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Bob Kravitz
O'Neal for No. 1? Don't bite, Pacers
June 14, 2006
I love NBA rumors.
Even the ones that aren't true, as I suspect is the case with the juiciest rumor making the rounds.
The latest, according to multiple media sources who probably don't have real sources in the know, is the Indiana Pacers are considering sending Jermaine O'Neal and the No. 17 pick in the draft to the Toronto Raptors for the No. 1 pick and Charlie Villanueva. (There's also a Jamaal Tinsley to Minnesota for Ricky Davis rumor out there, but first things first.)
Now, as far as the truth of this Big Rumor goes, let it be noted that I left a message for team president Larry Bird and he did not return my call. And, let's be honest, even if he did, do you really think he would have said, "Well, Bob, I sure hope we can make that deal, and then draft Adam Morrison"?
Personally, I think this rumor falls somewhere between nonsense and baloney. While there shouldn't be any hesitation about making big news this summer -- trading the deadwood in the locker room and either extending or firing coach Rick Carlisle -- this rumor reminds me, in the weeks before the NBA draft, honesty is as rare as a Shaquille O'Neal made free throw.
I don't think there's smoke or fire on this one. But that won't stop me from offering breathless commentary, will it?
So . . . J.O. and No. 17 for No. 1 and Villanueva?
My verdict: No way.
Again, I'm all for dropping a large nuclear device into the middle of the Pacers' dressing room. I'm all for taking risks, even taking a couple of steps backward to move forward. The truth is, after so many years of reaching the playoffs but failing to win a championship, I don't see the point in continuing to win 45 or 46 games and getting whacked in the first round.
This just isn't the right move.
Not in a season when the draft isn't featuring someone on the level of a Shaq/Tim Duncan/Greg Oden.
The problem with this rumored deal is, there's no consensus No. 1 -- unless there's a clear consensus No. 1 in Bird's mind, in which case, he'd better be right or this franchise will spend the next five years in the lottery. One minute, the national media proclaims the primacy of Morrison. Then it's LaMarcus Aldridge, and Tyrus Thomas, and Andrea Bargnani.
I would agree, if the Pacers are serious about changing the face of their team, they're probably going to have to move O'Neal. I don't say that because O'Neal is a bum or is incapable of returning to his old form, but as you look at this roster, he's the only player with the kind of pedigree who can demand significant value in return.
You trade Stephen Jackson, you're going to get somebody else's problem child in return.
You trade Tinsley, you're going to get a Ricky Davis-type, if you're lucky. (And yes, I'd do it; Davis may be a bit of a knucklehead, but he's a knucklehead who stays healthy.)
You trade anybody on this roster who isn't named O'Neal, it rates as tinkering, and the Pacers are not a couple of minor adjustments from being an NBA contender.
This just isn't the right move.
If you're going to trade a sure-fire double-double guy -- and O'Neal has remained one despite the injuries and the depletion of the roster around him -- you'd better get a sure thing in return. And a non-consensus No. 1 pick and Villanueva, a guy who floats more than Jacques Cousteau, are a long way from a sure thing.
Am I blinded by my personal affinity for O'Neal, the fact that as a human being, he's my favorite pro athlete in this city? I've been accused of that. J.O. is smart and opinionated, and I've always held him in high esteem since he defended his friend Isiah Thomas at a time when it would have been far easier to abandon his convictions.
As a player, yes, these past two years have been a nightmare. Some of that has been the result of circumstances beyond his control. But sometimes injuries are the result of sub-standard preparation and conditioning.
To his credit, O'Neal knows, he spent the past two offseasons concentrating too much on developing strength for what he figured would be an added workload at center. The result, though, was he was too heavy, and when he needed his legs late in Game 6 against New Jersey, his pins weren't there.
If he's going to be a Pacer next year, there needs to be a meeting of the minds -- between O'Neal and team CEO Donnie Walsh, it should be mentioned, because there isn't a lot of trust between O'Neal and Bird.
On the one hand, O'Neal needs to make a commitment to lose weight and come to camp in the best shape of his professional life. On the other hand, the Pacers need to bring in a true big man who can allow O'Neal to be the kind of player he was when he was surrounded by Ron Artest and Brad Miller.
Now, if there are some other juicy rumors out there, ones that involve players with proven track records, I'd be far more interested and willing to support a move involving O'Neal.
Until then, I don't like this one.
Whether it's true or not.
Bob Kravitz
O'Neal for No. 1? Don't bite, Pacers
June 14, 2006
I love NBA rumors.
Even the ones that aren't true, as I suspect is the case with the juiciest rumor making the rounds.
The latest, according to multiple media sources who probably don't have real sources in the know, is the Indiana Pacers are considering sending Jermaine O'Neal and the No. 17 pick in the draft to the Toronto Raptors for the No. 1 pick and Charlie Villanueva. (There's also a Jamaal Tinsley to Minnesota for Ricky Davis rumor out there, but first things first.)
Now, as far as the truth of this Big Rumor goes, let it be noted that I left a message for team president Larry Bird and he did not return my call. And, let's be honest, even if he did, do you really think he would have said, "Well, Bob, I sure hope we can make that deal, and then draft Adam Morrison"?
Personally, I think this rumor falls somewhere between nonsense and baloney. While there shouldn't be any hesitation about making big news this summer -- trading the deadwood in the locker room and either extending or firing coach Rick Carlisle -- this rumor reminds me, in the weeks before the NBA draft, honesty is as rare as a Shaquille O'Neal made free throw.
I don't think there's smoke or fire on this one. But that won't stop me from offering breathless commentary, will it?
So . . . J.O. and No. 17 for No. 1 and Villanueva?
My verdict: No way.
Again, I'm all for dropping a large nuclear device into the middle of the Pacers' dressing room. I'm all for taking risks, even taking a couple of steps backward to move forward. The truth is, after so many years of reaching the playoffs but failing to win a championship, I don't see the point in continuing to win 45 or 46 games and getting whacked in the first round.
This just isn't the right move.
Not in a season when the draft isn't featuring someone on the level of a Shaq/Tim Duncan/Greg Oden.
The problem with this rumored deal is, there's no consensus No. 1 -- unless there's a clear consensus No. 1 in Bird's mind, in which case, he'd better be right or this franchise will spend the next five years in the lottery. One minute, the national media proclaims the primacy of Morrison. Then it's LaMarcus Aldridge, and Tyrus Thomas, and Andrea Bargnani.
I would agree, if the Pacers are serious about changing the face of their team, they're probably going to have to move O'Neal. I don't say that because O'Neal is a bum or is incapable of returning to his old form, but as you look at this roster, he's the only player with the kind of pedigree who can demand significant value in return.
You trade Stephen Jackson, you're going to get somebody else's problem child in return.
You trade Tinsley, you're going to get a Ricky Davis-type, if you're lucky. (And yes, I'd do it; Davis may be a bit of a knucklehead, but he's a knucklehead who stays healthy.)
You trade anybody on this roster who isn't named O'Neal, it rates as tinkering, and the Pacers are not a couple of minor adjustments from being an NBA contender.
This just isn't the right move.
If you're going to trade a sure-fire double-double guy -- and O'Neal has remained one despite the injuries and the depletion of the roster around him -- you'd better get a sure thing in return. And a non-consensus No. 1 pick and Villanueva, a guy who floats more than Jacques Cousteau, are a long way from a sure thing.
Am I blinded by my personal affinity for O'Neal, the fact that as a human being, he's my favorite pro athlete in this city? I've been accused of that. J.O. is smart and opinionated, and I've always held him in high esteem since he defended his friend Isiah Thomas at a time when it would have been far easier to abandon his convictions.
As a player, yes, these past two years have been a nightmare. Some of that has been the result of circumstances beyond his control. But sometimes injuries are the result of sub-standard preparation and conditioning.
To his credit, O'Neal knows, he spent the past two offseasons concentrating too much on developing strength for what he figured would be an added workload at center. The result, though, was he was too heavy, and when he needed his legs late in Game 6 against New Jersey, his pins weren't there.
If he's going to be a Pacer next year, there needs to be a meeting of the minds -- between O'Neal and team CEO Donnie Walsh, it should be mentioned, because there isn't a lot of trust between O'Neal and Bird.
On the one hand, O'Neal needs to make a commitment to lose weight and come to camp in the best shape of his professional life. On the other hand, the Pacers need to bring in a true big man who can allow O'Neal to be the kind of player he was when he was surrounded by Ron Artest and Brad Miller.
Now, if there are some other juicy rumors out there, ones that involve players with proven track records, I'd be far more interested and willing to support a move involving O'Neal.
Until then, I don't like this one.
Whether it's true or not.
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