Friday, November 30th, 2007 at 2:00 pm  |  42 responses

J.O.: Trade Bait?

by Marcel Mutoni

Among the members of the Unhappy Superstars Club – yes, there’s an unofficial club: Kobe is the Chairman; KG retired from the group a few months back – Jermaine O’Neal seems to be the forgotten man. Injuries have certainly played a role, as has the Pacers’ wholly surprising early season success (Indiana is at .500 and has gone 5-1 without their star forward.)

With O’Neal in street clothes, the Pacers have been running more and are averaging well over 100 points per game, and even though everyone involved with the franchise is trying to remain diplomatic, there’s concern as to how J.O will fit back into the team once he returns. From the Indy Star:

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 [Jim] 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.”

If Jermaine’s return to the hardwood stagnates the offense and, worst of all, triggers a collapse, the time for diplomacy (and O’Neal’s career in Pacer white and gold) may well come to an end very quickly.

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  • Myles Brown Posted: Nov.30 at 2:01 pm
    Dear Jermaine, Thanks, but no thanks. Sincerely, The Los Angeles Lakers.

  • Sesa Posted: Nov.30 at 2:09 pm
    2nd.

  • Sesa Posted: Nov.30 at 2:10 pm
    it’s only a matter of time.

  • riggs Posted: Nov.30 at 2:10 pm
    he is a top tier player but man the injuries are F*cking him up and bringin him down.

  • Tenorca Posted: Nov.30 at 2:11 pm
    In the end, when Mike Dunleavy is your main offensive option, you just aren’t a good team. I know the Pacers are streaking but, really: Mike Dunleavy. Also: Troy Murphy. We’re enjoying Stephen Jackson in the bay though, thanks Indiana! Learn to take a punch, chumps.

  • Tenorca Posted: Nov.30 at 2:12 pm
    I do hope JO makes it back to form though. He was an out of sight defender for a couple years.

  • Jamison Posted: Nov.30 at 2:19 pm
    Shawn Marion is Vice President of the Unhappy Superstars Club… and he’s not happy about it.

  • MC Welk Posted: Nov.30 at 2:23 pm
    Can AK47 still be the Secretary?

  • Dizzle Posted: Nov.30 at 2:31 pm
    Is Pau Gasol the internationl rep for the club?

  • d.Y. Posted: Nov.30 at 2:32 pm
    Quick, Paxson, got any expiring contracts?

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Nov.30 at 2:32 pm
    Superstar?

  • James Posted: Nov.30 at 2:41 pm
    I don’t think JO’s super nor a star He’s really an above average post scorer/midrange shooter + help defender ala Marcus Camby. Can you call Camby a superstar?

  • white hot eboy Posted: Nov.30 at 2:47 pm
    Loneliness is such a sad affair
    And I can hardly wait to be with you again
    What to say to make you come again
    Come back to me again and play your sad guitar Good point, Russ.

  • Dziri {213} Posted: Nov.30 at 2:51 pm
    Cant wait for the ‘Mike Dunleavy: Jail bait’ article

  • dblizzy! Posted: Nov.30 at 3:06 pm
    Yeah JO is not a great player. His numbers are average and he’s always hurt. I’d say he’s on the second tier.

  • Captain America Posted: Nov.30 at 3:57 pm
    KG will be back whining once the C’s don’t produce a ring, betcha

  • Jonathan Posted: Nov.30 at 7:23 pm
    I was going to add in Corey Maggette to the list of un happy NBA players. But then again who is or has been a happy or proud member of the LA Clippers before? LOL !

  • andrew Posted: Nov.30 at 7:25 pm
    he was on the cover of Slam, no?

  • BuckshotLefunkstiggity Posted: Nov.30 at 8:58 pm
    Duncan, KG, D12, Amare, Rasheed, Boozer and Dirk make up the first tier. Bosh, JO et al lead the 2nd tier. But let me ask you this, you think Minny or Portland would take JO over Jefferson or Lamarcus Aldrige? We may be staring a cruel truth in the eyes: that JO is not even in the top 12 PFs in the Lizzy at this point, all things considered, like health, heart, and crippling salary.

  • BuckshotLefunkstiggity Posted: Nov.30 at 9:01 pm
    Oh snap, Elton Brand is over him as well. Peekskill STAND UP! My #1 draft pick …

  • Z Posted: Dec.1 at 3:10 am
    If you think that Sheed is better than Bosh… well you’re crazy.

  • Tariq Posted: Dec.1 at 5:27 am
    Jermaine’s status as a “superstar” may be debatable, but he’s no scrub.

  • Kevin Wilson Posted: Dec.1 at 6:40 am
    Wait a minute … did their coach just say they do NOTHING DIFFERENT without Jermaine O’Neal? It’s pretty clear somebody is not a franchise player.

  • BuckshotLefunkstiggity Posted: Dec.1 at 8:14 am
    You must be very young, or have read too much Slam, or have no idea about NBA ball. Rasheed Wallace is on another planet to Bosh at this point. Forget about Bosh being a kid, soft, and having no right hand. Rasheed from a defensive standpoint is arguably top 5 all time in terms of team and post defense, and in terms of understanding space and timing on either end. Bosh got son’d by Kristic and Collins in the playoffs. Tim Duncan this sumer: “Rasheed Wallace is the best player I’ve played against since I’ve been in the league.”

  • D-Mac Posted: Dec.1 at 9:27 am
    JO is a wicked player, shame about the injuries, why he not a laker, god (kobe) only knows, although i wouldnt trade andrew bynum for anyone that kid is gonna be a superstar his stats improve every week. JO will shape up and hopefully end up on the west coast
    maybe seattle?

  • BuckshotLefunkstiggity Posted: Dec.1 at 11:02 am
    he will be soon. an odom plus filler deal is about to go down w indy …

  • Raptors Delight Posted: Dec.1 at 2:56 pm
    bosh is way better than wallace. rasheed has the talent but he just stands outside shooting jumpers.bosh mixes it up way more and has a wicked 1st step.dont get me wrong i love rasheed ,he has a dope post up game that bosh doesnt have but ive always felt that sheed doesnt take advantage of that part of his game.Plus bosh just commands more attention, the only reason the nets stopped him is because they were sending 2 or 3 defenders at him.

  • BuckshotLefunkstiggity Posted: Dec.1 at 11:37 pm
    Again, you’re probably a younger hockey fan who plays NBA Live and watches And1 tapes of the Professor, so I can’t really slight you, you just don’t understand professional basketball in terms of winning ball and key ingredients to being a dominant force in this League. Your reply is spouting about Bosh’s offensive talent. Sorry, but that’s not basketball. What I mean is this: there is no comparison. Rasheed Wallace is one of the 5 best defensive front court players of all time. Bosh is a 2nd tier young player with some nice promise who has vanished in big games and mentally has a low basketball IQ, simply overcomes that mental weakness by using his athletic ability. But he is a below average defender, you saw KG doing him in the game up in Toronto. Rasheed is a champ, and dominates.

  • bobbo Posted: Dec.2 at 12:35 am
    Now let me get this straight…there are just tons of teams out there willing to take a chance on a guy with a bum knee and $44 million owed him after this season…and who has said he will opt out in July (grounds for committal at this point). That ship has sailed. If his knee is bad, he has no trade value. If his knee is good and he plays well, he has value to the Pacers until July 1…when they can extend him a la Vince Carter or let him walk. They tried to ship him out on Draft Night to the Nets, then talked to the Lakers. They should have gone along with what those teams were offering…not held out. He’s only 29, but it’s an old 29 with 12 years of NBA mileage on that body.

  • Ben Posted: Dec.2 at 12:45 am
    Send him to Chicago. Chi Town has to take a chance. It’s not as if they could get any worse.

  • Chukaz Posted: Dec.2 at 12:48 am
    Yo, I hope the Lakers are not stupid enough to try to get Jermaine O’neal. I’m glad that they didn’t give up The Fat Kid to get J.O. I hope they don’t try to trade L.O for J.O. The Lakers are surpriseingly (or however you spell that sh*t) good this year. Kobe will be a Laker ’til the end of time.

  • Chukaz Posted: Dec.2 at 12:50 am
    The f*ckin’ Bulls suck this year. They have to do something if they want to improve. I would try to trade Ben Gordon but they wouldn’t have anybody to take his spot and god knows that they need the scoring.

  • LAN Posted: Dec.2 at 2:15 am
    Captain America says:
    KG will be back whining once the C’s don’t produce a ring, betcha
    wtf r u talkin bout did he once wine wen t wolves wernt winnin?

  • LAN Posted: Dec.2 at 2:17 am
    n thers no way pacers will trade jermaine for lamar. jermain is faster than lamar so if JO cant keep up with pacers new fast paced game thers no way lamar can

  • QQ Posted: Dec.2 at 8:38 am
    Wha? JO faster than LO? I had never seen Maine breaking down small forwards in the perimeter; I must’ve been watching a different ballgame. But, seriously, WTF?

  • Pacersfan7 Posted: Dec.2 at 8:14 pm
    Jermiane O’Neal= Superstar. Bottom line. no if’s, and’s or injuries. Wait till he gets back.If he stays with Indiana, and you surround him with another threat to go along side DG33, then the Pacers will be back tot he NBA Finals. And why the tough love for mike dunleavy. Danny Granger is the Pacers first option by the way.

  • Gizwiz0 Posted: Dec.2 at 9:30 pm
    JO is old they dont need him i think they sould trades him for shaun marion

  • Dre Baldwin Posted: Dec.2 at 11:46 pm
    Trade his ass now while he still has good value. Get a good young player or a high draft pick. They’re better when he doesn’t play, and he’s no superstar when he does play.

  • LAN Posted: Dec.3 at 2:01 am
    .. lamars fat

  • Raptors Delight Posted: Dec.3 at 3:54 am
    hey wallace is a killer defender but if i had to pick either wallace or bosh to start a team with im picking bosh. wallace has had a problem of mentally collapsing when things arent going his way.he couldnt keep his composure last year in the playoffs so he wasnt even on the floor to decide the season.

  • adam Posted: Dec.3 at 9:56 am
    JO needs to get outta there…period! L.A. sounds like the best option to me.

  • Shine Posted: Dec.3 at 3:08 pm
    CHICAGO!!!!!

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