Top 50 players of 2012 #46 Gerald Wallace

By Bryan Thompson | Published July 19, 2012

Gerald Wallace gets a deserving spot on the countdown, having another contribution type of season with the New Jersey Nets and the Portland Trailblazers. Also known as “Crash” Wallace still lived up to his nickname this last season in his 11th year in the NBA. Wallace put up All-star caliber numbers with New Jersey and was a vital contributor for Portland, which helped the Blazers start the season with 12 wins and 8 losses in the first 20 games.

2012 Stats:

15.2 points per game
1.4 steals per game
6.8 rebounds per game
3.1 assists per game
.472 FG%

Drafted with the 25th pick overall in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, Wallace showed an invaluable potential level in his short career with the Kings and then a few short years later, the Kings decided to move in a different direction which shipped Wallace to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004 in their expansion draft.

The Bobcats had high hope for the athletic swing-man who started for the club immediately, clogging up the stat sheet with his wide range of skills and showed why he was the future for the franchise. However, “crash” was bitten by the injury bug in his young career missing half of two of his first seasons with the association in 2004-2006. He was known his whole career for his dangerous style of play, but provided high energy that the expansion team lacked.

In 2010, Wallace finally reached his prime, getting selected to his first all star game; being the first ever bobcat to relinquish the accomplishment in franchise history. He was also named to the NBA 1st Defensive team in the same season, slam dunk contest, and added their first ever post season birth ever. Following his long waited success he was invited to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship team, and won the championship with Team USA or known as the “Redeem Team.”

But the following season, Michael Jordan and the front office of the Bobcats had other plans, unloading their prime players Stephen Jackson and including Wallace, to rebuild for the future in 2011.

Today Gerald Wallace is with the Brooklyn Nets and will hope to make a crack in the Eastern Conference pairing up with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. Wallace will be expected to make a bigger impact for the Nets this next year and will have immeasurable expectations.

That being said, the tough, hard nosed, reckless, swing man known as “crash” will never be forgotten in the history of the 4 teams he has suited up for.

Career Games:

40 points against Oklahoma City