Published: Sunday, September 23, 2012, 11:04 AM     Updated: Sunday, September 23, 2012, 11:08 AM
By Alex Raskin, NJ.com
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John Munson/The Star-Ledger (2009)
Rasheed Wallace could hit a variety of shots before his 2010 retirement, but does he have enough left in his tank for the Knicks?
Apparently free agent big man Kenyon Martin still hasn't backed off his demand for something more than a veteran's minimum -- which is all the Knicks can offer -- but the Knicks can go in another direction.
Instead of adding Martin for his rebounding and defensive skills, New York is considering bringing Rasheed Wallace out of retirement, according to ESPN's Ric Bucher.
"NBA news: Rasheed Wallace working out at NYK practice facility w/Camby and Kurt Thomas," Bucher tweeted early Sunday morning. "Knicks' considering."
Unlike Martin, who could be used to trap opposing players in same way coach Mike Woodson used Jared Jeffries last season, Wallace would provide more offense off the bench. Wallace isn't a bad weakside defender, but even at 6-11 he's never been much of a shot blocker.
The last time NBA audiences saw Wallace he was 35 and appearing in 79 regular season games for the Boston Celtics. He did average 9.0 ppg that season, but Wallace's field goal percentage dipped to a career low 40.9 percent and he had his lowest rebounding rate since he was a 24-year old for the Portland Trail Blazers. Wallace averaged only 6.6 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is pretty terrible for someone of his size and athleticism -- even at 35.
Wallace appeared in all 24 of the Celtics' playoff games that season, but his figures over that span aren't much better (he did hit 82.8 percent of his free throws, which helped Boston reach the NBA Finals). He actually had to start in Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2010 because Kendrick Perkins hurt his right knee in the previous game, and Wallace responded with 11 points in the defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The good news is that Wallace supposedly rededicated himself to being in shape since retiring before the 2010-2011 season. He's played in some charity games and things of that sort and the general consensus is that he hasn't looked this good physically in years.
The Knicks' interest is understandable. They have depth in the frontcourt, but Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler have a history of injuries and Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas are both pushing 40.
The 38-year-old Wallace won't make the Knicks younger, but he could make them even deeper, and that's all that counts. 

CrushAlot wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:Can we sign Buck Williams too?

He would be a good mentor for Kurt.

This is like the Jonathan Bender signing.

VCoug wrote:

nixluva wrote:People have to stop reacting so negatively to these things. If the guy has dedicated himself to his conditioning, it's not impossible for a player to get his game back. I think Rasheed had stopped trying to really get in prime shape for a number of years towards the end of his career. Not every player is as dedicated to being in shape as KG has been. Besides we would only need him for short duty. I think it's worth a look to see if he has gotten back in shape. Perhaps the time off has renewed his love for the game. If that's the case he could be a really good pickup.

Did you see him on Boston? Dude was out of shape the entire season and clearly didn't care. Why would he have changed 3 years later at 38?

I acknowledged that Rasheed had lost his passion for the game and wasn't in shape at the end. The entire point of him working out for the Knicks is to show that he's in shape now and that he has an improved mindset. I think that if he really wants it he could be a useful bench player. We just need guys that have size and know what to do out there. He'll have to impress the Knicks staff so I would assume if they sign him that he was impressive.

You can never have too many 6'11 guys who know how to play, who can shoot it and keep everyone loose on road trips.