers, with the deadline for deals looming Feb. 19. Portland either wants an unquestioned star player in return for 'Sheed or a slew of expiring contracts packaged with at least one future first-round pick. If the Blazers are offered neither in the next six weeks, they risk letting 'Sheed walk away for nothing or, at best, will have to try to construct a sign-and-trade deal with his cooperation. I just can't see 'Sheed re-signing with the Blazers without a sign-and-trade involved, because that would enable Portland to ship him anywhere it wants down the road.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally posted by: LRB
I voted cancer, but I might take a chance under the right circumstances. We'd just need to haver our chemotherapy prepared when he arrives.

Im not a poster here who is calling for Nellie to be fired but I do not have faith in him to coach such a wild player. As long as Dallas has Nellie as coach we should not see Rasheed Wallace here. He will always be a cancer but I believe there may be a coach that could have a chance of channeling that hate or at least preventing it from hurting the team.

[V]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky

Im not a poster here who is calling for Nellie to be fired but I do not have faith in him to coach such a wild player. As long as Dallas has Nellie as coach we should not see Rasheed Wallace here. He will always be a cancer but I believe there may be a coach that could have a chance of channeling that hate or at least preventing it from hurting the team.

It may be worth pointing out that Don Nelson seems to think Wallace's off-court transgressions are perceived to be "worse" than they were... I remember an interview with Norm when Nelson suggested 'Sheed is a great teammate... and is well liked in most NBA circles. Nelson would NOT agree that Rasheed Wallace is a cancer.

EDIT: Clarity

[V]

Rasheed Wallace (from The Oregonian):

"If it was true that I just cared about the money, then my whole attitude would be different. I want to win every game, and I want to go out a winner. If I retire from this league and I haven't won at least one championship, I'll feel like all my years in the league would be a failure," Wallace said. "As far as the CTC goes, it's a business and you can't put your personal feelings before that.

"I would like to be out here, my wife likes it out here, and she's established out here. My kids have friends out here and go to school out here. I would say we're intertwined in the community. But if I have to go somewhere else and play, I'm not going to sit up here and boo-hoo about going. No, because at the end of the day, I will still be able to do the things necessary to take care of my family.

"That's what the CTC means, whoever cuts that check, that's who I have to play for."

[sike]

we know what he is.....hoping for maturity is a waste of time Rex....
we know what he is and I'd take him if we could move Walker....

[V]

From New York Times

Although a tad tainted by his criminal conduct and ridiculous rhetoric, bidding for Rasheed Weed's services has sharply escalated within the last week. Resolved to rid themselves of the rising free agent, the Blazers gave permission to agent Bill Strickland to elicit trade propositions from teams his client would consider re-signing with come summer.

So far, all three Texas teams and the Hawks - maybe even the Pistons - are involved in the auction.

Rasheed's preference is the Rockets, I'm informed; the obvious appeal being Yao Ming and Steve Francis, which is why they refuse to include either one in trade talk. Meaning, Houston may have to wait until the offseason to pursue Rasheed.

Unlike the Mavericks, underlines a Strickland trustee, who might be inclined to give up Antawn Jamison and Eduardo Najera (but would rather include Tariq Abdul-Wahad), depending on the health of the Lakers' feared foursome and Mark Cuban's mood following a two-game skid.

Long before the Spurs' manufactured their 12-game victory march, they offered Rasho Nesterovic, Malik Rose and Ron Mercer for Rasheed, the same source maintains.

As for the Hawks, they're eager to move Theo Ratliff and Alan Henderson for Rasheed. The Blazers, I'm told, countered with a request for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Stephen Jackson. Though an Atlanta official denies it, I hear the Hawks are head-hunting for a special someone to succeed coach Terry Stotts.

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: sike
we know what he is.....hoping for maturity is a waste of time Rex....
we know what he is and I'd take him if we could move Walker....

Greaaaaaatt......Remove someone who is a great community guy and replace him with the King of all HeadCases. Smart Move, man. [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

[Evilmav2]

NO HIT OUT ON THIS DON

By PETER VECSEY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 28, 2003 -- IN view of Scott Layden's still-smoldering dismissal, why would any clear thinker vaguely concerned with credibility hypothesize that Don Chaney is in immediate danger of being fired?
Or nominate Isiah Thomas-Danny Ainge as the most intriguing race in the Eastern Conference, you know, who can get to the sidelines faster?

Are contract hits really that difficult to grasp?

If James Dolan felt the Knicks coach deserved to go, guess what, he'd be long gone. Instead, the team's bleakness and repeated restocking of parallel players was pinned squarely on Layden, the president/GM - originally hired by Dave Checketts as a glorified scout/trade messenger, and promoted by default when the Garden president exited without parting gifts and there was no one else around to appoint.

Let's slowly review while the above paragraph hopefully seeps in:

Regardless of real or imagined incompetence on all fronts, Dolan - guided by his second-in-command, Steve Mills - found Layden guilty of providing mismatched talent in triplicate; it also was determined Chaney merited fresh faces and a new clock.

A new freakin' clock, not a lousy little three-game road trip to Memphis, Miami and Orlando! Or a couple flimsy weeks! Or even a measly month or two!



It doesn't get any more opaque to propose that Chaney was only given an abbreviated reprieve to align Jupiter with Mars. Or that Thomas was only going to need a jiffy to appraise Chaney's worth or worthlessness.

Again, if Dolan were going to withdraw his effusive support of Chaney, he would have sprung the trap door Dec. 22, the same day Layden's plug was pulled.

The muddled media can harp all it wants on Chaney's imminent deportation, but barring his coaching Latrell Sprewell's crudeness by cell phone, it ain't happenin' soon.

By the way, Layden's firing caught him completely by surprise, according to a confidant, who said: "Scott's convinced Mills orchestrated the hiring of a marquee name to save his own job. He has nothing but good things to say about Dolan, but feels Mills betrayed him."

* Despite Orlando's mini-resurgence after getting ransacked 19 straight, GM John Gabriel, who helped Pat Williams get the franchise off the ground 15 years ago, may be joining Doc Rivers in exile. An embedded security risk reveals COO John Weisbrod is quietly searching for a replacement in perfect synchronization with Gabriel dealing and continuing to wheel.

According to numerous suitors, Tracy McGrady is the only untouchable member of the Magic. For the time being, anyway. Should McGrady decide not to sign an extension after the season, owner Rich DeVos almost certainly would be compelled to entertain trade offers. You can't do worse than overseeing Shaq's Laker free-agent getaway without compensation, but allowing McGrady to split in the summer of '05 would finish a strong second.

>>>>* Although a tad tainted by his criminal conduct and ridiculous rhetoric, bidding for Rasheed Weed's services has sharply escalated within the last week. Resolved to rid themselves of the rising free agent, the Blazers gave permission to agent Bill Strickland to elicit trade propositions from teams his client would consider re-signing with come summer.

So far, all three Texas teams and the Hawks - maybe even the Pistons - are involved in the auction.

Rasheed's preference is the Rockets, I'm informed; the obvious appeal being Yao Ming and Steve Francis, which is why they refuse to include either one in trade talk. Meaning, Houston may have to wait until the offseason to pursue Rasheed.

Unlike the Mavericks, underlines a Strickland trustee, who might be inclined to give up Antawn Jamison and Eduardo Najera (but would rather include Tariq Abdul-Wahad), depending on the health of the Lakers' feared foursome and Mark Cuban's mood following a two-game skid.

Long before the Spurs' manufactured their 12-game victory march, they offered Rasho Nesterovic, Malik Rose and Ron Mercer for Rasheed, the same source maintains.

As for the Hawks, they're eager to move Theo Ratliff and Alan Henderson for Rasheed. The Blazers, I'm told, countered with a request for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Stephen Jackson. Though an Atlanta official denies it, I hear the Hawks are head-hunting for a special someone to succeed coach Terry Stotts. <<<<

Orlando's awful start should come as no surprise, reports column-conscience John Milich. "Shawn Kemp was a father figure to many of the guys."

[sike]

Originally posted by: MightyToine

Greaaaaaatt......Remove someone who is a great community guy and replace him with the King of all HeadCases. Smart Move, man. [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

I detect at least a note of sarcasm here......but good thing for me that I am really concerned with the opinion of a blind Walker homer.....

[V]

Originally posted by: MightyToine

Greaaaaaatt......Remove someone who is a great community guy and replace him with the King of all HeadCases. Smart Move, man. [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

Poor argument M'Toine. It is a fact that Wallace is one of the top community / charity guys in the league.

If you want to throw rocks try noting how much he stinks at public relations or his incompetent handling of the media.