Grandpa Shaq Wants Grandpa Sheed

Both Shaquille O'Neal and Rasheed Wallace were in Orlando this weekend to support their mothers in a charity basketball game between NBA moms and NFL moms. Before the game, O'Neal became the latest member of the Celtics organization to lobby for Wallace to return next season, telling WFTV that he knew Wallace was pondering a return, then looking into the camera and saying, "Rasheed, go on and come back for one or two more years." (Check out the video above from CSNNE.com).  Earlier this offseason, both Jermaine O'Neal and Paul Pierce suggested they would also lobby Wallace to return, but Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has consistently stated its his belief that Wallace plans to walk away. If Wallace does plan to retire, the Celtics could move his contract to a team in need of salary cap or luxury tax relief, and net a player in return. If Wallace returns, it would create a bit of a frontcourt logjam, particularly when Kendrick Perkins comes back from offseason knee surgery, but having a surplus of All-Star-caliber big men seems like an excellent problem for a championship contender.

What's the old saying? One decaying big man deserves another?  I might have been one of the only Sheed supporters left on the planet but not anymore. If it means we can ship his contract off to another for a sharp shooting wing named Rudy Fernandez then I'm all for it. We have way too many egos in that locker room as it is right now without Wallace so what's gonna happen after a 3 game losing streak and everyone starts pointing the finger at everybody but themselves? In the words of Ronnie, "One match and poof." Can't have that.