Tyson Chandler backs New York Knicks’ pursuit of Rasheed Wallace – NBA Update
New York Knicks going after former Detroit Pistons star Rasheed Wallace came as bit of a shocker. Going after a player, who left the league because he admitted to have lost the passion, seemed strange and again put the spotlight
on the Knicks’ poor acquisition skills.
However as strange the move appears to be for the outside world, the man whom the veteran centre is going to back up thinks that going after Wallace is right move;
“He looked good,’’ Tyson Chandler, the starting centre and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year said Wednesday at a charity event. “Rasheed can be a great addition to us. I hope he [comes],” he added. “I don’t know what the
situation is, but he’s a great communicator on defense and we know he can knock down the open 3 and jump shot. To have myself and Amare [Stoudemire] with Marcus Camby and Rasheed as backups … That’s pretty nice.”
There have been reports that the Knicks have put the ball in Wallace’s court by confirming him of the contract, if the veteran is willing to commit to a required level of conditioning, which is something his body badly needs to
make it NBA ready.
There however might not be enough minutes available for the veteran, should he decide to arrive at the Big Apple. The Knicks might be more willing to push Carmelo Anthony into more of a power forward role which can change the dynamics
for Amare Stoudemire and the backups in the front court, and increase the competition for minutes.
Wallace was a beast on the paint in his hey days. He was a four time All-Star and won the NBA championship with the bad boys aka the Detroit Pistons in 2004. He was one of the most physical players of his era and his intensity
on the D is something the Knicks can do with. Despite having a star studded roster including Chandler, the Knicks were nowhere near the level of a genuine contender on the defense. The addition of Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd will certainly help in this regard
come next season, but the infusion of a fit Wallace in the post will make the defense formidable.
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