Boston Celtics: Does Gerald Wallace Have A Place In Boston?
When Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge completed the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn, much of the focus was turned to the collection of draft picks the Celtics received in return, as well as the obvious focus on rebuilding the team around younger players. While the Celtics also received a number of players in the deal in order to make up the difference in salary, one of those veterans, Gerald Wallace, has had his NBA career widely overlooked and is seen as a bad contract simply essential to make the trade work. While the latter is indeed true, Wallace is a former All-Star, one of the leagues hardest workers and just a day away from his 31st birthday, he should have a lot of basketball left in the tank. So does Wallace have a place on the young, rebuilding Celtics roster or will he find himself on the way out of Boston before he even has a chance to pull on the green jersey?
The 2012-13 season was a disaster for Wallace individually as he struggled to find a place in the isolation-heavy Nets offense. His per game averages of 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds were both the lowest since leaving Sacramento after his third season, where he played limited minutes. The numbers for Wallace last season were a huge drop off from his career averages and his scoring efficiency fell dramatically. Wallace shot just .397 from the field and .282 from 3, often relegated to spot-up 3-point shooting while Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez controlled the majority of the offense. On the back of such a disappointing season and with more than $30 million left on his contract for the next three seasons, one could be excused for thinking Wallace not only has very little trade value, but has no place on a young rebuilding team. That is, however, overlooking what has been an extremely productive 12 seasons and perhaps Wallace can regain some of his former glory in Boston.
Where does Gerald Wallace fit on the rebuilding Celtics’ roster? Photo Credit: Mark Runyan, Basketball Schedule
Prior to last season, Wallace had an eight-season stretch where he averaged 13.8 points per game, was named as an All-Star in 2010 and led the Charlotte Bobcats to the only playoff appearance in franchise history. With career averages of 12.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals, Wallace has been one of the league’s most versatile players and was often considered one of the elite defenders at the small forward position.
Just a few short seasons ago, Wallace was one of the best small forwards in the entire league. On three occasions he averaged more than 18 points a game, leading a young Bobcats team on both ends of the floor and inspiring fans with his high energy, work ethic and relentless attacking play. He earned the nickname “Crash” for his attacking play style, putting his body on the line for loose balls, driving into the paint with reckless abandon and his penchant for highlight reel finishes above the rim. He was one of the toughest defenders in the NBA with his athleticism, length and ability to read the passing lanes. His on-ball pressure and quickness reading a pass allowed him to become one of the league leaders in steals, often resulting in a fast break and ferocious finish, igniting the crowd.
After such a disappointing individual season in Brooklyn, Wallace is likely determined to bounce back and prove to himself and the league that he is not yet done and that the 2012-13 season is a rare blemish on an otherwise outstanding career. Wallace brings a wealth of experience to a Celtics team that is suddenly packed full of young players. He has seen the lows of the league on the expansion Bobcats as they struggled to put wins on the board, but has also experienced the playoffs with four different franchises since 2002. He has been in every situation imaginable, he was a young player fighting for minutes in Sacramento, was a statistical juggernaut on poor teams in Charlotte before becoming a leader on the franchise’s debut playoff team. He then became a valuable, high-level role player for the Trail Blazers before his move to Brooklyn.
So, what can Wallace provide to a Celtics team that will enter a season without Paul Pierce for the first time since the 1998-99 season? As far as having a veteran on your team that leads by example, there would be few better in the league than Gerald Wallace. Here is a player who had to work his tail off, both in training and every minute he was on the court to prove himself in the league, much like many of these young players are trying to do. He knows the situation these youngsters find themselves in and is an example of what you can achieve in the NBA if you stay focused and work hard, even if you barely see the court in your first couple of seasons. While he may not be a vocal leader, his playing style and infectious energy could be invaluable to this young team, he will lead from the front whenever he is on the court, putting his body on the line and making an impact wherever coach Brad Stevens needs him to.
Gerald Wallace could become a fan favorite in Boston with his style of play. Photo Credit: Mark Runyan, Basketball Schedule
With the starting small forward position all but locked up by Jeff Green, it is almost certain that Wallace will find himself regularly coming off the bench for the first time since the 2003-04 season, but he could find himself playing a bigger role than many Celtics fans may expect. Not only does Wallace provide Green with a tremendous backup at the 3, he is more than capable of playing power forward, especially in this era of small-ball lineups. With some of the league’s biggest stars–LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant to name a few–now playing a considerable amount of time at the 4, it is becoming less important to have a traditional power forward and more so being able to defend the smaller, more spaced lineups of the league’s elite teams. Wallace is a tremendous rebounder for his size at 6’7”, in 2009-10 he averaged 10 rebounds a game as a small forward, so he has shown the ability to play bigger than he is.
With Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Green and Wallace on the floor, the Celtics could field one of the league’s best perimeter defensive lineups and one of the few with the versatility to switch on nearly any perimeter assignment. The added speed of Green and Wallace on the front line will also give Rondo the ability to run the fast break with two of the league’s great dunkers flying down court for the finish. Wallace will also provide Green with a great matchup in each and every training session. Green, who is slated to take over a leading role in Boston this season, could learn a lot from Gerald Wallace, who himself had to take a main scoring role and lead a young team in Charlotte. He can help Green continue to improve his defense while giving him an elite defender to hone his scoring ability against in practice; the improvement of Jeff Green could be one of the under-the-radar bonuses to having Wallace in Boston.
Even if Danny Ainge wanted to move Wallace at this stage it would be near impossible to do so without including some kind of asset in order for another team to take on his contract. After trading away franchise cornerstones to assemble those pieces, it would be a waste for Ainge to give them up just to move a player while his value is presumably at the lowest it has ever been. However, being “stuck” with Wallace may not be as much of a negative as many first thought, “Crash” could quickly become a fan favorite in Boston, flying into the front row for loose balls, skying for rebounds and igniting the crowds with high flying finishes above the rim. Wallace won’t complain about his role, he won’t slack off in training and he won’t leave anything on the floor each time he gets the opportunity to contribute for the team. If nothing else, Wallace has been a true professional throughout his career and the young Celtics could learn a lot from the 12-year veteran, however long they get the opportunity to do so. If Wallace can find a significant role with the team early in the season, he may well recover a lot of the trade value that saw him moved for a lottery pick just one season ago. If not, Ainge can hang on to Wallace knowing that the longer he stays with the team, the shorter his contract becomes and the easier he becomes to trade.
Losing Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce is a huge blow to the Celtics’ faithful and it appears that at least in the short term the team will have to endure some tough times before they are again competing for championships. More than worrying about Wallace’s fit on the team long term, fans will quickly come to embrace the energy, passion and attitude Wallace brings to the team, however long it lasts.