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playa2
Posts: 34922
Alba Posts: 15
Joined: 5/15/2003
Member: #407
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Sheed Makes Team Better
Despite Critics Rasheed Wallace is a Leader amongst Men
By J Double
Posted: Sunday, March 07, 2004
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DETRIOT, MI ------Rasheed Wallace has come onto the Detroit Pistons roster and made the Pistons a better team by showing great skills as a team player. Wallace has had his share of critics amongst his NBA career, but everywhere he has gone in his career he has made his teammates better basketball players. Wallace had numerous disagreements with the media of Portland, and the Portland local media often criticized him. Portland media often looked at Rasheed Wallace as the sole leader of the Trailblazers, and when things went wrong off or on the court Wallace felt the Portland local media often pointed the finger towards him.
During Wallace tenure at University of North Carolina he had Jerry Stackhouse to lean on and help lead the team. Together they lead the Tar Heels to the Final Four where Wallace was named to the All Tournament team. Wallace was also named to the All-American first team by the Sporting News and the All-American second team by the Associate Press. Rasheed Wallace has played his best basketball when he has other strong leaders to share the leadership role along with him.
Wallace takes the mentality of “just get the W” to a new level. Whether the team needs to rely on him to score, be a decoy, or whatever it is to make his teammates better he goes out and commits himself to it. Since Wallace was traded to the Pistons team Chauncey Billups assist numbers has begun to rise, while no teams have been effective penetrating in the paint. Rasheed Wallace has opened the floor well on offense, while he has helped Ben Wallace to clog the paint on defense. Together the two Wallace along with Mehmet Okur and Tayshaun Prince showcase the best shot blocking front court in the league.
Rasheed Wallace is still getting adjusted to his role within the Detroit Pistons roster, but he is developing great chemistry with teammates. He has developed great play of the pick and role with Chauncey Billups, and he has shown the ability to make great plays with his passing ability on the offensive end of the floor. The Pistons struggled getting out on the break before Rasheed Wallace was acquired, but he has been an asset as an additional shot blocker, and a great outlet passer, as well he runs the floor great. Rasheed Wallace has commanded the double team in the post, which allows open perimeter shots for the Pistons perimeter players.
Rasheed Wallace has found himself in a very comfortable position standing next to Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups, two solidly sound leaders. Rasheed Wallace is not looked upon to become the sole team leader of the Detroit Pistons. Rasheed Wallace is much like Ben Wallace and Billups in the sense of being team players with aggressive defensive styles of play, which makes them complementary to each other. Rasheed Wallace has been brought into the Detroit Pistons Organization to become one more key component to mesh within a team concept, which will allow him to excel within a role more suited for him.
From day one of arriving to Detroit Coach Brown has said “this group of players is the type of players I like to coach. They are players that play as a team... My job is to come in here, and teach them the right way to play.” During the first half of the season Joe Dumars talked to Coach Brown about the possibility of Rasheed Wallace joining the core group of players on the Pistons roster, and before trade deadline Coach Brown publicly craved on how much better he believed Rasheed Wallace would make the Pistons team. Coach Brown called Rasheed Wallace a top five player when he is on his game. Then Coach Brown said, “he (Rasheed Wallace) would fit right in.” Rasheed Wallace has come onto this Detroit Pistons roster not only to give himself new life within his career, but also to give the Pistons new life proving to his critics that he is a leader.
JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.
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3/8/2004 4:15 PM
