Getty Rasheed Wallace
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, four-time All-Star Rasheed Wallace could join the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach. Wallace and new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham were teammates on the Detroit Pistons and won the 2004 title together.
Wallace hasn’t officially joined the Lakers, but Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett seems to think the two sides will get a deal done. KG spoke about Wallace’s potential impact on the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis on June 11th’s episode of “KG Certified.”
“My dog Sheed Wallace on the bench with big Ham. I think this is great for this Laker team,” Garnett said. “I think Anthony Davis needs an influence that he can have. Someone in his ear. Listen, Rasheed Wallace is one of the best f***in’ power forwards and players to ever play in our league. He’s full of knowledge. He hasn’t shared that knowledge with the world, but I talk basketball with him several times. He is nothing below a genius and a mastermind when it comes to the block. He understands everything about both ends of the ball when it comes to scoring and also defending.
“I think he’s gonna be great for Anthony Davis. I think he’s gonna be great for LeBron James. I think he’s gonna be great for this Laker team. Straight up and down.”
Wallace finished his NBA career with averages of 14.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 1,109 games with the Washington Bullets, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Pistons, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. Since retiring in 2013, he has gained coaching experience in high school, college and the NBA, with stops at Charles E. Jordan High School in North Carolina, the University of Memphis and the Pistons.
Ham on Wallace: ‘That’s an Active Situation’
During his introductory press conference with the Lakers on June 6, Ham said Wallace is a “candidate” to join him on the Lakers.
“In regards to Rasheed, that’s an active situation,” Ham said. “That’s fluid. We’re still working through that. That’s not true at all (that Wallace has already been hired). He’s definitely a candidate that we’ll take a look at, but we’re working through that. We have a list of names and some people that’s currently under contract and we’re working with some really, really talented coaches. We’re working through that in order to pick the best staff possible.”
James, a four-time MVP and four-time champion, will turn 38 in December. He averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 2021-22. However, the NBA icon played in only 56 games due to injuries and one suspension.
Meanwhile, Davis played in just 40 games in 2021-22 due to injuries, averaging 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds. The Chicago native has appeared in just 76 regular-season games since the Lakers won the 2020 title over the Miami Heat.
Bleacher Report: Wallace Could Provide Lakers Energy
Bleacher Report’s Tim Daniels believes Wallace could provide the Lakers energy, something they lacked in 2021-22.
“It was clear throughout the 2021-22 season, which saw the Lakers miss the playoffs with a 33-49 record, that the franchise could use an infusion of energy. Things have trended consistently in the wrong direction since they captured the 2020 NBA title,” Daniels wrote. “Wallace should provide that. He was a fiery competitor throughout a 16-year NBA career that included four All-Star selections and a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.”
James and Davis share the same agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports). The Lakers are 75-33 in the regular season when James and Davis play. However, both stars have been prone to injuries over the last two seasons.
James has played in 101 out of a possible 154 games since guiding the Lakers to the 2020 title, while Davis — as mentioned above — has appeared in 76.