#41 - Jermaine O’Neal
You might’ve forgotten about Jermaine. That’s totally understandable since he spent most of last season on the chilling list for what was maybe the league’s most irrelevant team. Stuck under a thick sheet of ice called mediocrity, the Pacers were in need of a fresh start even more than O’Neal, and thus he was shipped to the Raptors.
Now partnered with the best four in the East, O’Neal will be the perfect Yin to Chris Bosh’s Yang; a low-post bruiser who can own defenses with his back to the basket and protects the net better than anyone in his conference who didn’t rock a Superman cape at the Dunk Contest last year. Only real problem’s his tendency to bust himself up. Jermaine’s kinda like Omar in The Wire’s last season; always hobbling around, but still scares the shit out of people. Seems like eons since he’s been at full strength, but when he is, JO’s good for 20/10 and 2+ blocks. A monster at both ends.
…But about the whole “when” thing. He hasn’t played 70 games in a season since ’04, a troublesome track record for a player who’s not getting any younger. His declining health eased the Pacers’ pain when dealing away their best player, and now the onus is on him to prove he can stay on the court. The trade should be invigorating for him; he’ll be on a competitive team with a rabid fan base, a good coach, and the change of scenery that every player on Indiana’s roster’s been begging for. Fans north of border have high expectations, but if JO’s as motivated by his new surroundings as he claims, everyone will remember the name.
You might’ve forgotten about Jermaine. That’s totally understandable since he spent most of last season on the chilling list for what was maybe the league’s most irrelevant team. Stuck under a thick sheet of ice called mediocrity, the Pacers were in need of a fresh start even more than O’Neal, and thus he was shipped to the Raptors.
Now partnered with the best four in the East, O’Neal will be the perfect Yin to Chris Bosh’s Yang; a low-post bruiser who can own defenses with his back to the basket and protects the net better than anyone in his conference who didn’t rock a Superman cape at the Dunk Contest last year. Only real problem’s his tendency to bust himself up. Jermaine’s kinda like Omar in The Wire’s last season; always hobbling around, but still scares the shit out of people. Seems like eons since he’s been at full strength, but when he is, JO’s good for 20/10 and 2+ blocks. A monster at both ends.…But about the whole “when” thing. He hasn’t played 70 games in a season since ’04, a troublesome track record for a player who’s not getting any younger. His declining health eased the Pacers’ pain when dealing away their best player, and now the onus is on him to prove he can stay on the court. The trade should be invigorating for him; he’ll be on a competitive team with a rabid fan base, a good coach, and the change of scenery that every player on Indiana’s roster’s been begging for. Fans north of border have high expectations, but if JO’s as motivated by his new surroundings as he claims, everyone will remember the name.
No comments:
Post a Comment