Sheed Not Missing Link

I’m here to battle the notion that the Celtics got their “missing link” with the signing of Rasheed Wallace today. Sure, I’m biased, being a Pistons fan, but let’s go through and debate shall we?

isn’t the dominant inside presence of O’Neal, doesn’t run the floor like Jefferson and can’t defend quite like Artest. But what Wallace can do — specifically defend two positions and provide valuable inside-out scoring –

–Stop there!! Can’t run, can’t defend, but can defend. Weird. Let’s just say that Sheed was a great inside defender, and, at times, can still be. The inside-out scoring idea is a bit of an oxymoron because of the word “inside.” Sheed won’t go down low and I’m sick of hearing how good he could be if he did. He won’t, he never did. What he will do is stretch the defense by sitting at the 3-point line.

Wallace has the size and skill to score in the paint

Which he doesn’t use…

his three-point shooting (35.4 percent last season) will open up the floor for slashers

Not an amazing total, especially for someone taking 300+ threes a year. That’s a lot of missed threes.

Wallace can also defend power forwards and centers, the latter on display when he capably guarded Dwight Howard

This is a great point. He is the reason Orlando couldn’t handle the Pistons last year. (I’m not being sarcastic here)

Keeping Wallace’s emotions in check…will be a group effort. The Celtics proved they could integrate a mercurial player when they brought in Stephon Marbury, who played the second half of last season without incident.

Marbury is completely different. It wasn’t his emotions that were the problem, it was that he hated the Knicks and the Knicks hated him. Sheed is, at times, lazy and impossible to communicate with. He isn’t able to control his emotions and that’s an issue.

Boston’s only concern with Wallace is his quick temper, which tends to explode at critical moments. If he can control his emotions, the Celtics will once again be a serious threat next season.

Clearly, this sounds a lot easier than it is. The key phrase is “critical moments.” Sheed lost his temper when the team needed him most. The Celtics will be a threat, sure, but Wallace isn’t the savior some may think he is going to be. On that note, thank you to Rasheed who was a great player for the Pistons for five years. I’ve always said that they don’t win the championship without getting Sheed.

If He Can Keep His Cool, Wallace May Be Missing Link For Celtics [SI.com]