The news that the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle to deals with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva (and by the way, I think I'd go and cry into my pillowcase if the Blazers made that combo signing) brings up an interesting question: where is the next destination for our old friend Rasheed Wallace?
The Boston Herald is reporting that the Celtics have more than a passing interest in 'Sheed, as do a couple other teams. Where do you think he would fit in best at this point in his career?
It's been on my mind for a while to have a last retrospective on Rasheed and what he meant to this team. It was hard when he first left because there was (justifiably) quite a bit of bitterness over the last year of his tenure here. After a few years the Blazers were so bad that the performance, combined with memories of better years, tainted the subject. Now an entire era has passed since Wallace wore the red and black. The Blazers are looking forward to sunny days now and in the future so there's no reason for sour grapes. So talk to me a little about Rasheed and his place in history.
For me he will always be one of the top three or four Trail Blazers ever in terms of talent and versatility. Before he went into his "I don't want to be here so I'm going ultra-passive" mode I loved his game. He could defend, post, and face-up. He played smart and he played unselfishly. He stepped up his game in the playoffs and took this team pretty deep. The knocks on him were his rebounding (more than fair I think) and the fact that he never relished that end-game, killer "go-to" role. I didn't necessarily fault him for that. He did more than enough to help this team win. If he hadn't bailed on the team and on the game I suspect he would rank among my favorite Blazers ever. As things stand I have to settle for him being a near-lock to make an all-time 12-man Portland roster.
Can Rasheed still make a big difference for somebody in this league? If so, who? And what are your memories/reflections of him? Share below if you wish.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)