His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

[Shade]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

I hope JO is right. If he truly returns to old form, he should be able to run in this system. If I were him, I'd look at dropping a little weight if possible, though. Hell, as long as he can run the floor efficiently, he should be a lot better than Murphy most nights.

In the meantime, he needs to sit out for as long as needed and not try to rush back. It does neither the team nor himself any good if he comes back again at less than 100%.

[Hicks]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

(They are 84-81 with him in the past three-plus seasons, 44-44 without.)

Now there's a stat.

[Evan_The_Dude]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

I just wish he would get it. Is he not seeing what will make this team successful? We just need him to fit in with whats been working. We don't need him to be a star. If he comes back and we skid again, then what? Are we going to continue to ignore the numbers or are we going to do something about it?

[jeffg-body]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

lol@"he might play tonight in seattle"...no he won't. This day to day crap is stupid. Just put him on IR let him miss the next 5 and then we'll go from there. Really it's getting stupid wondering if he may or may not play.

I agree with you on the whole day to day stuff. If he is injured, shut him down and make sure he stays home for treatment. SWill and a little Murph can fill in fine at the 4 spot.

[McKeyFan]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

but if Ike could avg. 14pts a game from the bench before injury - no reason why JO could not avg 20+y

No reason other than FG percentage.

[Major Cold]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

We need his defense. There are times when we need to slow it down. JO can be utilized then as well as in the running game.

[bellisimo]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

I agree - he should take as much time as needed ala Shaq to recover from whatever it is that is bogging him down. All this forcing to play is not helping anyone get into any groove.

There is no reason why JO could not get 20 10 within the system...

surely he can also get it outside the system...but if Ike could avg. 14pts a game from the bench before injury - no reason why JO could not avg 20+ ...as long as he is healthy

[McKeyFan]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

Quite refreshing for Wells to write this article.

Now it's out in the open and everyone has to deal with it, including JO and TPTB.

[OnlyPacersLeft]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

lol@"he might play tonight in seattle"...no he won't. This day to day crap is stupid. Just put him on IR let him miss the next 5 and then we'll go from there. Really it's getting stupid wondering if he may or may not play.

[Rajah Brown]

Re: His best in Past? Mike Wells Indy Star

Return to his level ? Perhaps so. But while good for him, would
that be good for the Pacers overall ?

They don't need 20 & 10, All-Star status the noteriety that comes
with it from him. They need him to 'fit'.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[indygeezer]

November 30, 2007


His best in past?
O'Neal certain he'll return to old form, be central to Pacers' success

By Mike Wells
mike.wells@indystar.com

SEATTLE -- It seemed like just yesterday that Jermaine O'Neal was a perennial All-Star, appearing in national commercials and challenging for league MVP honors.


Three-plus years, even more injuries and numerous trade rumors later, O'Neal's stock, status and numbers have plummeted to levels not seen since he rode the bench in Portland.
O'Neal has missed 73 games the past three-plus seasons due to injuries. His latest setback is to his left knee, which required offseason surgery and has limited him to 10 games this season.
"You're always going to be open to criticism in professional sports," said O'Neal, who is averaging 13.2 points -- 11 fewer than in 2004-05. "I know people are saying I'm not the same player I used to be. I accept it because it is what it is. I've been hurt the last few years. I believe once I get over the hump, and I believe I'm going to get over it, I'm going to be the player I was before."
When O'Neal gets healthy is anybody's guess. He might play tonight at Seattle.
The Pacers are 5-1 without him this season, leading many to wonder if they would be better off without him. (They are 84-81 with him in the past three-plus seasons, 44-44 without.) Several scouts who have attended recent games suggested they are better without him because his style doesn't mesh with coach Jim O'Brien's up-tempo offense.
O'Brien and the Pacers adamantly dismiss such talk as nonsense.
"This style will help his game," Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said. "He is a great athlete. The halfcourt style doesn't appeal to his athleticism. When his leg settles down, he can get back to playing his old way."
The Pacers have maintained all along that they are better when they run, but the numbers suggest they have had a difficult time mixing O'Neal's low-post scoring with their new approach. O'Neal is second on the team in assists, but the offense still slows down to get him involved.
Without him, they are averaging 108 points and have knocked off playoff teams Dallas, Denver and Washington.
With him, they have averaged 99.8 points and once lost six consecutive games. They've been held to 90 or fewer points five times this season. All five times O'Neal played, and the Pacers are 1-4 in those games.
"We've made strides as a team, but those strides will be even greater when Jermaine gets back," said O'Brien, who is coaching his first scoring post player. "We run the same offense with or without him. We run the same defense with or without him."
O'Neal spent the summer rehabbing from arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage in his left knee and getting into shape for O'Brien's offense.
He hit the first of several snags when he collided with teammate Shawne Williams in practice. Then he slipped during a preseason game. The swelling in his knee caused him to sit out most of the preseason
"I lost some confidence in my knee," O'Neal said. "I've never lost confidence in my abilities as a basketball player. That will never happen. It's all about my knee. I kind of underestimated my recovery time and the difficult part of having surgery. I thought at 29 years old I could bounce back and do things on the run. My body let me know that I can't do that anymore."
O'Neal, who has led the Pacers in scoring the past six seasons, has only been a shade of his former self this season. He lacks explosiveness to the basket. He has a hard time shooting over defenders, evident by the number of times he has had his shot blocked. O'Neal has yet to score 20 points and he's shooting a career-worst 39 percent.
His lack of production hasn't gone unnoticed.
Nuggets coach George Karl, never one to bite his tongue, earlier called Danny Granger the Pacers' top scoring option and referred to Mike Dunleavy as the "glue" to the team.
O'Neal sees validity in the criticism.
"The wear and tear wore on me mentally because I couldn't move," O'Neal said. "I haven't played anywhere near the level I'm used to playing at. That was the real reason for the team, the training staff and I got together and said I needed to step away from this, because it got more frustrating than helpful."
O'Neal is signed through 2009-10. He has the option to become a free agent after the season, but doing so would mean walking away from the remaining $43.345 million he is owed in hopes he could make more elsewhere.
O'Neal isn't concerning himself with the future, except to deliver a message to critics who insist his career is declining.
"I'm not going to be broken down," he said. "Do I believe I'm going to return to my form? Absolutely. I truly believe I'm going to return to my level."
Call Star reporter Mike Wells at (317) 444-6053.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/SPORTS04/711300461/1088/SPORTS04

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I honestly hope he is right, but has there ever been a player that didn't think they could come back and compete? Oh, and say good-bye to any trde value JO had with this out in the open (as if GM's didn't already know) Now the PUBLIC pressure will not allow JO to be accepted in any package deals either IMO.