Wallace sounds off again. Does he have a point?

[RJ87]

Maybe he should have showed up a little earlier in the summer to help Coach Stevens see what he has.

I like the fire Wallace plays with, but he needs to shut up, now.

So he shouldn't take the summer to spend with his family?  He's away from them multiple times a year due to basketball, let the man have time for himself.  He reported when he was supposed to.

As far as his comments, he was responding and to a direct question about being traded. If he declined to answer or stopped talking to the media, he'd be eviscerated for not being cooperative (please see: Rondo, Rajon).

Fans are completely irrational as to what it's like to be traded, I mean, a player can devote himself to a city and organization and then can be up and traded to a team across the country (or Canada) overnight and "it's a business". But are they not supposed to have any kind of feelings or thoughts about it? Let's be honest, we all know Gerald isn't a longterm piece here and Danny will move as soon as a sliver of an opportunity presents itself. Gerald knows that as well. The guy's over 30, seems to be super competitive and he's on a lottery team.

 

[badshar]

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

Stats have absolutely NOTHING to do with your effort. Crawford could ballhog and drop 30 points. That doesn't mean he put a lot of effort and tried his hardest. It means that he decided to play "hero-ball" and become selfish by caring about his own stats.

Wallace might be the only consistent and hard-working player on this team.

Measuring someone's effort and performance by looking at the box score is the most pathetic way to try to understand what they bring to the team.

This really isn't true!

Obviously the box score is not everything.  Of course it isn't.  I love guys who aren't playing just for stats and do the little thing.  But why are stats there?  To measure performance.  When Chris Paul puts up 16 assists the other day, yes his stats look good, but they are just a reflection of how his passing dominated the game.

When Wallace is putting up zeros in a numbers of categories, it's a reflection of his game.  He just doesn't bring much.  On a team that needs scoring he can't score.  On a team that needs rebounding he can't rebound.

Playing hard is all well and good.  I love it.  But you know, they could hire me and I'd play harder out there than anyone for them.  But I'd still suck because I wouldn't be able to score, I wouldn't be able to rebound.  So who cares?  Production matters.

For the Chris Paul comparison, that's a pretty bad comparison. The Clippers are known to play good in the regular season and then get destroyed in the first round of the playoffs every year, no matter how many assists he hands out to "dominate the game" or how many dunks Griffin and Jordan throw down.

As for Wallace being wrong just because he doesn't fill up the scoreboard, that's an awful way to look at anything.

Sure he might not be able to fill up the scoreboard because he may not be good enough for it anymore, but as long as he is working hard and bringing his best to the court every game, he can't be criticized.

Again, stats are an awful way to measure just about anything. Even if he is not scoring, what about those other guys who he is calling out? There is absolutely no change in them. They continue to do what they are doing.

This is like saying if some small startup enters an industry and sees that all the big companies of that industry are doing wrong things, then it would be wrong for the startup to raise questions about the big companies because the startup isn't returning as much revenue (or stats in the game) as those big companies.

If a guy sees something wrong, he will say it. You shouldn't be speaking about your concerns for your team based on your stats. That's just ridiculous and wrong.

Man... I don't know what to say.

Chris Paul putting up 16 assists doesn't tell the tale of the game?  And you are talking about the playoffs? What? It has NOTHING to do with it.  The point is when someone puts up 16 assists, their stats reflect that they were dominating the other teams defense.  That is exactly what happened in that game.  Clearly you did not watch it.

Your business analogy... this would be like a start up who has bad ideas and isn't making any money calling out big companies who are doing well in their field, yes. 

You have to score to win basketball games.  You have to pass (which assists can reflect), you have to defend (which blocks and steals can reflect), you have to rebound (which rebounds very clearly reflect).  These things matter.  To think they don't is ridiculous.  Very much so.

Like I said, hire me Celtics.  I'll play as hard or even harder than Gerald Wallace and guess what? It doesn't matter.  This league is about production.  You have to produce to win.  Kevin Garnett is the ultimate team player and even still, he has incredible statistics through his career because he is a great player.  A guy that doesn't try to get stats still has his production reflected through stats.

 

At the end of the day, if Wallace is to be criticized, then everyone else more than deserves it too.

Wallace is a terrible basketball player.  We knew this coming in.  I thought maybe on a team with less on offense he would at least score more but even that's not the case.  I'm fine with that.  I know our team isn't going to be good, made peace with it coming in.

But he is the only player calling out teammates when he is terrible.  He is terrible.  If other players were doing that I would say the same. 

I'd say the same if Rondo came back and was playing at his All Star level and said "they" about the team and called them out and didn't include himself.

This is good leadership.  Watch it.  This guy was getting killed in the first half of his game because his line couldn't block the Texans (on one play, they let JJ Watt immediately through the line unblocked in the first) and he still says "we".  "We were getting our butts kicked".  This is leadership.

http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/Luck_Press_Conference_Colts_vs_Texans/af86f5d3-f0a3-4862-8306-fb2b474c3892

Wallace openly criticizing the team is far better than Jeff Green going around saying that watching the Red Sox inspires him to have a similar season this year.

[badshar]

I'm still trying to figure out what Wallace said this time around that was so bad.  The negative reaction sounds more like "I hate Wallace and don't want to hear him talk" or "Wallace sucks and therefore should not be allowed to speak".

Some of the stuff he is saying here is the sort of routine observation you might expect from a coach or GM talking about a generic rebuilding team.  I just don't see the harm in Wallace saying this to the media.

He's not the coach, he's not the gm, he's a complaining scrub with an awful attitude and the worst, most selfish player on the team...he should stop complaining, shut his mouth, realize no good team wants him and lead by example instead of take this depressing, woe is me attitude to the media, better yet he should retire..his presence on this team andin the nba is useless....oh wait we're tanking...perfect leader

WHAT?! He is selfish? That is why he is averaging like 3 points? The Celtics fanbase just redefined the limits of nonsense. Other fans will be proud of you.

[satch]

He is getting paid very well for all his frustrations.

[hpantazo]

I'm not sure what he expected before he came here. I mean, did he think he was going to be a featured starter on a playoff team? I think Wallace needs to come to grips with reality that he's an aging player who had gotten a good contract based on his athleticism and hustle while playing a lot of minutes on a bad team, and now he lost a few steps, got older, and is basically lucky to still be getting paid what he gets paid. He should shut up, improve his attitude, and hope a contender signs him to a vet min contract as a defensive specialist when his current deal expires.

[LarBrd33]

Wallace is a garbage player that we're stuck with for 3 years.  I imagine we'll continue to pump minutes into him until February.  If we can't find someone to take him off our hands by then, the dude probably gets benched the rest of the season so we can give the minutes to developing talent.  Wallace long-term future is a Theo Ratliff-esque expiring contract that we'll try to package with young assets in a major trade.  That's not happening for a couple years, though.

[nickagneta]

If Wallace has to answer questions, great. He doesn't have to expound on them. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.

I don't think his intention was to gripe but once he started answering questions, that is what he did and that's not what this team needs.

So, knock it off Wallace and play your part and when a reporter asks a question. KISS. It will make you look a lot less like the ass you are starting to look like through your media clippings.

[sed522002]

Maybe he should have showed up a little earlier in the summer to help Coach Stevens see what he has.

I like the fire Wallace plays with, but he needs to shut up, now.

So he shouldn't take the summer to spend with his family?  He's away from them multiple times a year due to basketball, let the man have time for himself.  He reported when he was supposed to.

As far as his comments, he was responding and to a direct question about being traded. If he declined to answer or stopped talking to the media, he'd be eviscerated for not being cooperative (please see: Rondo, Rajon).

Fans are completely irrational as to what it's like to be traded, I mean, a player can devote himself to a city and organization and then can be up and traded to a team across the country (or Canada) overnight and "it's a business". But are they not supposed to have any kind of feelings or thoughts about it? Let's be honest, we all know Gerald isn't a longterm piece here and Danny will move as soon as a sliver of an opportunity presents itself. Gerald knows that as well. The guy's over 30, seems to be super competitive and he's on a lottery team.

He's been responding to the same direct comment after each game and he will be asked the same direct comment over again. Nobody is saying to shut the media out, but he doesn't have to let them completely in either. There's always a better way to answer questions without putting doubt about your coaches and teammates.

[scaryjerry]

I'm still trying to figure out what Wallace said this time around that was so bad.  The negative reaction sounds more like "I hate Wallace and don't want to hear him talk" or "Wallace sucks and therefore should not be allowed to speak".

Some of the stuff he is saying here is the sort of routine observation you might expect from a coach or GM talking about a generic rebuilding team.  I just don't see the harm in Wallace saying this to the media.

He's not the coach, he's not the gm, he's a complaining scrub with an awful attitude and the worst, most selfish player on the team...he should stop complaining, shut his mouth, realize no good team wants him and lead by example instead of take this depressing, woe is me attitude to the media, better yet he should retire..his presence on this team andin the nba is useless....oh wait we're tanking...perfect leader

WHAT?! He is selfish? That is why he is averaging like 3 points? The Celtics fanbase just redefined the limits of nonsense. Other fans will be proud of you.

Um yeah he is selfish continually talking about himself and how hard this is for him because of what he's been through in the league and putting blame on other people when he can only put up 3pts...he should probably shut his selfish mouth, play better and be a better mentor, not a cry baby. Thank you

[CelticG1]

This is good leadership.  Watch it.  This guy was getting killed in the first half of his game because his line couldn't block the Texans (on one play, they let JJ Watt immediately through the line unblocked in the first) and he still says "we".  "We were getting our butts kicked".  This is leadership.

http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/Luck_Press_Conference_Colts_vs_Texans/af86f5d3-f0a3-4862-8306-fb2b474c3892

Or just make sure you catch a Tom Brady post-gamer. Not many NBA players get it, it seems.

Yeah or any KG post gamer

[Roy H.]

It's time for him to shut up.

This is your solution?!

My solution for what?

For Wallace making himself a distraction rather than a leader?  Yes.

Maybe he is right and something wrong inside the team( maybe this coach can not manage the team)...Telling to shut up does not mean anything...

Frankly, I don't care if he is right.  I've never liked it when coaches try to call guys out in the media, and I especially don't like it when players do it three times in the first four games.

Lead in the lockerroom.  An occasional public lashing is okay, but it should be the exception rather than the rule.

[Fafnir]

Lead in the lockerroom.  An occasional public lashing is okay, but it should be the exception rather than the rule.

He's basically had this same statement after every game, including a few in the preseason.

Its a big "don't blame me I'm playing hard", plus wanting out.

[sed522002]

Lead in the lockerroom.  An occasional public lashing is okay, but it should be the exception rather than the rule.

He's basically had this same statement after every game, including a few in the preseason.

Its a big "don't blame me I'm playing hard", plus wanting out.

Yep...especially the "don't blame me" part.

[celtic -_- pride]

This just in, Wallace is a grumpy old man because no nba team wants to commit to him.

[D.o.s.]

5/12/13
The NBA fined Tom Thibodeau (Chi) $25,000 for his comments regarding the
officiating following Friday's game 3.

5/2/13
The NBA fined GS coach Mark Jackson $25,000 for his comments following
Tuesday's GS-Den game complaining about how physical Denver was playing
with the league saying the comments were "an attempt to influence the
officiating."

12/9/12
The NBA fined Stephen Jackson (SA) $25,000 for typing a hostile comment
towards Serge Ibaka (OKC) in a Twitter message.

11/6/12
The NBA fined Monty Williams (NO coach) $25,000 for his comments about the
NBA's concussion policy.

6/13/12
The NBA fined Kevin Garnett (Bos) $25,000 for failing to make himself
available to the media following Saturday's Game 7 Bos-Mia game.

5/16/12
The NBA fined Andrew Bynum (LAL) $15,000 for failing to make himself
available to the media following Tuesday's practice.

4/22/10
The NBA fined Rasheed Wallace (Bos) $35,000 for criticizing the refs on
Monday (no game).

1/21/10
The NBA fined Glen Davis (Bos) $25,000 for making inappropriate comments
to a fan during Wednesday's Bos-Det game.

1/20/10
The NBA fined Rasheed Wallace (Bos) $35,000 for his comments regarding the
refs following Monday's Dal-Bos game.

1/13/10
The NBA fined Doc Rivers (Bos) $25,000 for his conduct after his ejection
during Monday's Bos-Atl game.

1/12/10
The NBA fined 2 unnamed teams $10,000 each for not enforcing the rule that
does not allow players along the bench to stand for long periods of time.

11/29/09
The NBA fined Rasheed Wallace (Bos) $30,000 for public criticizing the
refs following Friday's Bos-Tor game.

11/10/09
The NBA fined Dwight Howard (Orl) $15,000 for publically criticizing the
refs on his blog.

10/13/09
The NBA fined Gilbert Arenas (Was) $25,000 for failing to make himself
available to the media for interviews and Washington was fined a matching
$25,000 for failing to ensure that its players comply with NBA media
interview rules.

9/26/08
The NBA fined Gilbert Arenas (Was) and the Wizards $15,000 each for Arenas
missing media day.

5/22/07
The NBA fined San Antonio $50,000 for failing to make their players
available to the media on Monday.  San Antonio had given the players the
day off.

6/11/06
The NBA fined Shaquille O'Neal (Mia) $10,000 and Miami $25,000 for O'Neal
failing to make himself available to the media following Sunday's Dal-Mia
game.

4/28/03
The NBA fined Rasheed Wallace (Por) $10,000 for failing to cooperate with the media after Sunday's Por-Dal game and $20,000 for not participating in Monday's media access period.  Portland was also fined $50,000 for not ensuring that Wallace complied with the NBA media interview rules for the 2 days.

etc.

http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/fines.html#13-14

I have no doubt that the NBA would start dropping numbers if players decided not to take media sessions seriously/started knowingly offering boring platitudes ala certain New England football teams.

The NBA is so popular now because of how media-friendly they make the teams and players be. That's not something that's likely to change in the near future.