Yardbarker: Rasheed Wallace

Six Celtics on All-Star Ballot

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:49:42 -0500

You'll find six Celtics players on the NBA all-star ballot:

The Celtics are the only team with two centers on the ballot. The game will be played Feb. 14 in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium.

You can vote at games, online at NBA.com, and by texting a player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (MYNBA).

Let's do our best to get Rondo and Perk at the game. They deserve it.

Reebok Still Talkin’ Quote of the Day - 11.10

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:51 -0500

Stephen Jackson is quickly becoming this year’s Rasheed Wallace. In years past we could always count on ‘Sheed to give us a great sound bite or share his true feelings about a player, referee or coach. Since joining the Boston Three Party, he has been on his best behavior and left a Trash Talk void. [...]

Your Morning Dump... where there's a first time for everything

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:18:29 -0500

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying a good morning dump.

“We could have took our time on offense more. There were a couple possessions where we, myself included, shot it real quick. We didn’t make them play defense. The times we did make good passes and shared the ball real well, with at least three or four passes, they were running all over the place and we hit a majority of our shots. We have to go back to the drawing board and correct that.’’

- Rasheed Wallace (0-6 3pt fg), Boston Globe - Quick fix is to show more patience

“But we have a pretty mature team. They know that because of the amount of games that we’ve had, it’s impossible to practice. They can see the slippage. We’ve showed it on film. We talked about it. The last three games it’s all we’ve been talking about. But it’s tough to do something about it until you can get some real practice time, and we’ll get that on Monday.”...

“The only thing I didn’t like . . . I thought with about 3 minutes left, instead of searching for wide-open 2’s that we had, we went into 3 mode, and I didn’t think we had to do that. I thought several times we could’ve easily gotten to the basket for a quick 2 and we passed up 2’s to look for 3’s. And that, to me, was uncharacteristic of us.”

Doc Rivers, Herald - Cracks in armor create imperfection

You know, I'm glad the Celtics got their first loss out of the way early. First, we put an early end to that scrolling down the calendar "looking for the first loss" crap. Second, it was a nice early lesson to everyone on this team: You're not going to get away with not playing your game against good teams.

The Celtics are, obviously, a defensive team. They, obviously, didn't play good defense last night. Somewhere in almost every play, someone didn't make the right rotation... and that's what led to wide open Suns and easy baskets.

And on offense, the Celtics work the ball around. They make the extra pass. Hell, they make TOO many passes sometimes. And THAT'S what leads to wide open 3's. The Celtics are shooting lights out from 3 because after 5 or 6 passes, they've broken down the defense and they're wide open... y'know... kinda like the Suns were last night.

Let's be glad for early lessons. The good thing about a veteran team is that they learn quickly. If they come out tonight and thump Jersey with the style of play we're used to... then it's message received. If they come out and win but still play like crap... then Doc's gonna have some fun in practice on Monday.

After the jump: Page 2, where KG looked 12 years old

That's KG as a rookie, courtesy of SLAM. Compare him to last night...

The rest of the links:

The Big 3 Things of the Week

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:11:23 -0500

Every week, we look at the Big Three things happening in Celtics-land, good and bad, and we rank them... because we just learned to count to three and we want to practice.

On the way up

1: Playing Dress Up - Ray Allen shows once again that he's got a good make-up artist... and that he also knows a good lightsaber guy.

2: From way downtown... Bang! - Rasheed Wallace is 2nd in the NBA in 3 pointers taken, and made. In the past week, he shot 10 of 20 from downtown. He is, what we thought he was.

3: Drinks are on Rondo - Finally... Rajon's got his new deal. Shuffle up and deal, boys... Rondo can finally join the high-stakes games on the back of the plane.

On the way down

3: Bricklayers - KG shot 40% last week mostly on long jumpers. Ray Allen shot 18% from 3, which is a slightly longer jumper.

2: Gidd-y up - The C's chose not to pick up JR Giddens' option for next season... making him an unrestricted free agent next summer. Man, that class of 2010 just keeps getting better.

1: Beef - What should have been a nothing story somehow got dragged out for days. Yeah, so Rondo and CP3 had a few words. Big deal. Although we shouldn't complain... it gave us an excuse to bust out some CP3 "classics".

Rasheed Wallace picks up first Tech

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:06:40 -0500

Rasheed Wallace has picked up his first technical foul of the new season, his first as a member of the Boston Celtics. Wallace received the technical foul after jawing with refs over a foul in the 2nd quarter. The Celtics won their 6th straight to remain undefeated with a 92-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

'Sheed is Perfect for This Team!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:34:29 -0500

If you didn't realize it during the offseason, preseason or during the first four games of the regular season, I hope you realize it know - Rasheed Wallace is a perfect fit for this Celtics team.

Here's his line in tonight's 105 - 74 blowout win over Philly:

24 minutes, 20 points, 7-10 FG, 6-8 3 FG, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 technical foul

For the first 8 minutes, this game was ugly. Despite getting good looks, the Celtics opened 3-14 from the field and the 76ers led this game 12-4. But the Cs ripped off a 15-5 run to close the quarter which included a Sheed three and Rondo behind-the-backboard jumper to beat the buzzer.

The Celtics stretched the lead to 8 at the half and 15 after three quarters. Despite playing poorly in stretches (Ray Allen and KG scored a combined 8 points on 3-15 FG.), they were always in command. Believe me, if Boston played their best, this could have been a 50 point win.

How'd the bench do tonight? They outscored Philly's bench 62-25.

Box Score | Recap

More photos from the game, after the jump.

Stein/Mannix: We $%&!@# Told You So

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0500

ESPN's Marc Stein and SI's Chris Mannix have released their updated NBA power rankings. Guess which team sits atop both polls?

Here's what Mannix has to say about the Celtics:

Rasheed Wallace is a pretty good fit in Beantown, isn't he? Wallace, who is averaging 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, has ensured that the Celtics don't miss a beat when Kevin Garnett is out of the lineup. He may be needed to fill Garnett's shoes more often, too: Said one Bulls player, "KG's knee just doesn't look healthy."
Maybe that Bulls player should have been playing defense instead of watching KG's knee.

Here's what Stein has to say about the Celtics:

If the Rondo contract extension saga has been a distraction, imagine what kind of D we'll see from the C's when they're focused. They held the Hornets to 87 on Sunday and at times you were asking: "What's wrong?"

The Magic are ranked #2 in both polls.

Ubuntu in Action

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:03:00 -0500

In case you didn't know it, I love Perk. I love his fire, I love his work ethic, I love his willingness to do the dirty work in the trenches and let the others get the headlines. He is the perfect center for this team. Perk is the starting center on the team. Doc isn't messing with the chemistry his starting lineup has built. But, the center on the floor at the end of the game will rotate depending on whether the team needs the offense and spreading the floor that Rasheed Wal...

The Morning Dump... Sheed's Vindication

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:57:38 -0500

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying a good morning dump.

“Hey,” said Wallace, “it lets people know that I ain’t a liar. I mean, that’s pretty much all I got to say about that. Everybody thought I was crazy and militant, but, hey, it came to light.”

The veteran forward also believes he was one of the players on which the technical bounty was placed.

“Oh, yeah, nine times out of 10,” Wallace said. “Especially (those years) they gave me 38 and 40 techs just for looking, laughing, saying the slightest little thing. I mean, c’mon. They say I complain and this and that, but during those years I didn’t complain more than the next man.”

That's Rasheed Wallace talking to the Herald's Steve Bulpett on the accusations made by former ref Tim Donaghy in his never-to-be-released book.

But he doesn’t look at such matchups as showdowns anymore. He realizes that he has to show up every night, whether there’s an elite point guard on the floor or not.

“Last year, sometimes, I got caught up in playing, like, ‘I want to play against Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams,’ ’’ he said. “Now, I try to have the same mentality going into every single game.

“Last year, I felt I was pretty dominant. I felt I could be dominant against anybody, but I didn’t go out there and do it every night. But this year, I’m trying to take every game differently.’’

Everyone's writing and talking about Rondo's mental transformation. He's vowing to dominate night-in and night-out regardless of the opponent. I can't wait to see him match up tonight with the Hornet's Chris Paul. There's nothing new to report on his contract status, other than what we posted last night.

After the jump....Manu Ginobli versus a bat. Seriously - you gotta see this video of him swatting a bat which flew around the arena during last night's game.

Holy crap! Has Manu ever heard of rabies?

The rest of the links:

Globe Notebook - Cavs Troubles | Herald - Rondo Point Taken | Plain Dealer: West Returns to Cavs | Chicago Trib - Celts, Lakers Won't Beat Bulls Record | CBS - Hornets/Celtics Preview | Celtics Blog - Shelden Making Most Of Baby's Minutes |

Rasheed Wallace - Quote of the Day

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:37:00 -0500

ESPN Boston has an article that has Boston athletes talking about their favorite Halloween costumes. Sheed's answer has to be the quote of the day. Rasheed Wallace, Celtics forward: "I never dressed up. Nah, we used to snatch bags from kids that did dress up."You know, somehow I don't doubt that. He probably still does it. Here are a couple of other Celtics' answers. Marquis Daniels, Celtics guard: "I was dressed up like Lester Hudson one time. Have you ev...

"Kings of the Mountain"

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:10:37 -0500

One of these days, Rasheed Wallace is going to come out of his shell and tell us what he really thinks about stuff. C'mon Sheed... get off the fence.

There is definitely an aura in the air that we can definitely go ahead and be the kings of the mountain. It’s just a matter of us going out there and doing it now. We all believe that we can.

We should all chip in and get him some classes to help build up his confidence.

"Now we know he's a bleeder..."

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:38:50 -0500

The headline is a quote from Rasheed Wallace as he spoke about the cut Ray Allen suffered above his left eye during practice yesterday. The Globe has more details:

“You couldn’t see it, then all of a sudden he’s laying down. Then you saw the blood and you’re saying, ‘Oh no, I don’t think he’s faking.’ ’’

Though he was down for a while, Allen got up on his own power. He suffered a cut above his left eye that required five stitches at New England Baptist Hospital.

“He got hit pretty hard in the head and went down,’’ Rivers said. “I’m sure he had a buzz or something.’’

Rivers doubts that yesterday’s mishap will keep Allen out, but he said, “That’s the one that hurts because you don’t expect those to come at that time.’’

Other links: Herald - Pierce Feels For Former Running Mate ('Toine) | Celtics Get Their Fix on D | Pierce Revels in Celtics Rebirth | Cavs Interested in Antonio Daniels? |

Sheed: "It's going to work out to be dangerous"

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:54:41 -0500

Here are some notable comments following last night's game:

Rasheed Wallace (Yahoo! Sports via AP):

“It’s going to work out to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “He’s (KG) excited, he’s ready to go. I feel the same way. I’m always hyped up. I’m playing with a good team, I’m playing with a bunch of guys who know how to play this game.”

Kevin Garnett (Boston.com):

“I felt good, I thought I ran well,’’ Garnett said. “Sprint-wise I was not where I want to be. I didn’t play for a whole quarter and, after six months, you’ve got to warm it back up, you know what I mean? For the most part, I felt great out there, I wasn’t hesitant out there, there was no pain. I’m still not where I want to be. Like I said, it’s progress.’’

"Obviously, playing against the guys we have on this team every day, you have no choice but to get better. I just wanted to see where I was. For the most part, the talking, reaction, it was all there for me. Everything’s coming back. Doc’s on my rear end about attacking and being aggressive, and all that’s just flow. The game is so fast and I was just trying to take it all in and let it all come back to me. It’s all flow. It’s all repetition and getting back into the flow. Like a kid in a candy store, running around with his head cut off; I just have to slow down a little bit.’’

Paul Pierce on crossing the border from Hidalgo, TX to Mexico (Boston Herald):

“I think I’d be scared,” he said. “You keep hearing stories about all of those drug cartels, and tourists getting jacked, and people pushing drugs. I’m gonna stay right at home, man.”

Player Profiles: Rasheed Wallace #30

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:45:00 -0500

And now, Mr. Technical himself,Rasheed Wallace !!!by RunRondoRasheed Wallace6ft 11in230lbs35 years oldI was reading some blogs the other day in ponderous thought, and I read that Rasheed Wallace won’t have much of an effect on the Boston Celtics. The first thing that popped to my mind was, “That’s Felonious”. Sheed averaged 12ppg 7.4rpg and 1.3bpg last year for a Pistons team that didn’t have much effort or heart compared to previous installments. Don’t expect to see the same kind of Sheed w...

'Sheed Expects Same Ole Awful Calls

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:45:00 -0500

Have you been wondering what Rasheed Wallace thinks of playing with replacement referees? Gary Washburn of the Globe found out:

"I know there’s going to be a lot of stupid star calls like it is with the old refs, so I don’t think there’s going to be too much change."

You won't find a more honest quote than that. While Rasheed is right, I wouldn't be surprised if he got fined. There's more:

Do you think the replacement refs will be fair?

"I hope so. Of course I know they are going to come in all happy-go-lucky 'Oh I have Sheed Wallace a tech tonight, ha ha ha.' But I could care less about that. As long as we go out there and win, if I’m on the floor, oh fine. If I’m not on the floor, I think guys are still talented enough on this team with their high IQ to get that W."

Can you actually have discussions with officials or do they tune you out?

"There are a few officials that I can talk to but there are a few officials that if I look at them the wrong way or breath too hard are going to call a tech. It all depends on that official on how they feel all night."