The team announced on Wednesday that it has signed veteran big man Earl Barron for the remainder of the season.

Oct 30, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Washington Wizards power forward Earl Barron (30) during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 94-84. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Barron is the second player signed in as many days and like Quentin Richardson, who was inked to a deal yesterday by the club, is a former Knick.

New York is one of seven teams Barron has played for during his seven-year NBA career, also playing for the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards.

Barron posts career averages of 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 123 career games played.

Most recently, the seven-footer appeared in 11 games for the Wizards earlier this season, averaging 2.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG with the team before he was released.

If the name sounds familiar to Knicks fans, it  should as Barron averaged 11.7 points and 11.0 rebounds in seven games with the Knicks back in 2010, which is probably the best seven-game stretch of his career.

Barron is eligible for the postseason roster, although I wouldn’t expect him to see much time.

With many of the Knicks’ injured bigs, including Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, and Kenyon Martin, expected back for the postseason, there won’t be a lot of minutes available.

But Barron should at least provide some frontcourt depth in case any of the Knicks’ regulars are injured again.

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After dealing with several foot issues throughout his career, including one that caused him to miss 60 games this season, the veteran Wallace announced his retirement from the NBA for the second time on Wednesday.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Wallace was attempting a comeback this season and played in 21 games this season with the Knicks but missed most of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot.

He attempted a return to the lineup on Monday in Charlotte but had to come out of the game after only four minutes due to a sore foot,

The Knicks were hoping to have Wallace’s leadership and big body at the defensive end of the floor available for the playoffs, but that will no longer be the case.

“Rasheed has given this team everything he had,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said in a statement provided by the team (per ESPN’s Ian Begley). “He is a winner, true professional and leader on and off the court. Due to his injury, he will not be available to play for us during the playoffs.”

Wallace was a first-round draft pick of the Washington Wizards in 1995 and played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning a title with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. He retired in 2010 after one season with the Celtics and came out of retirement to sign with the Knicks in October.

He finishes his career with averages of 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and the four-time All-Star finishes as the all-time leader in technical fouls with 304.

Wallace’s retirement opens up a spot on the Knicks’ roster.

They may choose to sign a player prior to Wednesday’s season finale against the Atlanta Hawks.

If they choose to, they will likely look to add a player that wasn’t on an NBA roster after March 1, so they will be eligible for the postseason roster.

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However if you blinked, you may have missed his comeback.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Sheed’s return lasted a little less than four minutes as he was forced to leave the Knicks loss to the Charlotte Bobcats with a sore foot- the same foot he had surgery on back in February.

Now the question remains if Wallace be able to help the Knicks make a playoff run?

“We took him out, we’ll evaluate it [Tuesday] morning and just see where he is and how he feels and gauge it that way,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told reporters in Charlotte (via Adam Zagoria). “That’s the only thing we can do. He tried and I thought he looked pretty good the short minutes he was out there. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Woodson also wouldn’t go as far as to saying that he’s ready to call this a setback.

“No, I’m not saying it’s a setback but he was a little sore so he had to come out and I pulled him. So we’ll evaluate it a little more and see how he feels.”

Naturally Wallace looked out of shape during his four minutes on the floor Monday night, but even so, his presence still helps the Knicks.

I would be shocked to see him give it a go for the regular season finale Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, but whether or not Sheed will be ready for the playoff opener on Saturday is anyone’s guess right now.

Having Wallace along with Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler ready to go come Saturday could mean that the Knicks post defense will be very tough.

It will be amusing to see if Woodson plays only six players on Wednesday, in what amounts to a meaningless game against the Hawks. He played only seven on Monday with Raymond Felton, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Chandler, Martin, Amar’e Stoudemire and Marcus Camby all out of the lineup.

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With the Knicks victory over the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They also got more good news on the injury front.

Apr 7, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) dunks the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley before the Pacers game that big men Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin will be ready to go when the postseason begins.

“They will be there, yes,” Woodson said.

But the good news doesn’t stop there, as Woodson may also have the services of Rasheed Wallace for the postseason.

Wallace has not played since Dec. 13 due to a stress fracture in his right foot and Woodson said Wallace has been running for the past few days. There is also a good chance the 38-year-old will play in the Knicks’ game Monday in Charlotte.

Chandler and Martin won’t play the rest of the regular season in order to continue to allow their most recent injuries to heal.

Chandler has missed four consecutive games and 14 of the past 18 due to a bulging disk in his neck, while Martin has missed the past three games with a sprained left ankle and five of the last six.

In other injury news, Woodson also expects Marcus Camby, who has missed the past six games with a left fascia injury, to be ready when the playoffs begin.

As for Amar’e Stoudemire, there has been no update on a potential return for the postseason, which looks all but doubtful at this point.

The Knicks will face the Boston Celtics in the first round, which is expected to begin on April 20.

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Martin played 17 minutes off the bench against the Thunder and followed that up with 22 minutes in Saturday’s blowout win against the Utah Jazz. But while his stats would suggest that he is averaging only 4.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in his three games in a Knicks uniform, his value to this team has been so much greater than that early on.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) steps over Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Kevin Martin (23) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks were at their best early in the season when Rasheed Wallace was healthy, helping to anchor the second unit defensively. Since Wallace has been out of the lineup, since late December, the Knicks haven’t been the same team defensively.

That could all change though as it looks like K-Mart could thrive in Wallace’s old role.

Martin’s role should increase now that Amar’e Stoudemire will miss the next six weeks and the Knicks should benefit from that.

What made the Knicks good with ‘Sheed in the lineup was the fact that Wallace communicated great defensively.

Martin is a similar player and should have similar results.

He not only communicates defensively, but he defends the pick-and-roll tremendously. In addition Martin is a physical presence guard the post, and is an overall great defender who plays with a high intensity all of the time.

Martin provides a spark off the bench, which seemed to be missing at times and makes things a whole lot easier for Tyson Chandler, as Chandler doesn’t have to scramble and make up for teammates mistakes for 48 minutes. When Chandler and Martin are together on the floor, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year finally has a guy who he can trust with defensive assignments.

The difference between Wallace and Martin though is that K-Mart can defend multiple positions, evident by when Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson used him primarily on the NBA’s leading scorer Kevin Durant for a 13-minute stretch Thursday night.

It’s safe to say that Martin will be in a Knicks uniform for the rest of the season and it’s even safer to assume that K-Mart has found his role for the rest of the season.

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But don’t expect Martin to be going anywhere as the Knicks are expected to re-sign K-Mart to a second 10-day contract.

According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson confirmed that the team will re-sign Martin to another 10-day deal after his current one expires Monday night.

Woody says #Knicks will keep Kenyon for at least another 10-day deal. Barring injuries/roster issue, he’ll prob be here for rest of year.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 3, 2013

That’s not much of a surprise as it is widely expected that Martin will be around for the rest of the season, especially since Rasheed Wallace recently had surgery on his left foot and will be out for about eight weeks.

Feb. 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The 35-year-old big man joined the Knicks on February 23rd, after the team had opened up a roster spot by trading Ronnie Brewer to the Thunder.

However even with Martin on the roster, the Knicks are still very thin up front because he isn’t quite in game shape yet. K-Mart has played only five total minutes during the course of his first 10-day deal.

That could change quickly though if both Martin rounds into shape and Marcus Camby comes back healthy.

Camby was in uniform Sunday against the Miami Heat and dressed for the first time since January 10, being sidelined with a plantar fascia injury in his left foot.

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At this point in the season, the pickings are slim as there isn’t much out there to choose from, but the Knicks do have a couple of options.

Oct 22, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Delonte West (13) brings the ball up the court during the game against the New Orleans Hornets at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Hornets 87-74. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

One of those would be to keep an eye on players waived today as any player waived or bought out must be signed by another team by March 1 in order to be eligible for postseason play. That’s probably not going to happen.

But there other options that the Knicks could be targeting, which includes Raja Bell and Delonte West.

Bell would have to be bought out by the Utah Jazz and then would be free to sign with any team he wishes. He has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers all season, but that is unlikely because the Lakers will not likely be willing to take on any more money this season.

With that being said, do the Knicks really want to bring yet another aging veteran aboard? Bell is 36 and hasn’t played a minute this season. I just don’t know how much he helps.

West could be a different story altogether.

The Knicks second unit has had major problems defending all season and West could help in that department.

He hasn’t played in the NBA this season, but at age 29 West is still in the prime of his career. He has had attitude problems, which is the reason he is not in the NBA at the moment, but the Knicks are no strangers to adding players who have had attitude problems in the past as their roster is littered with them.

ESPN’s Jared Zwerling also seems a bit intrigued by possibly adding West.

Regarding Delonte West, I like him; not a bad guy. He knows how to play & is a good defender. #Knicks tho at 15 guys. Key is Martin & Camby.

— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) February 28, 2013

What West would give the Knicks is a good athlete who can penetrate well on offense and can defend very well on the perimeter, which is a big weakness on this team. He is also versatile and can play both guard positions and more importantly defend both.

He’s also a guy that likely knows that if he has another locker room problem then he will likely be out of the league permanently.

It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move, so I don’t have much of a problem with that if that is what Knicks’ general manager Glen Grunwald was thinking.

But don’t get too excited.

The Knicks still have 15 contracts so they would have to release someone if they were to make a move.

Kenyon Martin is on a 10-day contract so he could be an option, but the feeling is that he will be signed for the rest of the season.

Then there is a decision to be made with Wallace. Will the Knicks keep him on the roster even though he is out for the remainder of the regular season?

The New York Post’s Marc Berman reported that Wallace intends to be back for the postseason, as he elected to have surgery now instead of letting his foot heal. But remember how long it took ‘Sheed to get into playing shape during training camp. It’s very unlikely that he will be able to contribute much, if anything at all come playoff time.

Either way, the Knicks have a decision to make on whether or not they want to add to the current roster or just stick with what they have now.

My gut feeling is that you won’t see anything done.

Mike Woodson has shrunk his rotation down to nine as it is and Martin and Marcus Camby could be worked in as well. It would be nice to see them add a perimeter defender, but I just don’t see them making the necessary roster move to do so.

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Finally that question may have been answered and unfortunately the answer could be never.

Nate Taylor of the New York Times is reporting that Wallace will have surgery on his left foot and the Knicks say he will be out of action at least eight weeks.

Rasheed Wallace will have surgery on his left foot. The Knicks say recovery time is 8 weeks.

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) February 27, 2013

If you are scoring at home, that would  be late April at the earliest, which means a  return during the regular season won’t happen although there could be a chance that Wallace could return in May if the Knicks can make a lengthy playoff run, but even that seems doubtful at this point.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

That also means that Mike Woodson will likely start using Kenyon Martin soon and that Martin will likely be signed for the rest of the season.

K-Mart’s defensive presence may not be that to the level that ‘Sheed showed early in the season as the Knicks were at their best because of his communication, but Martin is an improvement nonetheless.

It also means that Marcus Camby, who could be returning soon, should play a bigger role down the stretch.

Wallace has been out since December 13 and has only played 20 games on the season, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

It remains to be seen if the Knicks plan on replacing Wallace on the roster. If they do, they will have to release or buy out his contract as they are at the maximum amount of 15 players.

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Camby, who has been out a month and a half now with a foot injury, started scrimmaging with the team and appears almost ready to go.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“Camby’s getting close,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. “He scrimmaged a little today.”

The 17-year vet could return as early as Friday and could finally fill the backup center role behind Tyson Chandler that he was projected to fill when the Knicks surprisingly signed him to a three-year deal in a sign and trade deal with the Houston Rockets during the offseason.

So far Camby’s second stint in a Knicks uniform was similar to his first- injury plagued.  He has managed to play in only 14 games this season and played decent minutes in only a handful of those. Camby is averaging only 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes of action.

He could be ready for Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards, but Woodson wouldn’t go as far as to confirm that.

As for Rasheed Wallace, Woodson still said he doesn’t know when or if ‘Sheed will return to the lineup.

Camby’s potential return, along with the debut of Kenyon Martin should improve the Knicks interior defense and will give Woodson a challenge on handing out minutes.

Woodson is currently going nine deep on most nights and that will certainly change when Camby and Martin are ready to go.

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New York Knicks fans can expect to see Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby back into the rotation early in the second half of the season. This will bring much needed energy and a smooth rotation for Mike Woodson’s frontcourt. You can say whatever you want about their consistency or scoring production, but you can’t argue that Camby and Wallace can crash those boards.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Carmelo Anthony have been carrying the load of the rebounding effort as of late.

Wallace is still fifth (4.2) on the team despite only playing 20 games and Camby is seventh (3.7) with only 14 games under his belt. The Knicks have no big men off the bench and that really hurts them. Chandler is going to be taxed come playoff time and he is the anchor and heart of the defense. If Camby and ‘Sheed can even give him five minutes more of rest a game, those minutes add up.

Rasheed can stretch the floor with his shooting ability and of course add the toughness he is known for. With Jason Kidd not being the player he was in the beginning of the season, a switch in the starting lineup can come soon. If Woodson sticks with Kidd as a starter, a bench of J.R. Smith, Stoudemire, Steve Novak, Camby, Wallace, and Pablo Prigioni, Woodson would have plenty of options.

We have not seen this Knicks team at full strength this entire season. From Raymond Felton, Stoudemire, Camby, and Wallace, this entire 15-man roster has not been completely healthy yet.

When they start getting their groove and playing their best ball, we can finally judge this team for who they are.

Wallace is averaging 7.2 PPG and 4.2 RPG in about 15 minutes off the bench. He provided interior defense support and extra rebounding. Sheed also is very expressive and is a legitimate leader on the court. Many players have sited his input and guidance as key to the team’s hot start to the season.

Many insiders around the league have doubted if Wallace will even return this season. The Knicks have been connected to players such as Kenyon Martin and Lou Amundson as potential replacements. There are rumors that Woodson’s connection with Sheed from their Piston days played a role in keeping him rather than looking elsewhere. If Sheed does return, then we shouldn’t expect him to make a concrete impact right away. However, by the time the playoffs come along, he may play a big role in a deep run. 

Here are three things the Knicks should expect from Sheed when he returns:

1) Help for rebounding woes:

The Knicks are the ranked 23rd in the league in rebounding, and average just under 41 per game. In today’s loss to the Clippers, they were out-rebounded 43 to 35. Rasheed, as a big body, helps grab rebounds and boxes out well. If you added in his 4 rebounds per game to the team average then they would be towards the top of the league. The Knicks may have to face the Pacers or Bulls in the playoffs, and they first and eighth respectively.

2) Additional post-presence: 

Before Amar’e Stoudemire returned from injury, Sheed was the only big man posting up players down low. He was effective, and even featured at time, when Carmelo was resting. While he will not be needed to provide many points, he can still work in the post, and create opportunities for other players with his above average court vision. Sheed’s high basketball IQ should allow him to be able to effect a few plays on the offensive side of the ball.

3) Anchoring the interior defense:

Defense may be what Rasheed Wallace is best known for, and coincidentally, it is what the Knicks need most. The early defensive juggernaut Knicks are now a distant memory. Between poor perimeter defense and being ranked 29th in shot blocking, the Knicks could use some help. Sheed is averaging almost one block per game this season. He also proved that he still can be effective guarding the low-post, which will come in handy when Tyson Chandler needs rest.

But maybe that will all change in the upcoming weeks.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said that Wallace, who has been out since December 15 with a stress reaction in his left foot, could get back to practice after the All-Star break.

The Knicks are starting to put things together now that they are starting to get healthy, but imagine how dangerous they will be come when they can add the defensive presence of Wallace back to the lineup.

‘Sheed may never be 100 percent healthy the remainder of the season, but if he gets healthy enough to give the Knicks 10-12 minutes per night off the bench, he will have value the rest of the season.

Speaking of injured big men, Woodson also hopes Marcus Camby can return to practice after the All-Star break, but sounded a lot less optimistic.

“I don’t know about Camby,” Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley. “They’ll continue to do their therapy work through the break. I’m hoping to have one of them back. Hopefully Rasheed will be back on the floor.”

Camby has been out since January 10 with a left plantar fascia injury.

If neither guy makes it back after the All-Star break, the Knicks seriously must look to consider adding size to their frontcourt, which will be hard given the fact that they currently have 15 guaranteed contracts.

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Dec 6, 2012; Miami FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) is fouled by New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Knicks won 112-92. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Who would have thought that injuries to a pair of 38-year-old role players would be a primary cause to slowing down the New York Knicks, who came out of the gate as one of the NBA’s elite? It’s undeniable that the injury to Raymond Felton has had a huge impact as well, but the interior toughness and depth that was vacated when Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby were sidelined has yet to be adequately filled in their absence.

Wallace, who didn’t play last season and was a part-time player the previous season, isn’t going to be able to log major minutes and solve everything, but his body inside and threat to shoot while spacing the floor (over one 3PTM per game this year) has been missed.  With the minutes he can hold up with, averaging about 14 over 20 games, he has been a productive rebounder with just over four per game in addition to 0.8 blocks, making a nice complement inside. The return of Amar’e Stoudemire is a big addition, but only nine games in, it remains to be seen how he performs fresh off an injury on a drastically different Knicks team than he remembers playing for last season.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) defends Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) shot during the second half at Amway Center. New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 114-106. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Camby’s second stint with the Knicks has been a far different one than his first one over 10 years ago, but he still has been a valuable asset, even while only seeing about 10 mpg.  As recently as last season Camby averaged nine boards and 1.4 blocks a game in just over 20 mpg for Portland and Houston. More importantly, Camby is the best shot blocker on the Knicks, averaging 0.8 this season in those limited minutes and 2.4 per game for his career.

Tyson Chandler has proven his defensive value and has last season’s Defensive Player of the Year award to show for it, but his shot blocking ability doesn’t coincide with his defensive reputation and is lacking (1.0 blocks per game in 30+ mpg this year). What was brought to the court by Camby, a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year himself, shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Knicks may be thinking about how they can overcome the Heat in a playoff series, winning just a lone playoff game against them least season, but this lack of interior presence will prove to be a problem against more than just the Heat. Teams like the Bulls with Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Taj Gibson inside will only get stronger with the return of Derrick Rose and the Knicks are already 0-3 vs. Chicago.

They don’t even need to look further than their own division for proof that they need to get tougher inside, allowing Kevin Garnett to put up 19 and 10 in their last meeting with the Celtics and getting embarrassed on the glass in Monday’s game vs. the Nets as they were outrebounded 52-37.

Between Chandler, Stoudemire, Wallace, and Camby, the Knicks had a good mix of options going for the 4 and 5 position in addition to Carmelo Anthony’s ability to play the 4. All of those players have different dimensions to their game and as a unit, have shown success this year. If they all prove to be healthy, the Knicks could have something that works but with age a factor for Wallace and Camby, that “if” becomes far less likely and it’s harder to rely on them to seamlessly bounce back from injury and slide back into the rotation.

The Knicks are still in the process of getting fully healthy at multiple positions, but as it stands right now, they will need more stability inside to ensure their credibility as a title threat this year and should explore all options for reinforcement before the trade deadline rolls around.

December 23, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) chases down a loose ball during the third quarter of an NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

However, that may not happen as Felton has yet to be cleared for contact by the Knicks medical staff.

Felton took part in a film session and conditioning drills during Sunday’s practice, but has yet to be cleared for any basketball activities, meaning his return could be pushed back at least a week.

Right now, the Knicks can’t wait until Felton returns as they need their starting point guard back in a big way.

Since Felton’s last game on Christmas Day against the Lakers, the Knicks have gone only 5-7.

With Iman Shumpert back healthy, Knicks fans are anxiously waiting to see the team’s backcourt healthy and playing together for the first time all season.

In other Knicks’ injury news, Marcus Camby (foot) looks to be about two weeks away from getting back into the lineup, while there is still no timetable on the return of Rasheed Wallace (foot).

“He’s still rehabbing. That’s about it,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. about Wallace.

Hopefully sooner rather than later the Knicks will be completely healthy for the first time all season and we will get to see how deep this team really is.

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Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) tries to shoot the ball as New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Wallace has yet to begin running and sources inside the Knicks organization told ESPN’s Ian Begley that they fear the big man could be finished for the season.

He has been out since December 15, with what the Knicks said at the time was a sore left foot. They since started calling it a stress reaction, but the signs do not look good right now for a Wallace return.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said last week that he expected Wallace to begin running this week, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.

Right now, the Knicks need a big body with both Wallace and Marcus Camby out with foot injuries, so the Kenyon Martin talk could soon begin again. The problem with that is that the Knicks have a full roster with 15 players and would have to release someone with a guaranteed contract in order to add a player to the roster.

However if Wallace is out for the season, that could make that possible.

But since the Martin rumors began a couple of weeks ago, it has been thought that Woodson would give Wallace proper time to heal before making a decision. But Begley’s source doesn’t seem so confident, simply saying “It doesn’t look good.”

When healthy Wallace was averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes, but more importantly he gave the team a strong post defender.

It is no coincidence that the Knicks have slumped defensively in ‘Sheed’s absence. Wallace has missed the past 15 games and the Knicks have gone only 7-8 in that span and have allowed over 100 points in seven of the eight losses.

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Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

But that has no chance of happening until the team figures out exactly what is wrong with forward Rasheed Wallace and exactly how long they will be without him.

Wallace will miss his 13th consecutive game Thursday night with what the Knicks are calling a stress reaction in his left foot and 16th game overall this season out.

The Knicks sure could use Martin as an insurance  policy, but the problem is that they have a roster that sits at the maximum of 15 players, so it would require a roster move of releasing a guaranteed contract.

That insurance policy certainly would come in handy against the Pacers as both Wallace and Carmelo Anthony (suspension) are out of the lineup and Amar’e Stoudemire’s minutes will be reduced (soreness in knee), leaving the Knicks shorthanded in the frontcourt against a very big Pacers team.

By not signing Martin, it looks as if the Knicks believe that Wallace will return soon.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson noted that Wallace will begin running and practicing next week, so his return figures to be close, although the Knicks will likely be without the big man for at least another week at the minimum.

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It’s been nine games since ‘Sheed has been able to come off the bench for the Knicks thanks to an injured foot and his absence has been felt in a big way.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) tries to shoot the ball as New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Much of the Knicks early season success was credited to their communication on defense, which Wallace is a big part of. The Knicks were making it a habit of holding opponents in the low 90′s when it came to scoring the basketball.

But in the nine games that Wallace has missed, it has been a much different story.

After allowing 105 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Knicks have allowed over 100 points in six of the nine games that ‘Sheed has been out of the lineup. They have allowed an average of 100.7 points per game in Wallace’s recent absence and coincidently have gone only 4-5 during that stretch.

The Knicks were 17-5 when ‘Sheed went down and now sit at only 21-10.

The reason is simple and it has been on the defensive end of the floor where Wallace excels.

The communication hasn’t been there. The effort can be questioned at times and the rotations have been horrible.

Wallace helps solve a lot of those problems, even sitting on the bench.

“We miss him a lot,” Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling after Wednesday’s practice. “I mean, that was one of the reasons of bringing him to New York. I know he brings that to the table and it becomes very effective. It’s contagious when you’ve got one or two guys that are talking all the time.”

It has been nice to see guys like Chris Copeland get more minutes and the spark he has given at the offensive end has been nice, but he offers up nothing on the defensive end.

There was one point during the Portland game that Woodson had to use a frontcourt of Amar’e Stoudemire, Copeland and Steve Novak, which offers very little in terms of being able to get stops.

Wallace is an important factor to the Knicks success and the team needs him back sooner, rather than later.

Unfortunately Woodson said that he does not have any idea when Wallace will be able to return.

Until then, the guys that are in uniform have to become much better communicators on the defensive end of the floor.

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Both Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton have been ruled out for Wednesday’s tilt against the Phoenix Suns.

Dec 6, 2012; Miami FL, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Both players got hurt during the Knicks’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. Anthony hyperextended his left knee when Marcus Camby fell on to him in the second quarter and Felton sprained his right pinkie finger in the third quarter when he and Steve Nash dove for a loose ball.

The Knicks are listing both players as day-to-day.

In addition, backup center Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot) will not play Wednesday.

This is Felton’s, who also has bone bruises on both hands, first missed game of the season; it’s Anthony’s fifth and Wallace’s ninth missed game because of injury. For Wallace, it is seven consecutive games now in street clothes.

Jason Kidd will move to the point guard and James White will be making his first start of the season. In 20 games, White is averaging 1.6 points in only six minutes per game.

Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas and Tyson Chandler are also in the Knicks’ starting lineup vs. the Suns.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola reported that according to a Knicks’ source, the injury to Wallace’s foot is actually a stress fracture.

‘Sheed will miss his fifth consecutive game Sunday against Minnesota and while the team is still listing him as day-to-day, there is a small chance that the injury could keep him out an extended period of time.

Wallace hasn’t played or practiced in 10 days, but there is hope that he can return to the lineup sometime after the Knicks’ three-game West Coast trip that begins on Christmas Day against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

‘Sheed is averaging 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 14.6 minutes per game, but his biggest contributions have come on the defensive end of the floor where his communication is often praised.

In his absence, it looks like Chris Copeland will continue to get minutes off the bench, as the rookie has been a nice spark over the past couple of weeks.

The mysterious sore foot that has caused New York Knicks’ big man Rasheed Wallace to miss the past four games is apparently much more than just sore.

New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola reported that according to a Knicks’ source, the injury to Wallace’s foot is actually a stress fracture.

‘Sheed will miss his fifth consecutive game Sunday against Minnesota and while the team is still listing him as day-to-day, there is a small chance that the injury could keep him out an extended period of time.

Wallace hasn’t played or practiced in 10 days, but there is hope that he can return to the lineup sometime after the Knicks’ three-game West Coast trip that begins on Christmas Day against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

‘Sheed is averaging 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 14.6 minutes per game, but his biggest contributions have come on the defensive end of the floor where his communication is often praised.

In his absence, it looks like Chris Copeland will continue to get minutes off the bench, as the rookie has been a nice spark over the past couple of weeks.

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Dec 15, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak (16) takes a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 103-102. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks didn’t miss Novak on Wednesday as they beat the Nets by 14, but it is always good to have him ready to come off the bench, especially since he is shooting 43.8 percent from behind the arc.

While it is great news on Novak being back in uniform, the same can’t be said for a pair of Knicks’ big men.

Marcus Camby (plantar fasciitis) targeted Friday to make his comeback and while he did shoot this morning, he won’t play tonight against the Bulls.

The same can be said for Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot).

Wallace is listed as day-to-day and will miss his fourth consecutive game tonight. The Knicks are saying there is no timetable for his return, which is a bit concerning. At his age (38), a foot injury could become a lingering problem for Wallace.

While that could be taken as bad news, it also means a bigger role for Chris Copeland for now, who has been a big spark off the Knicks bench.

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Dec 2, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward/center Rasheed Wallace leaves the court after being ejected during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m good money,” Wallace told ESPN’s Ian Begley after the Knicks’ Tuesday morning shootaround.

His presence will give Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson some added length to use against Brooklyn, which will come in handy considering that Nets’ center Brook Lopez will miss his sixth consecutive game. The Nets are one of the NBA’s better offensive rebounding teams, so the more big bodies the Knicks can run out there, the better off they should be.

Wallace also gives the Kicks a presence in the post a presence in the post, as Carmelo Anthony is the only other Knick that can score on the block.  That also may be a factor since having a presence in the post could help get the Nets into early foul trouble.

On the season, Wallace is averaging seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes for the 15-5 Knicks.

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Camby’s disappearance from the rotation upon returning from a training camp injury was odd. Many speculated that Camby had either done

Nov. 9, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) waits for a rebound against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

something to anger Mike Woodson or an injury was being covered up. According to Steve Popper, the latter was true as of this morning right until the news actually broke.

While Camby’s medical issue with his hooves (one that causes pain and inflammation at the bottom of the foot) is troubling, it also is not the back-breaking type of issue that probably would have been imagined at the start of the season. As mentioned, Camby was hardly getting playing time to begin with – and when he was, he was only effective half of the time – and the Knicks have a fair amount of other options. Tyson Chandler’s play of late warrants extra time on the court; if Rasheed Wallace doesn’t bark at referees anymore, he’s been fairly productive; Chris Copeland was a boost of energy this past Sunday; Kurt Thomas is still alive, as Seth Rosenthal points out. Amar’e Stoudemire’s return is not too far off either.

Going forward, however, it would be nice to get Camby back and healthy, as he could play a vital role for the team. The Knicks gave him a three-year contract and gave up a number of pieces in the sign-and-trade to acquire him (two backup big men, a backup point guard, and draft picks). Furthermore, the above-listed big men options, excluding Copeland, are all fairly aged themselves (basketball players are not like fine wine or liquors) and might not be dependable as the season wears on. If Camby can recover, he’d be a nice healthy option to have off the bench.

Should the Knicks not find a role for him as the season goes forward, however, it is possible that Camby could be used as trade bait for another team. It’s early, and the thought of a trade is about as unappealing as ever, but there is always a market for backup centers.

In the meantime, it’d just be nice to see Marcus rest up and recover quickly, hopefully with a future role in the rotation waiting for him.

A majority of the time, what you have right now is what you are going to get for the remainder of the season out of most players.

Nov. 25, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) on the court against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 121-100. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

With that being said, it’s a good time to take a look at how offseason acquisitions have impacted the team an through 14 games for the New York Knicks, you have to give general manager Glen Grunwald some credit as a few of his moves have impacted the team in a big way, most notably Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace.

I have always been a fan of more advanced stats to measure a player’s true impact to a team, which is why I am turning to John Hollinger’s PER, which comes as close as anything to measure a player’s all-around contribution to a team.

As you can see in the list below, both Kidd and Wallace rank among the Top 15 players to change team in the offseason in terms of PER.

Carl Landry (Warriors): 22.8

Goran Dragic (Suns): 22.6

Kyle Lowry (Raptors): 21.8

Jason Kidd (Knicks): 21.4

Andray Blatche (Nets): 21.4

James Harden (Rockets): 20.9

Dwight Howard (Lakers): 20.8

Louis Williams (Hawks): 20.4

Ryan Anderson (Hornets): 20.2

Ray Allen (Heat): 19.5

Jermaine O’Neal (Suns): 19.4

Jamal Crawford (Clippers): 19.0

O.J. Mayo (Mavericks): 18.6

Andrei Kirilenko (Timberwolves): 18.4

Rasheed Wallace (Knicks): 17.5

Kidd’s impact has especially been felt in a big way, as the fourth most productive player to change teams, having a greater impact on the Knicks than even guys like Harden, Howard, Anderson and others. Then there’s Wallace, who has earned a spot as the first big man of Mike Woodson’s bench. Considering he plays just slightly over 15 minutes per game, ‘Sheed’s PER speaks for exactly what he has brought to the team.

In comparison to other Knicks newcomers, Kidd and Wallace stick out the most, but the other guys have put up decent PER numbers, including: Ronnie Brewer (13.5), Chris Copeland (15.5), and Pablo Prigioni (11.6).

However not all new additions are producing good efficiency ratings as Kurt Thomas (7.3) and Marcus Camby (1.5) aren’t having much of an impact on the Knicks’ success, mostly due to the lack of playing time.

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Nov 16, 2012; Memphis, TN, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

But could Wallace’s comeback from a two year retirement ultimately land him a future job on the sidelines?

A piece on Yahoo! Sports suggested that Wallace has some interest in coaching in the future.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson had everything to do with Wallace coming out of retirement and at his age (38), even ‘Sheed can’t play forever. That begs the question of if one day we could see Wallace as an NBA assistant, perhaps even on Woodson’s staff with the Knicks?

“I know for a fact that’s his aspiration,” says (old friend Bo) Donaldson. “He loves to teach. I can see him as an NBA assistant. That’s what it’ll have to be for him.”

As recent as a few years ago, the thought of Wallace as a coach would seem ludicrous. With his bad boy temper and long list of technical fouls, he just wouldn’t make a coach, especially if he would stand up during games screaming “Ball Don’t Lie,” at officials. Add to that the fact that Wallace has always had a reputation of not wanting to talk to the media and there would be no way that he could coach in the NBA.

But this is a different ‘Sheed.

He takes an interest in helping players develop their games. Add to the fact the way he communicates on the floor, especially defensively, that Wallace is in essence another coach out on the floor.

On the surface, Wallace will always try to portray that bad boy image, but strip all of that away and you have a guy that’s a great teacher and communicator.

Everything a future coach should be.

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There are obvious reasons why the Knicks wanted Sheed. He was one of the better help defenders and post players in his prime, and is a 34% 3-point shooter. He brought height and shooting to a team that was already very deep, but he was not able to play for the team until he worked on his conditioning. So far this season, he is averaging 5.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 9.5 minutes of play. 

While those stats are not stunning, they are impressive due to his age and recent return from retirement. However, those numbers do not justify the reaction he is getting from the fans. Sheed has become one of the most popular players on this Knick team, and even got shouts of “SHEED,” at the Orlando Magic game earlier tonight. So the question is what makes Rasheed Wallace so lovable?

Sheed’s ridiculousness on and off the court is one of the reasons fans love him. He is the all-time leader in technical fouls with 304, and watching him argue with a Ref is the highlight of most games he plays in. He plays hard, and it shows when he challenges the referees. “Ball don’t lie,” is a phrase that Sheed helped to gain popularity, and one he often uses after a player misses a free throw from a foul that he deemed clean. No one can help but smile when Sheed screams those words after a missed free throw.

Another source of the fascination with Sheed comes from his new, but at the same time old, bald spot. The off-centered hairless circle towards the back of his head is  bigger than last time he was on the court, and it has become a fun topic of interest from fans.

He is not concerned with the media, or their opinion of him. From the start of preseason to post-game interviews, Sheed doesn’t beat around the bush. When asked what he thought of the Knicks last season, his response was, “‘I was more interested in college. To me it seemed in college ball, guys are more hungry.” Earlier this month he spread these words of wisdom, “Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.” He also said that part of his motivation to come back to the game was to show the young guys how the low-post is really played. Who wouldn’t love such candor?

It doesn’t matter why you love Rasheed Wallace, but what matters is that you do. Sheed may very well play a big bench role on a team contending for a championship, but more importantly he will provide the chemistry and entertainment that all teams need. If one things for sure, Rasheed Wallace will bring happiness to fans all over the league for at least one more year, and maybe that’s better than a championship? That is, its better than a Heat Championship.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the Madison Square Garden faithful chanting his name, Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson turned to 38-year old Rasheed Wallace and gave him his first run in an NBA game in over two years.

The crowd at the Garden went nuts and Wallace ended up draining a three to send those that attended the game home even happier.

Wallace still needs to work himself into better game shape and it’s still unclear what type of role Wallace will have long-term, but ‘Sheed doesn’t care. He’s always been about winning and will do whatever it takes to help this Knicks team succeed.

“I’ll just take whatever role Coach Woodson gives me,” Wallace said. “I’m too old to be taking attitudes, thinking I should be averaging 25 points or so-and-so minutes. It ain’t about that. It’s about the overall win. … I accept my Brian Scalabrine role. I’m cool with that.”

‘Sheed comparing himself to Scalabrine is funny to begin with, but it’s a compliment to a guy like Scalabrine, who has always been a team guy throughout his career.

With Amar’e Stoudemire out for a lengthy period of time,  I would expect Wallace to eventually have a bigger role on this team, but like  ’Sheed said, it is all about winning and if  that keeps happening, everyone will be happy, no matter what their roles are.

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It’s unclear how many minutes Wallace will play, but the important thing is that he will play when the Knicks kick off their season Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets at the brand new Barclays Center.

“I have to see what kind of flow we have in the game and who is doing what, but he will play some. No doubt about that,” Mike Woodson said on Tuesday (per ESPN’s Ian Begley).

Wallace has been retired for two years before he agreed to join the Knicks in training camp. The 15-year veteran worked his way back into shape during camp but did not play in any preseason games. Wallace has been viewed as a guy that the Knicks could work back in slowly, but that’s not the case anymore.

With Amar’e Stoudemire out 6-8 weeks following a left knee injury, the Knicks will need Wallace to contribute immediately and it is good news that he seems ready to go.

In other injury news, center Tyson Chandler practiced in a knee brace on Tuesday, but should be ready to go for the opener.

But the news isn’t as good for backup center Marcus Camby, who will likely miss Thursday’s game recovering from a calf injury suffered the third day of camp.

Camby has practiced just once since injuring his calf in the first week of camp. He missed practice on Tuesday because he had trouble traveling from his house to the training facility in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. However Woodson did say Camby must get some court time in before he is ready to play.

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Wallace hasn’t played in any of the Knicks five preseason games due to still working on his conditioning, but Wallace participated in all team drills and a few individual drills on Tuesday, doing his most extensive work since joining the Knicks.

There’s still no telling when “Sheed will suit up for the Knicks, but he’s expected to take a big step toward getting on the floor Friday when he scrimmages with the rest of the team.

Mike Woodson said after practice on Tuesday (per ESPN’s Ian Begley) that Wallace will not play in the Knicks’ preseason finale against the Nets on Wednesday, but he should start scrimmaging on Friday.

“We’re going to start to get some contact in … and try to test him a little bit there and see where he is,” Woodson said. “And then (we’ll) go from there. Today was the first day that he actually ran with the team and did all the conditioning [and] running that we do at the top of practice. That was kind of nice to see.”

Originally, Wallace’s signing was seen as somewhat of a low-risk, high-reward investment for the Knicks. The team signed him to a non-guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract with the idea that he could play his way into shape by the time the playoffs rolled around.

But now, the Knicks might need Wallace much sooner. Amar’e Stoudemire is out two to three weeks with a ruptured cyst in his left knee, and Marcus Camby is day to day with a calf injury. Wallace has increased his conditioning workload in recent days, although that was likely to happen whether Stoudemire was hurt or not.

On Tuesday, he and J.R. Smith (Achilles) did extra full- and half-court shooting drills with a team trainer on a side court while the rest of the Knicks worked in half-court sets.  Afterward, Wallace noted that he’s made great strides with his conditioning since he signed with the team Oct. 3.

“It’s improved tremendously,” the 38-year-old said. “When I first came in, I was in good shape but it wasn’t basketball shape.  I could go out there and run a couple miles. But now, getting in basketball shape, it’s more sprint and stop, sprint and stop. Almost like a car, city driving: stop and go, stop and go. So that’s what I just have to do.”

Woodson isn’t ready to commit to a timetable for Wallace, but given how thin the Knicks suddenly are up front, hopefully it is just a matter of time before Wallace is suiting up on game nights.

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May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) shoots a free throw against the Miami Heat during the second half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

One really good sign was the sight of Amar’e Stoudemire back on the floor. Stoudemire has missed the two first preseason games to this point with a  bum knee, but returned to 5-on-5 contact drills yesterday, leaving him a possibility for Friday’s exhibition game against the Toronto Raptors.

STAT started showing off some of his new low-post moves and seems excited about developing chemistry with his new teammates, especially the point guard trio of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni.

“It’s going to be a phenomenal year,” Stoudemire told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. “I mean, those guys are very, very great at creating offense. Having those floor generals out there, with the lineup that we have and the guys we have coming off the bench, we’ve got a pretty solid team.”

In addition to Stoudemire’s return, guard J.R. Smith also returned to the floor after sitting out a couple of days with a sore left ankle.

In other camp news, Ronnie Brewer (knee), Iman Shumpert (knee) and Marcus Camby (calf) remain inactive and Rasheed Wallace (conditioning) still isn’t practicing with the team.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson doesn’t know if Wallace will be ready by November 1, but sounds optimistic about Wallace making some progress.

“Rasheed’s doing fine,” Woodson said. “He’s starting to pick it up a little bit more in terms of getting up and down the floor with his conditioning work. It’s just a matter of time before we get him back.”

In addition to those four, Steve Novak was held out practice. Novak isn’t injured, but did log a lot of minutes in the first two preseason games and Woodson just wanted to give his veteran sharp-shooter a break.

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Naturally he wasn’t ready to go when the Knicks decided to take a gamble on him so head coach Mike Woodson is forced to bring Wallace along very slow so far through camp.

Wallace still hasn’t practiced with his new teammates and won’t make the trip Thursday for the Knicks first preseason game against the Washington Wizards.

‘Sheed has participated in some full-court drills, but isn’t sure when he’ll actually practice and play, saying the decision was all up to Woodson.

“He’ll give me an idea of when he wants me out there,” Wallace said. ”If it’s mid-November, then it’s mid-November. Or if it’s December, then it’s December. It’s on him, not me.”

Woodson says Wallace is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis and is being held out of action because Wallace is still in conditioning mode. It’s already been eight days of camp for Wallace and he has yet to scrimmage with his new teammates.

Knowing Wallace’s history, this comes as no surprise, nor is it anything to panic about.

But with practically a brand new roster and some guys banged up already, it would have been nice if ‘Sheed were in some type of condition coming in so he could at least get to know some of his new teammates tendencies, just in case Wallace is forced to play a bigger role than originally planned, which very well could be a possibility.

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So now, well, what exactly is ‘Sheed going to do for the Knicks this year?

Honestly, expectations for all on-court contributions for Wallace have got to be rather low. He isn’t going to be starting. He isn’t even going to be in the first rotation off the bench. He’s behind the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire, Marcus Camby and Steve Novak in the pecking order of players that could potentially play inside.

I do think Wallace will appear in a good amount of games. Probably more than half. But, if anyone is expecting him for anything north of 15 minutes a night really needs a reality check. At this point in his career, which is getting a total jump-start after a brief retirement, ‘Sheed just isn’t that type of player.

However, the qualities Wallace does bring to this team from a chemistry standpoint cannot go understated. The Knicks front office have made it clear from the first day of the offseason that they wanted to improve the team’s chemistry in the post-D’Antoni era. That’s largely part of the reason why they elected to sign more veterans like Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas, among others.

Like the other vets now on the roster, Wallace has immense playoff experience and knows exactly what it will take to bring the Knicks from contending for a playoff spot to contending for a championship. Remember, the distinction between those two points are critical. We’re typical New York sports fans. A season after making the playoffs, making the playoffs again isn’t enough to quench our collective thirst. We want more. While Wallace may not get the points per game or critical rebounds the Knicks desperately need, he will provide the exact influence in the lockerroom this team has seemingly lacked for a number of seasons.

I, for one, am totally excited just to see Rasheed Wallace roaming the Knicks bench after a huge play. The dude is pure entertainment. He’ll be a strong voice of leadership for this team.

And that’s perfect, considering expectations for this team are higher than ever.

According to a report from ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, the Knicks are very close to signing Rasheed Wallace.

Source close to #Knicks: All the players expect a Rasheed Wallace signing to become official. He took his physical w/ the team yesterday.

— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) September 28, 2012

Wallace had his first worked out with the Knicks on Saturday and being that he took a physical already, that means a deal is all but done.

Marc Berman of the New York Post also chimed in by saying a source reports that Wallace will be at Knicks training camp starting on Monday even though the power forward’s agent wouldn’t confirm an agreement has been reached with the team. Berman states a deal could be officially announced at some point on Friday.

With the Knicks clearly in win-now mode, it’s a move that would bring some much-needed depth up front. Wallace has the ability to stretch defenses because he can knock down jumpers and has always been reliable on the defensive end as he can guard both 4′s and 5′s. He should immediately slide in as the backup behind Amar’e Stoudemire on the depth chart.

Wallace last played for the Boston Celtics during the 2009-10 season when he averaged nine points and 4.1 rebounds per game, which was the first time in his 15-year career that he averaged less than double-digits in points per game.

Overall, the four-time All-Star has averaged 14.6 points per game over the course of his career.

But there are concerns over this signing.

For one Wallace is 38 and hasn’t played an NBA in almost two years. How much does he have left to offer?

Secondly, Wallace has been known as a guy that uses the regular season to get in NBA shape. If Stoudemire were to get hurt, or  even get in foul trouble, will Wallace be able to play major minutes if needed?

Finally there’s the chemistry issue. There are a lot of new parts that need to get aclimated into Mike Woodson’s system, so Wallace being at training camp is a good thing, but he’s also been a guy in the past that likes to draw attention to himself. Are there enough technical fouls to go around between ‘Sheed, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith?

However the most important concern is if Wallace can settle for reduced role than what he was normally accustomed to. Can Wallace accept that role and not become a distraction?

Thoes are questions that wil be answered in time, but there’s no doubting that Wallace is a risk.

It will certainly be a tough test for Woodson, as he may have a tough time keeping all the personalities on the Knicks roster in check when things aren’t going so good.

If things do go poorly, especially early, the first thing that will be looked at is the Knicks age, as Wallace becomes the fourth current player over the age of 38, joining Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas.

Wallace seems to  have got his wish as his agent said that the Knicks weere the only team that he would come out of retirement for.

Now we will have to just wait and see if the gamble pays off.

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Photo by Kathy Willens/AP

Of the six players on last year’s roster who were 25 or younger, the Knicks kept just one of them – Iman Shumpert. Some of those players were lost through free agency, some were lost through trades (including draft picks) for players whose value were perhaps not worth what they cost. Somewhere along the line, management decided that the Knicks needed more veterans, more experienced players to get them over the hump. Mike Woodson echoed these sentiments himself during the summer.

Although it’s been disproved that ‘old’ teams win championships, the Knicks’ front office was not necessarily in the wrong frame of mind for wanting to form an older, more experience club – one that could level themselves during the rigorous ups and downs of the regular season, and withstand the intense pressure of the playoffs.

It could be a gamble to rely on some of the older bodies to play vital roles on the team, but it could pay off. There is no need to mention Jason Kidd’s rapidly declining numbers, or that Pablo Prigioni, the third string point guard, is a 35-year old rookie. No need to mention the possibility of Marcus Camby (38) and Kurt Thomas (39) not holding up as Tyson Chandler’s back-ups through an 82-game season. All teams have to take risks, and the Knicks are betting against Father Time.

However, it seems that as the offseason comes to a close, the Knicks want to be the ones making old jokes themselves.

First there was the Tracy McGrady workout. Now there are the Rasheed Wallace rumors. Though the McGrady situation seems to have dissolved, the Wallace situation still hangs in limbo, evidently in the hands of Rasheed Wallace himself. If the agreement between Wallace and the Knicks were to be anything more than a training camp invite, that means the Knicks would have just one roster spot to fill before they reach the maximum 15 player limit.

There is a certain belief system that goes like this: what older veterans lack (or eventually begin to lose) in skill, they make up for with intangible qualities. These qualities include leadership, stabilizing presence in games and in the locker rooms, knowledge of the ins and outs of the season, perhaps even hustle or craftiness. If we are to buy into this belief system, the Knicks have all of these qualities sewn up, not just with the older players previously mentioned that were brought in this offseason, but with players like Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, or Carmelo Anthony, none of whom are newcomers to the NBA or inexperience with postseason basketball.

At a certain point, the Knicks odd, continuous search for veteran players becomes fruitless when these qualities have all been filled. If, for instance, players that are being signed bring more ‘intangible’ qualities than actual tangible qualities – shooting, rebounding, passing, defense – , then the Knicks are better off searching for younger, more promising players. After all, how much veteran leadership is needed? At what point does seasonal, ‘big-game’ experience from different players just blend together into similar lessons?

The Knicks don’t need to be working out the  Mcgrady’s and Wallace’s of the world; past-their-prime players, who, perhaps tellingly, are not employed by any other teams. As a reminder, the Knicks’ last two signings in the 2011-12 season were Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin. They should be turning their attention elsewhere.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are willing to take a gamble on the 38-year forward who last played in the NBA in 2010; however the ball is now in Wallace’s court to decide if he wants to play in the Big Apple. Berman wrote that Wallace hasn’t decided yet whether he wants to dedicate himself to getting back in NBA shape and playing again and we all know how Wallace has felt about dedicating himself to get himself in good condition. In years past, ‘Sheed has used the early parts of the season to get himself in shape.

The Knicks can’t offer Wallace, or any other player, more than the minimum contract, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue with ‘Sheed as his agent Bill Strickland told ESPN’s Ian Begley that salary won’t be an issue.

“He’s done very well and he has been good about his money,” Strickland said. ”I just think that it has got to be the right place.”

Strickland says that he hasn’t had any formal contract discussions on Wallace’s behalf with anyone in the Knicks organization, including assistant general manager Allan Houston, who is a former client of Strickland’s. If they bring the 6-foot-11 Wallace in, it would likely be to back up Amar’e Stoudemire and add some additional depth at center. In addition to being known for collecting an insane amount of technical fouls, Wallace is also a strong post defender, which is something head coach Mike Woodson would love.

Strickland says that as many as six different teams have attempted to lure Wallace out of retirement the past two seasons and so far ‘Sheed hasn’t bit on any offers, so it’s unknown how serious he would be about joining the Knicks.

“He will make this decision on his own,” Strickland said. ”Rasheed’s his own man. This time I’ll be more a facilitator than an advisor. As he’s told me, he’s a grown man and he’s got this.”

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Enter Rasheed Wallace.

Wallace now 38, hasn’t played since the 2010 NBA Finals,  fits the bill the Knicks are looking for. Standing at 6’11, Wallace has the size and length to guard both power forward and centers. Offensively, Wallace at his best is very versatile. He can bang in the post but yet stretch his defender outside the three-point line. On the Knicks, Wallace will be a great backup behind either Amar’e Stoudemire or Tyson Chandler.

The problem is he’s 38 years old!

The Knicks already have enough veteran leadership between Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, Stoudemire, and Chandler. On top of this Camby and Thomas–the current subs for Chandler and Stoudemire–are ancient with both players knocking on the age of 40.

It’s very clear the Knicks need younger legs backing up their bigs.That is why I’ve been advocating the Knicks go after Louis Amundson but the big man has recently signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the veteran’s minimum. A younger option the Knicks should still go after is Kenyon Martin(34) but it seems he wants more than the veteran minimum.

Apr. 25, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) and Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

But back to Wallace, we all know that Wallace wants to comeback out of retirement to contribute to a contending team, but he has a well documented record of being disruptive in the locker room and volatile with referees during games. Indeed the Knicks need toughness, but not bad attitudes that Wallace may spread. And given that according to Jared Zwerling’s source “Wallace worked out for the Knicks. Not in very good shape” the Knicks should look somewhere else.

Simply put, Wallace can probably still provide serviceable minutes for an NBA team but the Knicks is not the right destination for him if he really wants to have an impact in his comeback season.

Marc Berman of the New York Post confirmed that the Knicks are no longer interested in Tracy McGrady, but instead worked out Wallace on Saturday.

Wallace, 38, retired after the 2009-10 season with the Celtics and attempted a comeback last season, but no team showed interest in giving him a chance. There could be a chance with the Knicks though as Wallace and assistant general manager Allan Houston share the same agent, Bill Strickland.

Sheed already has a ring and is considered a defensive specialist. His strength would be an asset on the block for the Knicks, but bringing in his personality could be costly. With Tyson Chandler and Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas already in the fold, Wallace’s presence would almost be pointless considering he’s known for baiting referees and racking up technical fouls.

Wallace is a nice thought, but bringing in a 38-year old, who last played NBA minutes in 2010 doesn’t seem like something that makes a whole lot of sense.

While Rasheed has the size, standing 6’11”, 230 pounds, and proven skills—with career averages of 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals—to be a solid rotation player for a contending team like the Knicks, his attitude and age should be a major deterrent in signing him to any type of a guaranteed deal.  Weight problems have plagued Wallace for most of his career, and there have been plenty of times that he has used the regular season to get fit.

In the Knicks search for a backup 4, they need a guy who can potentially start a few games if Amar’e Stoudemire isn’t healthy. Wallace doesn’t really fit that bill, especially if he’s out of shape.

There’s a reason teams like the Celtics, Lakers and Heat (all teams that needed size) passed on Wallace a season ago. He’s just too much of a risk.

The Knicks should follow suit and do the same.

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After Game #1 it seemed like Mo Williams would be a Major X-Factor. After Game #2 and Rajon Rondo's defense, we're downgrading Mo to a mere Minor X-Factor. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

After last night’s game, it’s clear there are 5 Major X-Factors in the Cleveland Cavaliers/Boston Celtics playoff series, 3 Minor X-Factors, and 1 Under-Reported Straight-Out Factor.  What do I mean by Major, Minor and Straight-Out Factors?  Well, first a Straight-Out Factor versus an X-Factor is something you know is going to happen versus something that may or may not happen.  Like it’s obvious now that Rajon Rondo is a force who’s gonna bring it every night. Earlier in his career that wasn’t the case, and he was an X-Factor. Now he’s a Straight-Out Factor, but he’s an Over-Reported Factor (or rather a Justifiably-Frequently-Reported Factor), so we ain’t gonna go into him.

In terms of Major X-Factors or Minor ones, a Major one is a change that will effect the whole series, while a Minor X-Factor effects just one game.  For instance, Doc Rivers has said that he hopes Nate Robinson can come in at some point during the playoffs, get hot, and help them win that game.  However, Nate clearly isn’t gonna be a major X-Factor who’s gonna suddenly be a force who leads them to victory in every single remaining battle.  Honestly, I don’t even have him as a minor X-Factor, but who knows?

The Five Major X-Factors:

To read the rest, click here.

Should the Knicks keep their one 7-footer who rebounded and played defense? Yes. Will they? Now that's where the question gets tough. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Going alphabetically, our first look at potential returnees is late-season addition Earl Barron.  During his short stint here in New York, Le Barron averaged an impressive double-double with 11 rebounds and 11.7 points.  For a big man his field goal percentage was a disappointing 44.1%, likely due to his preference to shoot from the 10-15 foot range rather than post up by the basket.  However, as his rebounds show, it’s not like he went all Rasheed Wallace on us and drifted out from the paint.  No, Barron wasn’t afraid to go down low to fight for a loose ball, but he also wasn’t that comfortable going back up in a crowd with it either.

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Don't let Oakley's refined dapper look fool you: He ain't someone with whom ya wanna get into a feud. (source: Yardbarker.com)

Inspired by Quentin Richardson and Paul Pierce’s recent war of words, SB Nation put together a fun little Haters’ Guide On NBA Feuds in recent years.  Amongst the list:

Charles Oakley and Tyrone Hill

Easily the most hilarious of any NBA feuds and a good lesson to all of us. After Sixers’ forward Tyrone Hill failed to pay a gambling debt of $54,000, then-Raptor Charles Oakley waded into the 76ers shootaround in Toronto and pegged a basketball at Hill, nailing him right in the head. Pretty insane, right? Charles Oakley showing up out of nowhere, no doubt spewing expletives, and probably throwing multiple basketballs at Hill (no way he hit him on the first shot).

[...] Oh, and what’s the lesson? DO NOT. MESS. WITH OAK.

——————-

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That disclaimer aside, the Knicks played worlds better against the Celtics (a team that’s one of only like 4 or 5 legit title contenders at this point), plus this good showing was in Boston so they didn’t even have the home crowd behind them.  Well, there was one exception.  New acquisition, Eddie House, got a standing ovation from his former fans.  Likewise, new Celtic, our former L’il Him, Nate Robinson, got tons of applause when he checked into the game to play his first minutes as a Celt (Krypto-Nate had been ill so he hadn’t played in any of Boston’s last few games).

Happily, once again Chris Duhon did not get off the bench (I believe I may’ve seen him wearing a suit, so maybe he wasn’t even on the active list for the game).  Sergio Rodriguez, still a bundle of energy, already has grown to better understand how to run D’Antoni’s offense.  He played 38 minutes, racking up 18 points on a fabulous 7-of-10 shooting, with 3 three-pointers, five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block to top it all off nicely.  This is a guy who was a third-string point guard for a team mired in mediocrity (the Sacramento Kings) who couldn’t get off the bench.  He’s always shown flashes of brilliance, but no NBA team has ever let him just go to town.  If he can keep up this level of play, I’m betting the Knicks will try to bring him back for next season (at a reasonable low salary).  This is a win-win situation for both sides.  We’re giving him a chance to prove himself, and in return we might get a great bargain for the future.

If we're gonna assume the Knicks lost from now on, we can also assume David Lee had a great night on offense and the boards. At Boston he racked up 28 points and 15 rebounds. Dang.

House gets a standing ovation from the crowd. Except for the rich people in front. They don't get up for nobody. Damn rich people.

Surprisingly, instead of Toney Douglas coming off the bench, D’Antoni gave new shooting guard Bill Walker some minutes.  I’d always assumed Walker was end-of-the-bench material who was thrown in to make salaries work in the Nate Robinson trade.  Sorta like how we also tossed in Marcus Landry who was our 15th man who rarely got to see the floor.  Now of course there’s the possibility that D’Antoni gave Walker some extra burn ‘cuz we were going up against his old team, but the kid looked good.  Yeah, he accumulated four fouls in just thirteen minutes, but he’s got some serious athleticism and potential.

Is it just me or does this look like one of them Lord Of The Rings shots were they digitally shrunk Eddie House so he'd look like a hobbit next to normal humans?

There was fear Tracy McGrady wouldn’t be able to play last night since we’d played the night before and he’d talked about how he was feeling all these minutes in his surgically repaired knee.  Again, he drove several times which was friggin’ awesome.  He did put up one or two ill-advised outside jumpers.  That, combined with him not getting some foul calls that he should’ve gotten, resulted in a less-than-stellar 3-for-8 shooting night for a mere six points.  Plus he only had enough energy to play 27 minutes.  But as I said, just the fact that he played at all was a great sign.  And while his shooting stank like skunk poo, that court vision was in full effect, allowing him to get eight assists.  Most point guards don’t even get that many assists in a game, so to get that from a shooting guard is a beautiful thang.

Battle Between Two Formerly Exciting All-Stars With Bad Knees Who Are Now Shadows Of What They Once Were. On A Tuesday Night.

Between McGrady, Rodriguez & Eddy House, we got nearly 20 assists, which resulted in us getting a ton of easy baskets against one of the best defensive teams in the league.  How easy, you ask?  We shot a sick 52.5% from the field.  The other thing that kept us in the game?  Our rebounding.  The Celts have taller big men than us in Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, plus much stronger big men in Kendrick Perkins and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.  Not only did we not let them dominate us on the boards, we actually out-boarded them by one!

The last impressive part about the game was that even though we got down by something like 14 points within the first quarter, the team never gave up.  In the fourth quarter we got within one point and were in it until the very end.  With less than 50 seconds remaining, we were down by three.  After several great passes getting the Celts out of position, we got it to Wilson Chandler for an easy lay-up at the basket with no one in front of him.  Then a truly unexpected thing happened.  Ray Allen, never known as a good defender and having lost a bunch of lift in his legs, came and blocked Chandler from behind.  Probably if Chandler had just dunked it instead of flipping it up it would’ve gone in, but there was no way he could’ve anticipated being blocked from behind by Ray friggin’ Allen.  It would’ve been a one-point game with less than a minute to go, giving us a real shot at stealing the game.  ‘Course if we did that, then I could’ve turned to you and said, “Guess what?  We won the lottery today.”

Sergio: "Hey, how come Nate's shooting at our basket?? What, he's not a Knick anymore?"

The second one, which we also talked about before it was finalized, was a trade with the Houston Rockets involving Tracy McGrady & his big ol’ expiring contract.  Turns out the deal didn’t contract, it expanded, becoming a threesome with the Sacramento Kings.  The Knicks basically gave up everything that was initially reported, and their attempts to protect their draft picks were laughable.  The Rockets get the choice to swap 2011 picks with the Knicks, but we stood our ground and got the pick protected.  If it’s the top pick in the draft.  Really?  That’s the best we could do?  What was the conversation like between Donnie Walsh and Houston GM Daryl Morey?

Walsh, “No, no, you’re asking for too much, we’ll only do it if the pick is lottery protected!”

Morey, “Nah.”

Walsh, “Fine, top-ten protected.”

Morey, “No.”

“Top five!”

“Nope”

“Top three!  And that’s as low as I’ll go!”

“Can’t do it.  Oh, got Sacramento on the other line, so I best be going-”

“Okay, okay, no protection!  Wait, no, that’ll make me look like a total chump who didn’t even attempt to fight this.”

“Know what?  You seem like a nice guy, tell ya what I’ll do.  We both know the chances of it being the number one pick are like a hundred-to-one, whadaya say we make it Top One protected.  It won’t affect me, and you… you can make up stories about how you stood your ground, refused to be bullied about.”

“Hmm, I can live with that.”

“But ya also gotta call me the ‘Grand High Poobah’ whenever we speak.”

“As you wish, Poobah.”

“That’s ‘Grand High’ to you.”

Ummm, but I digress.  Incredibly far.  Back to the actual facts of the trade.  So the Rockets, who made out like bandits, not only get to swap that 2011 pick, they also get the Knicks 2012 pick (oooh, but it’s top-5 protected), Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries, and the biggest thing… Sacramento’s sweet shooting Kevin Martin.   Martin, who’s still recovering from injury, has been able to easily score 25 points/game in the past, getting to the line 7-10 times a game for free buckets, and hitting threes with impunity despite having one of the oddest looking shooting motions.  He should thrive in the Rockets’ current free-flowing system, and should Yao Ming return healthy next year, Martin’s outside shooting should complement him much better than T-Mac’s game ever did.  Oh, and the Rockets also have to take Sacramento’s Hilton Armstrong (now on his third team this season).

The Kings, who had decided that Martin wasn’t working well along their rookie wunderkind, Tyreke Evans, get Martin’s contract off their books, plus the Rockets’ contender for sixth-man-of-the-year, Carl Landry.  Despite coming off the bench, Landry has been top 5 this season in points scored in the fourth quarter.  With the Kings struggling to close out some games, he could be a big boon.  And the wily Rockets had signed Landry to a great, reasonable deal too.  The Kings also get Larry Hughes from us, plus Joey Dorsey from the Rockets.

As for us, we get TMac, plus Sacramento’s third-string point guard, Sergio Rodriguez.  As mentioned, the key impetus for this whole deal was to get Jared Jeffries’ contract off the books for next year.  Since TMac’s contract expires this year, we get what we want: enough cap space to sign nearly two max free agents (it depends on what the final cap limit will be, which won’t be determined until this summer), which’ll be more cap space than any other team in the league is expected to have.  However, in the meantime, like I said previously, we get a free audition of McGrady to see if he has anything left.  And if he does, maybe he’ll choose to stay in NYC for a discount.  The other short-term bonus is that even though he’s not a PG, he’s a good distributor so maybe he can take minutes away from the god-awful Chris Duhon.  Along those lines, the throw-in Sergio Rodriguez is actually a pretty darn exciting PG himself, nicknamed “Spanish Chocolate” (kinda odd that he ended up in Sacramento where Jason Williams, aka “White Chocolate” made his name.  What’s up with Sac-town’s desire for Chocolate?  I mean it ain’t like they play in Hershey, Pennsylvania or something…).  “Spanish,” much like “White,” is known to be a mediocre defender, but hell, on this Knicks’ team he should fit right in.  Unlike Duhon, he is aggressive, and unlike Nate Robinson, he is a pass-first type of point guard.

Whew, this is getting long, and I haven’t gotten to the third trade yet.  It’s with the Celts, and sadly it includes fan favorite Nate Robinson (plus another Knick, who for some reason is still unknown — I’m thinking Jonathan Bender or Marcus Landry) in return for Eddie House and seldom used players J.R. Giddeons and Bill Walker.  Kind of an odd trade.  The Knicks do it solely to get rid of Nate, not for better talent, versatility, money or anything.  His inconsistency and free-lancing just bugs the hell out of Mike D’Antoni, so they got rid of him even though along with David Lee he’s the longest tenured Knick and as I said, the fans love him.  On the opposite end, Eddie House is not only a big fan favorite for the Celts, but also someone who Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers says is a core player who he doesn’t want to lose.  However, the Celts have been playing poorly lately (for a team who wants a championship or bust) so management used this to send a “message” that players better step it up.  I mean Nate’s a slightly better defender than House, and has more offensive versatility (meaning he’s not just a spot-up three-point shooter), but he won’t be the difference between a championship or not for Boston.  Their real problem is with their power forwards: Kevin Garnett (gimpy), Rasheed Wallace (fatty), and Glen “Don’t Call Me Big Baby” Davis (no D).

Oh yeah, and we lost again last night to the Bulls (played well for three plus quarters, then fell apart).  If only the summer of 2010 could get here sooner so we could get a real team…