Late last week, it was announced that Boston Celtics forward Gerald Wallace had suffered a torn meniscus that would likely sideline him for the remainder of the 2013-2014 season. On Tuesday, the “likely” turned to “definitely”.
The organization announced that Wallace completed surgery to repair both his injured knee and an ankle injury on the same leg, and the additional surgery confirmed his season-ending diagnosis. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens was quoted as saying that Wallace’s surgeries “went well” (what is he supposed to say?), but any hope that he could return evaporated with the full announcement.
It wasn’t a particularly strong season for the now 31-year-old Wallace, as he posted a career-low 10.13 PER in 58 games, while averaging just 5.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest. There are still moments where Wallace’s famous intensity on the defensive end (and the glass) rear their heads, but for the most part, he is a greatly reduced player from his prime seasons in Charlotte.
The Celtics aren’t exactly playing for anything except playoff positioning, but Wallace is one of their only veterans, and it is a loss from that standpoint.