Wallace sounds off again. Does he have a point?

[BleedGreen1989]

“It’s hard,” Wallace said. “It’s like starting from scratch zero with this team and trying to figure out what direction they’re headed in and what pieces they’re going to put together. For me, I’ve already been through that situation. I was on an expansion team in Charlotte. I’ve established myself. To have to start all over on a team that’s starting from scratch is very difficult.”

“My thing about that is I don’t ask for trades,” Wallace said. “I don’t like to be traded. You know, once I get a place where I’m comfortable, I just want to know what’s expected of me and what my role is. For a guy that goes out and puts 110 percent of himself into it, you’re giving your all and you just want to know that. This is nothing against coach Brad (Stevens). Everyone has to figure out how we need to play with each other and how we can play together defensively and offensively to get the best out of each other.

“The thing is, the season starts so fast. It’s more like learning on the job. It’s not like college where you have that time to get to work as a team and grow and understand and see your players. In fairness to coach Stevens, he’s having to watch during the season to figure out his rotations and what guys like to do and how they play. I mean, that’s tough because these games actually count.”

I didn't mind calling out the team for lack of effort but this just seems like needless chatter.

[Birdman]

he bette look in the mirror himself..he is not actually tearing up the boxscore himself

[VitorSullyandKOFan]

Wow the guy playing 37 minutes and scoring 0 points is the one criticizing all the time.

[Birdman]

Plus this is a whole different team..players that hasndt been together very long with each other..also Stevens is learning also..going to take time though it will be painful to watch

[eugen]

The team is playing great, winning all games.... Why Wallace sounds off again?! Shame on him...

[Tr1boy]

He will start shutting up once the team wins. But if he cant handle the losing, than danny is going to try his best to get rid of him. If not use the salary provision and cut him

[PhoSita]

I feel bad for Wallace. 

He's been kicked around the league too much for a guy who tries so hard and has value in the right situation.  In a way, he's kind of a victim of his own success in that sense -- he's been good enough to get a fair amount of money, but because he's earned a sizable contract, he becomes a bit of a albatross to a team once that team is no longer in playoff contention, since Gerald is really a complementary player.

I don't blame Gerald at all for being frustrated and probably a little bitter about being stuck on this team that so clearly doesn't have him in its long term plans but has to keep him around anyhow.

All that said, at some point talking to the media about every gripe he has stops being understandable and starts being obnoxious and a major distraction.

[Roy H.]

It's time for him to shut up.

[TwinTower14]

just a thought here...Wallace is an awful basketball player?  Why does he talk like a guy that has been through the playoff wars? Like he has multiple rings? Has he ever been out of the first round?  I am so sick of this guy...

[sed522002]

I understand his frustrations, but his constant chatter to the media about his 110% effort that he's putting in is becoming a bit of "don't look at me, they suck". We have a roster full of bench players, it's going to be a long year for Wallace and the team and I swear I don't want to hear every single gripe from him.

[Fafnir]

It's time for him to shut up.

Yup.

Like I said before, talking to the media doesn't make you a leader.

[LooseCannon]

I don't see a problem.  Wallace isn't complaining.  He seems to be answering a direct question about the difficulty of being traded.  Here are more of his comments:

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “I think the main thing is trying to help the guys and get them to understand the situation we’re in, what’s at hand for us and what it’s going to take for us to win in this league. I was told when I came here to be more of a leader. I can understand that, but my personality . . . I’m not an outspoken, outgoing, in-your-face kind of player. I kind of lead by example out on the court, going out and giving my all. I try to push my teammates to compete at the same level that I compete at. That’s the type of leadership I’ve always given and always done. Being in this situation is new for me in trying to be vocal and trying to speak to guys. I’m trying to do that to the best of my ability, but I’m still trying to see how to approach guys.

....

“The problem is trying to figure out my role within the team and the situation that I’m called for,” he said. “Last year I had trouble with that in Brooklyn, trying to figure out what was expected of me within the team. Now I come here and pretty much everybody’s looking to see what their role is going to work out to be, what style of play we want, what kind of team we want to be. And when you’re in a situation like that, for me, it’s very difficult at this point in my career.

If Wallace speaks out, it seems to be because he thinks that's what the coaches/management want him to do.  Is it a good idea to ask him to take on a leadership role of pushing his teammates to play with the same defensive intensity? 

[eugen]

It's time for him to shut up.

This is your solution?!

[fairweatherfan]

I feel bad for Wallace. 

He's been kicked around the league too much for a guy who tries so hard and has value in the right situation.  In a way, he's kind of a victim of his own success in that sense -- he's been good enough to get a fair amount of money, but because he's earned a sizable contract, he becomes a bit of a albatross to a team once that team is no longer in playoff contention, since Gerald is really a complementary player.

I don't blame Gerald at all for being frustrated and probably a little bitter about being stuck on this team that so clearly doesn't have him in its long term plans but has to keep him around anyhow.

All that said, at some point talking to the media about every gripe he has stops being understandable and starts being obnoxious and a major distraction.

I agree with basically all of this.  I like Gerald, he works hard, seems like a good guy, but he's never really been on a very good team and he's seeing his career slipping away in a rebuild.  So his frustration is understandable.

...but, he needs to stop griping to the media about it, it's getting annoying.  I understood it and even appreciated it the first time, but it's getting to be a constant refrain. 

And on some level I wish he'd understand that he's painted himself into this corner by signing a contract that his play can no longer live up to.  Being overpaid, especially for multiple years, seriously limits your options in this league.  As many years as he's been in the league he shouldn't be surprised his deal just wound up as a bargaining chip.

[kozlodoev]

It's time for him to shut up.

Yeah, enough is enough. We got the point -- time to show us something on the court.