Rasheed

Wallace

It looks like Shams jumped the gun on this one and Wallace has not been hired by Ham. It is unclear if the two sides are in talks toward a deal, but we will monitor the situation as more information becomes available.

Wallace and Ham were teammates in Detroit on the 2004 NBA Championship team, and they will now be reunited in Los Angeles, the team that they beat in the finals that season ironically. Wallace was last an assistant coach at the University of Memphis with Penny Hardaway, and he will now be back on the sideline, but this time in the NBA.

Wallace was hired as the head coach at Charles E Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina in 2019 after taking a hiatus from coaching after his lone season as an assistant in Detroit for the 2013-2014 season. Wallace will now dabble in the college ranks and join a staff that also features former Pistons head coach Larry Brown. Brown coached Wallace in Detroit and the two won the 2004 NBA title together and will now try to bring some hardware to Memphis.

Ben Wallace returns Friday, and Antonio McDyess has played well as a starter. “We’ll figure something out,” Brown said. “You know, maybe we will bring Rasheed (Wallace) off the bench. He won’t care at all, as long as it means something for the team.” Wallace agreed, saying, “That’s cool with me.” McDyess, however, is not in favor of the idea, not wanting to disrupt team chemistry.

Wallace said it’s not really a problem once he gets warmed up, but his shooting percentage has been affected since he suffered the injury last Friday.

He is listed as probable for tonight.

Wallace has a sore left arch from plantar fasciitis. Billups has a back strain that slowed him in Tuesday’s Game 4.

Wallace finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals, two blocks and no turnovers in that game, so look for more of this strategy to come. It could make Rasheed a very valuable commodity.

Wallace, 6-11, scored a game-high 19 in only 24 minutes while being guarded by the 6-6 Jim Jackson. Coach Maurice Cheeks might continue to exploit the mismatch Wallace would present at small forward, as well as using Bonzi Wells at shooting guard.

It is unclear if he will return for Thursday’s game at New Jersey.