Gerald Wallace has a story and it’s still impacting the Portland Trail Blazers
Gerald Wallace only suited up in 65 games for Rip City, but every Portland Trail Blazers fan should be writing him a thank-you letter.
To tell this Portland Trail Blazers story in whole we have to flashback to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010. A well balanced team coached by Larry Brown. The Bobcats featured the likes of Stephen Jackson, Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton.
However, Gerald Wallace was the star forward for the team. He led the Bobcats to a playoff berth along with 44 wins. That season Wallace was named to the All-Defensive first team, and participated in the 2010 all-star game.
It was a season impressive enough for the Trail Blazers to aggressively pursue him in 2011. Unfortunately, during his tenure in red and black the forward was inconsistent.
Wallace averaged 14.55 PPG 7.1 RPG and 1.75 SPG during his 65-game tenure with the Trail Blazers. Numbers nowhere near as impressive as the 2009-2010 campaign that had fans excited for his arrival.
But, what he gave to the city of Portland is much greater.
At the tail end of the Brandon Roy – Nate McMillan era, it became increasingly clear that it was time for the team to rebuild.
In an effort to do so, the following year Gerald Wallace was traded to the Nets in exchange for a 2012 first round pick.
Wallace spent just as little time with the Nets before being moved again. It was him, Kris Humphries, and an unprecedented amount of draft stock sent to Boston for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry.
That trade is one of the most infamous moves in Nets history, setting them back for years.
After changing teams for the fifth and final time, Wallace would spend the rest of his career in Boston. However, his impact on Portland and the future of the franchise was tremendous.
Owner Paul Allen hired Neil Olshey and Terry Stotts ahead of the 2012 draft. The team held the sixth pick (from the Nets) and tenth pick, which turned into Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard.
Indirectly, Gerald Wallace helped shape the modern era of the Trail Blazers as we know it. The craziest part is, it all goes back to one magical season in Charlotte.
So in short, thank you Gerald Wallace, thank you for helping shape the franchise as we know it.
CJ McCollum is stepping up in Lillard’s absence. dark. Next
Flash forward to March of the 2020 NBA season the Blazers are currently on the outside looking in. With playoff hopes in question, the team is hurting without the aid of Damian Lillard over the past six games.
The star point guard currently has the highest usage rate of any player in the NBA, and could very well be the make or break factor for the Trail Blazers playoff hopes.
Lillard is expected to return when the Blazers host the Wizards on Wednesday March 04. With the team being 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies, that small trade in 2012 could make a world of difference for the team eight-years later.