The Next Phil Jackson (I'd Bet A Keg)

I think the “experts” of today would be envious if they had the foresight that ‘ol Ima has. None of them could have possibly seen it coming, but I did. It's understandable that they didn't...how could they have? See, I know who one of the great coaches will be within the next 20-25 years from now:

That’s right...Rasheed Wallace. He was considered a hothead when a member of Washington at the beginning of his career. While in Portland, his temper and off-court problems overshadowed his talent. After all, he does hold the single-season technical foul record. Oh, and he threatened to kill a referee at one point. He’s also had some run-ins with the law in the past.

Despite these facts, here’s why I think Rasheed Wallace will be a damn good coach if he decides to enter into it once his playing career ends:

1) For starters, look at a couple of his former pupils. For several years, he worked with and tutored Jermaine O’ Neal, who is now a perennial All-Star. O’ Neal is a superior player to Wallace now, but Wallace truly aided in the development of O’ Neal as a premiere power forward in the NBA. Now, we can look at the development of Portland’s Zach Randolph. Already a very solid player, Randolph continues to improve and part of this can easily be attributed to his tutelage under Rasheed Wallace. Wallace knows how to work with young players and teach them the ins and outs of the game. Who knows? Darko may be great one day if he listens to the advice that I’m sure Rasheed Wallace is offering now.

2) Unlike Terrell Owens, Wallace is committed to his team and winning. While in Portland, Wallace’s numbers were solid enough to earn him two All-Star appearances. Since being traded to Detroit, those same numbers have declined by a considerable margin. However, unlike that bastard Owens, Wallace is not self-centered. He is not a "me" guy. He is dedicated to doing what is necessary to help his team win. Not once has Wallace bitched about the decrease in his stats. He’s not absorbed with his own numbers. Once considered a malcontent, Wallace is now one of the best team players in the NBA. Wallace just wants to win.

3) The once vile temper and erratic behavior displayed by Wallace in his Portland days has quelled astronomically. Wallace still speaks his mind and may argue a call from time to time, but his technical fouls have dropped off to a minimum. Wallace has proven himself as a team leader on the court.

4) A couple of years ago, after the Pistons won the championship, Wallace bought championship belts for the entire team.

This alone should warrant a head coaching position at some point.

I imagine how Coach Wallace would handle a loss. In the press room, when asked about his team's performance, he would simply respond "It was a good game...both teams played hard." Now that's class.

So, remember this post. When Rasheed Wallace has a Coach of the Year award and an NBA championship as a coach to add to his resume, you can say that you heard it here first!

Now, here are some predictions as far as award winners from this year in the NBA. We’ll see how close I am at the end of the season:

Rookie: Andrew Bogut
Most Improved: Tyson Chandler
Defensive Player: Andre Kirilenko
Coach of the Year: Mike Dunleavy
Sixth Man: Antoine Walker
MVP: Ron Artest
Champion: San Antonio Spurs
Finals MVP: Tim Duncan





(Does anyone really give a shit about this post since it was all about the NBA?)