Rasheed Wallace has picked where he wants to spend the next two years. While turning down interest from the San Antonio Spurs and the Orlando Magic, Wallace has agreed to sign with the Boston Celtics. He’s expected to get a two-year contract worth approximately $12 million.

Rasheed Wallace to the Boston Celtics (Image: Zuma Press)

With the Celtics, Wallace will likely come off the bench behind the frontline of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. He provides Boston with yet another veteran with championship experience who plays well in the playoffs to go along with Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Last year with the Detroit Pistons, Wallace averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32 minutes per game. Wallace joined the Pistons in 2004 and helped the team win the 2004 NBA championship.

On the first day of free agency, the Celtics sent a group to meet with Wallace and his wife. They wooed him to join the Celtics.

On Sunday, that wooing paid off.

Kevin McHale has been with the Minnesota Timberwolves since 1994. But that era is over. On Wednesday, McHale let it be known that the Timberwolves failed to offer him a contract to return as head coach.

Kevin McHale is out in Minnesota (Image: Zuma Press)

During his reign in Minnesota, McHale is known mostly for his failures. Despite having Kevin Garnett on the team for more than a decade, McHale the general manager could never put enough talent around him to make it to the NBA Finals.

Last season, McHale was asked to go from general manager to head coach. He was actually doing a really good job until star power forward Al Jefferson was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

The Timberwolves apparently wanted to go in a different direction. Who will be the next coach? One possibility is Bill Laimbeer, who recently resigned from the Detroit Shock of the WNBA. The timing of that resignation and McHale leaving could be a coincidence — but maybe not.

My 10 observations, er… questions about the NBA playoffs after the first three days of action.

1. Will the Pistons play at least one game where they act like they care?

2. Is Tyrus Thomas becoming a player right before our eyes or is he becoming a player right before our eyes?

3. Is New Orleans-Denver that much of a mismatch?

4. Is it just me or did Andre Iguodala make one helluva difficult shot in game 1 with Hedo all up in his grill?

Iggy gettin jiggy wit it (Image:Newscom)

5. Wait, did Orlando just leave 53 year old Donyell Marshall all alone again?

6. Does it bother you to see Kevin Garnett continually say potty mouth type things on the sideline after each big Celtic play…?

7. Or make goofy faces?

8.  Or that the cameraman seems to always focus in on him, like, expecting him to say something more family friendly the next time?

9. Did Tony Parker just decide to take over the Mavs series because I was too busy watching him make layups to tell?

10. Is it just me or does Jeff Van Gundy become more tolerable and dare I say more lovable as time goes on?

On Thursday, Danny Ainge suffered a heart attack. The 50-year-old general manager of the Boston Celtics is said to be recovering comfortably in a Boston area hospital. The Celtics have stated that Ainge’s heart attack appears to have been minor.

Boston Celtics (Image: Flickr)

The news regarding Ainge hit the news wires shortly after it was learned that superstar power forward Kevin Garnett may miss the entire playoffs due to a knee injury. Garnett was the star acquisition by Ainge last summer that propelled the Celtics to the 2007-08 NBA championship.

Even before Ainge brought a championship to Boston as a general manager, he was very popular in the city of Boston. As a player, he won two championship rings in the 1980s playing alongside Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.

The Celtics begin their attempt at back-to-back titles when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Without Garnett, the Celtics will have to rely on Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to care the workload.

Out since March 25th, Kevin Garnett is going to have to get ready for the 2008-09 NBA playoffs in a hurry. Doc Rivers, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, said that Garnett will play in only one regular season game the rest of the way. That game is set to be the regular season finale against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, April 15th.

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics (Image: Newscom)

Out of the last 24 contests, Garnett has been forced to miss 20 of those games. He’s suffering from a right knee strain that has hampered his explosiveness and has caused quite a bit of pain.

Even without Garnett, the Celtics have the second best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-19. Although Boston doesn’t have any hope to catch the Cleveland Cavaliers, they would like to get some sort of cohesion before the beginning of the postseason.

Most league pundits give the defending NBA champions a decent shot to win back-to-back titles, although this Garnett injury is definitely worrisome. If he doesn’t return near 100%, Boston’s chances could be doomed before the playoffs even begin.

I recently updated my b5 profile with the intention of explaining how www.jabandgrapple.com could cover both the scripted fun of pro wrestling entertainment and the unexpected life-threating tension of professional boxing. My answer wasn’t that they both take place in rings and involve some sort of combat.

No, my explanation was that they are bookends of the sporting world with everything else existing in between their emotional bounds. Friday night was evidence of this evocative breadth. WWE’s SmackDown and ESPN’s Friday Night Fights were broadcast simultaneously and my Motorola DVR only allowed me to watch one at a time while taping both. I was forced to delve into both without distraction.

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Adrenaline-pumping intro music started it off. The result seemed pre-destined and scripted. Buxom ladies entertained the crowd. A meddling commissioner lurked somewhere in the background. The referees were attentive to one competitor but ignored the pleas of another. A rapid crowd cheered on its hero while an Eastern-European heel named Zaza took the brunt of their attacks. Sound like the WWE?

No siree. We’re talking about Game 7 of the NBA’s first round of the playoffs. And if those comparisons weren’t enough, check out these two clips which might qualify as the weekend’s best takedowns:

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