After leading Syracuse to the NCAA Finals in 1996, John Wallace was drafted on the first round by the New York Knicks and played well in limited action as a rookie. His athleticism and exciting play made him an instant fan favorite at Madison Square Garden, even though he averaged just 4.8 points in 68 games in 1996-97. He was dealt to Toronto in a three-way trade that also involved Portland prior to the 1997-98 season and played in all 82 games for the Raptors, nearly tripling his scoring average to 14.0 ppg. He played one more year for Toronto before rejoining the Knicks as a free agent prior to the 1999-2000 season.
Wallace was named Second Team All-America by the AP after he carried Syracuse to the NCAA Championship Game in 1996, one year after applying for, and ultimately withdrawing from, the 1995 NBA Draft. He finished his career third on Syracuse's all-time scoring list with 2,119 points and third on the all-time rebounding list as well. Wallace joined Derrick Coleman as the only two players to lead Syracuse in rebounding all four years. In the NCAA Final vs. Kentucky, he scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Syracuse's 76-67 loss, capping a season in which he averaged 22.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Wallace was the 18th player to be drafted in 1996, the Knicks selecting him with the first of their three first-round picks. He played in 68 games, the most for a Knicks rookie since 1991-92, and averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. But the Knicks felt they needed more experience on their bench, so on October 10, 1997 they traded Wallace to Toronto in a three-way deal that brought them center Chris Dudley from Portland. With ample playing time in Toronto, Wallace went on to have a big year, finishing as the team's second-leading scorer at 14.0 ppg. The arrival of Charles Oakley cut into his playing time and Wallace averaged 8.6 ppg in 1998-99, after which he rejoined New York as a free agent on August 6, 1999.
1999-2000 NOTES
Wallace totaled 16 points and 5 rebounds in a 96-81 loss in Phoenix on Nov. 19. He scored 18 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a 102-93 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 6.
1998-99 NOTES
Wallace played in 48 games for Toronto, including three starts, as the addition of veteran power forward Charles Oakley and others cut into his playing time. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.90 blocks in just 16.9 minutes per game, shooting .432 from the field and .700 from the free throw line. He ranked third on the team in blocks and sixth in scoring and rebounding even though he was only eighth in minutes.
Wallace's scoring average projects to 24.3 points per 48 minutes, making him the second-most efficient scorer on the team behind Rookie of the Year Vince Carter and the most efficient of all bench players in the NBA. He also was one of the top players in the NBA in getting to the free throw line, his 150 attempts in 812 minutes projecting to 8.9 per 48 minutes, 11th in the league. He led the team in scoring and rebounding four times each, with season-highs of 21 points at Milwaukee on April 28 and 10 rebounds at Charlotte on March 1. He also had 12 points in the game against the Hornets for his only double-double of the season. He scored 20 points at Miami on March 11 and reached double figures 18 times.
Wallace registered 15 points, a game-high 8 rebounds and 4 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 1. He recorded season-high 21 points and 4 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 28, and totaled 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-5 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 16. Wallace posted team-highs of 17 points (7-14 FG, 5-6 FT) and 9 rebounds against the New Jersey Nets on March 22, and scored 17 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in an 89-82 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on March 15. He registered a team-high 20 points (8-15 FG, 4-5 FT), 7 rebounds and 3 steals against the Miami Heat on March 11. He recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds, for his first double-double of the season, against the Charlotte Hornets on March 1, and totaled 13 points (6-11 FG), 5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in a 102-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb.26.
1996-97 NOTES
Wallace's exciting play made him a favorite of the fans at Madison Square Garden, who often called for him to be brought in off the bench. He appeared in 68 games, the most for a Knick rookie since Greg Anthony played all 82 in 1991-92, and averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 11.6 minutes. He shot .517 from the field and impressed New York fans with his hustle and his array of dunks. He played in 22 of the season's first 24 games and averaged 5.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg in that stretch, which included double-digit scoring in each of the season's first five games. He cooled off after that, however, but bounced back in January when he played in all of the team's 16 games (five starts) and averaged 6.1 points and shot .545 for the month. He scored a season-high 19 points in a 112-99 win over Boston on Jan. 12 and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds (plus 10 points for his only double-double) in his pro debut, a 107-99 win at Toronto on Nov. 1.
Wallace appeared in the Schick Rookie Game at All-Star Weekend, the first Knick ever selected for the contest. He scored five points and hauled down three rebounds in 15 minutes. Wallace played in four of New York's 10 playoff games, averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes.
