PHILADELPHIA — This time the call didn’t have to come from the rafters. When the sound of “Sheeeed” spread across the Wells Fargo Center, Rasheed Wallace had already checked into the game. A full 5:34 remained in the third quarter. This was not mop-up duty. Apparently, the Brian Scalabrine minutes are over.
Wallace logged 13:33 in the Knicks’ 110-88 dismissal of the Sixers last night, proof he’s rapidly rounding into game shape enough to provide quality minutes off the bench earlier than expected.
After two years away from basketball, there was really no timetable for when the 38-year-old could be counted on to play extended minutes. Anything he contributed early on was considered gratis. But the Knicks haven’t gotten out of their first week of their season before Wallace is already making an impact.
He scored 10 points, last night including an emphatic three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter that gave the visitors an 89-68 lead that was never threatened. In what has become his signature celebration, Wallace pointed three fingers to his head as if pulling a trigger.
“It’s three points. Take that to the head,” Wallace explained.
Wallace never worried about being politically correct. There was a time he led the NBA in technical fouls, remember. For those who feared the Knicks were getting a softer, washed-up version of the player who led the Pistons to the NBA title and starred for five other teams, relax.
Early returns indicate Wallace has just enough attitude and game to contribute mightily to the Knicks this season. When called upon to spell Tyson Chandler, he was active on the defensive end, and confident enough on the offensive end to shoot 4-of-9 including 2-of-6 from three-point range.
Wallace has pronounced himself fit enough to play as many minutes as coach Mike Woodson needs him, though the Knicks coach isn’t about to overwork him.
“Our conditioning team is good as any in the league in terms of putting people back out on the floor,” Woodson said. “We just weren’t going to play him until we thought he was ready to hit the floor. I’m not going to burn him. None of those guys are going to play big minutes. It’s what you do with the minutes that you do play.”
Wallace made good use of his minutes last night. He added three rebounds and two blocked shots to his stat line, providing an inside presence the Knick will need during the course of the season.
“He’s so long,” Sixers general manager Rod Thorn said of Wallace. “He’s another guy on the Knicks that can stretch the court. And he knows how to play. I’m sure he’ll do some good things for them.”
Wallace aims to be a good soldier accepting whatever role he is given.
“I’m just one of the key ingredients,” he said. “Whenever [Woodson] calls me I’ve just got to be ready.”
Born and raised in Philadelphia, it was a homecoming of sorts for Wallace.
“Everybody here still got love for me and I got love for them,” he said.
Playing for his sixth NBA team, there will be several homecomings for Wallace this season. But he’s not viewing this as some sort of late retirement tour. The goal is to win a championship. With a back-to-back sweep of the injury-riddled Sixers, the Knicks are 3-0 for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. The additions of Jason Kidd and Wallace have given the Knicks toughness and leadership.
“As far as our chemistry goes, we’re at the tip of the iceberg,” Wallace said. “With the way we are, it’s a matter of veteran guys that know how to play basketball. Once we do jell together, then we could be scary.”
It’s already scary how far Wallace has come so quickly.