Now The Celtics Need Rasheed Wallace

By: Greg Payne

While I certainly cannot tell you how long Danny Ainge and his staff have coveted Rasheed Wallace, the sudden talent shifts around the league have drastically altered the initial specifics of the proposal. You will never see Ainge panic. My bet would be that when he suffered that minor heart attack back on April 16, he drove himself to the hospital. But that's just my opinion.

And as calm, cool and composed as Ainge is, he's also brilliant in terms of league happenings and the current state of some of the most prolific opponents the Celtics will see this coming season. Which is why adding Wallace has now become essential, and the sooner it happens, the better.

“Sooner rather than later makes it easier for everyone,” Ainge told the Boston Herald. “But these are life-altering decisions. Rasheed has four kids that he has to think about.”

Won't somebody please think of the children!?

Well, with all due respect to Wallace's children, it's relatively impossible for Celtics fans to casually sit at home and bide their time, especially when the perennial contenders around the league have all made significant additions to their respective rosters.

With Ainge at the helm, the Celtics have not been an organization to watch from the sidelines as other teams make steady improvements while remaining passive themselves. So far the world champion (shudder) Los Angeles Lakers have ditched Trevor Ariza and signed a far superior Ron Artest. The Cleveland Cavaliers have finally added a legitimate force in the paint in Shaquille O'Neal. The San Antonio Spurs traded away three aging semi-contributors for one borderline All-Star in Richard Jefferson and the Orlando Magic traded for Florida native and eight-time All-Star Vince Carter.

Heck, even the Washington Wizards are ready to mess it up with the beasts of the East, as they added Randy Foye and Mike Miller to our nation's capital's squad. And while I'm at it, I'll throw in Toronto, which somehow stole Hedo Turkoglu right out from under Portland's nose.

But so far, what have the Celtics done to combat these various acquisitions? Why, they drafted Lester Hudson of course!

Which is why Wallace, whether you support this move or not, is now a necessity, as the Celtics' uphill climb next season without a major addition to the roster, would likely surpass that of scaling Mount Everest. If the Celtics were to win the title with their current roster as it stands, an 11-man monument would have be erected outside North Station in their honor, with each player chiseled from the finest marble (imagine Brian Scalabrine chiseled from marble!) and a great big ole sign hanging above it, with neon letters, reading:

The 2009-2010 Boston Celtics. Atlantic Division Champions. Eastern Conference Champions. NBA Champions.
The most talented team that never should have won.

And it's also increasingly difficult to make it through the suspenseful days, knowing full well the C's aren't the solitary squad seeking Sheed's services. Oh no, the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic are expected to make their relevant pitches and offers to Wallace this coming week.

While free agency is still less than a week old, and Ainge having stressed patience in these matters (after all, the Celtics did not sign James Posey until August 27 of the 2007 offseason), losing out on the Wallace sweepstakes would be something of a critical blow, considering all that has happened so far.

Whether it be the so-called experts weighing in and deeming Boston the favorite to obtain Wallace, the five-man recruitment squad sent to woo him or the resulting, "That was impressive. We appreciate you taking the time to visit us", spiel from Wallace's agent, Bill Strickland, C's fans are confidently thinking Sheed will grace the green next season.

While we wouldn't want to put the fate of next season solely on the acquisition of Wallace, particularly because anything could happen next season. His talent, which could very well come out in full force for the first time under KG's watchful eye, along with a healthy starting five and with Glen Davis (who Ainge hopes to re-sign) and another savvy veteran or two (Grant Hill and Tyronn Lue, anyone? After the mid-level exception, the Celtics can still offer other players the veterans minimum, valued at $1.3 million and the biannual exception worth 1.9 million), and the Celtics would be a legitimate powerhouse, and arguably the favorite heading into next season.

But for now, it's one step at a time, much the way the Celtics now take their seasons one game at a time. And that first step, which will prove more lethal than even Larry Bird's, will have to be signing Rasheed Wallace.

Stay Tuned.