I'm not sure of the why or why now but, regardless, the New York Knicks head to London for an afternoon contest Thursday against the Detroit Pistons and do so after getting some bad news.

Rasheed Wallace who came out of retirement to join his "friend" and Knicks head coach Mike Woodson might not see the court anytime soon, if at all. Wallace has a bad hoof or sore left foot or stress fracture or stress reaction in his left foot. Depending on who you believe with the ultra secretive Knicks, those have been the diagnoses so far. According to sources, the foot has not been getting better, Wallace still can't put weight on it or run on it and his return might not happen.

To be honest, at first i thought the Knicks bringing in Wallace was nothing more than side show material. The guy was retired and last he played he was pudgy, lazy, and looked dis-interested when he "finished" his career in Boston. However, none of that turned out to be so. Wallace has made a solid contribution to the Knicks and their recent uneven play can be traced back to when Wallace and Raymond Felton went down with injury.

Wallace had been averaging over seven points per game and just over three boards, but he was actually becoming a solid leader as well. I would have gagged if you told me that would happen before the season started. Wallace's career has been pot marked with controversy, mostly him being a hot head and leading the world in technical fouls. But Wallace, while not losing the fire, hasn't been a circus act at all and has played solid ball.

The Knicks, because they are the Knicks under James Dolan, tried to make the injury to his left foot nothing at all. A few days and he would be back. Now those "few days" might be the rest of the year and maybe a career. Some around the Knicks claim Wallace can't push off of his foot and has not made much of a recovery. When you get to be 38, things heal slowly, if at all.

Now to this game in London: why? Why are both clubs even there? What is the significance of playing a game overseas on a Thursday afternoon when nobody in the United States will be able to watch? It is not a holiday so what is the point? Why not do that on a weekend when people can view the game back in the USA? Also, the Knicks have to be back for a Monday afternoon game on Martin Luther King day this coming Monday. Strange!

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