The Official Jermaine O'Neal Thread

[dbrown4]

Just up on ESPN and Boston.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5364415

[bigpygme]

hope his past playoff performance was an abberation !

[gyso]

dbrown,

We were discussing J.O. in the Official Free Agents thread, but seeing that he isn't a free agent anymore, it is apt to have an official thread just for him.

Actually, Rosalie started a thread about the signing earlier, but I missed the obvious, as usual. Sorry Rosalie.

So anyway, how do you like this signing? I heard it's for 2 years but I haven't heard if the 2nd year is an option or is it guaranteed.

gyso

[Matty]

wow... the o'neil of a few yrs ago was like, almost awesomeness.. if he could provide for us just a bit of what he was....

[dbrown4]

As usual, I'm always looking the other way and didn't see this coming. Usual Celtic style. Danny and Doc know what they are doing. Besides, I'm already licking my chops for the Celtics being the Miami title killers. It should be easy for the first year or two, then things get dicey.

I like it. Nice Big. Good numbers. All he needs to do is buy into the Celtic Playoff philosophy and he should be good to go. Don't think he will have a problem swallowing his ego for the Celtics, especially if they can knock off Miami a couple of times in a row in the playoffs just like we did CLE.

Sorry about that, Rosalie. Too many posts going on this week to read them all! My bad. (Per Manute)

[beat]

Lets not go too far with JO just yet.

In the last 5 years he's missed 136 games due to various injuries.
In the 5th - 8th years in the league he played between 72 and 81 games putting up good numbers. thing is that 8th year in the league for him was 03-04. 6 long seasons ago. I reserve judgement for now but I am scratching m head on this.....what do they (DA and Doc) know that we dont on JO?

beat

[dbrown4]

beat,

Looks like jumble line-up madness due to injury, Doc's specialty. He should fit right in.

They can't swap him for another once here, can they? Or is anything possible?

[beat]

Dbrown

KG has said it before.............anythings possible!

beat

[gyso]

dbrown,

We were discussing J.O. in the Official Free Agents thread, but seeing that he isn't a free agent anymore, it is apt to have an official thread just for him.

Actually, Rosalie started a thread about the signing earlier, but I missed the obvious, as usual. Sorry Rosalie.

So anyway, how do you like this signing? I heard it's for 2 years but I haven't heard if the 2nd year is an option or is it guaranteed.

gyso

dbrown,

I "missed the obvious" when I merged her thread into the FA thread. My bad, not yours. You don't owe her an apology because her thread wasn't there to read anymore when you posted yours.

gyso

[willjr]

I like the O'neal signing. When you consider our limited financial options and the league's limited supply of quality bigs I don't think we could have done any better. Lets run them down, Camby and Haywood are to expensive and in Camby's case not even available. I would not have been opposed to Shaq or Brad Miller but I think at this stage J.O is better all around than both, esp. in defending the pick and roll which in todays pg oriented nba is paramount. We KNOW Shaq can't and Miller is too slow afoot to effectively do it on a consistent basis. I also don't worry about his attitude, the guy played for Larry Bird and was a consummate pro while surrounded by other vets in Indiana, surely Doc, the big 3, (his peers both in age and league experience), and the unmatched love he'll get from the fanbase will rejuvanate him and keep him positive. I think he knows his role and just as importantly his limitations, I'm not sure I can say that about Shaq. Offensively he would be the 5th option but he is a skilled enough player that with Rondo as his pg he should have no problem avg. about what he did last year for the Heat 13-14ppg 6-8 reb. In our scheme that would be great. Excellent move by DA, now we need to move Sheed's contract for a backup wing who can score, considering our options again and being real (Childress, Reddick and Korver are pipe dreams) I would like us to move on, in order, Anthony Morrow1st, Barbosa 2nd and Mcgrady 3rd.

[beat]

willjr

Thing is he has to be ON the court to do those things and in the past 5 years he's missed over a season and a half.

That is my concern............his overall health.

beat

[tjmakz]

I like the O'Neal signing for Boston.
He is a good rebounder and can consistently hit a 15 footer when Rondo drives through the lane or on a pick and roll. He is another offensive weapon compared to Perkins and doesn't have to clog the lane like Shaq does.

[willjr]

I see your point beat and I can't underestimate it, but right now the guy is healthy and I'd rather look at the upcoming season as if he will remain that way. I know his recent history but Ive got to look at any move Danny makes as a positive one until it turns out otherwise. Hey we know that all aspects of life is a crapshoot but if we all looked FORWARD to impending doom what kind of world would this be. This past season should be a lesson to all Celts fan to stay positive about the future no matter how bad the present may look, and right now the Celts future doesn't look to bad.

[mrkleen09]

Jermaine O'Neil may be the case of the best of not too many good options, but I find it VERY HARD to believe he will be able to deliver the kind of defense the Celtics will ask of him.

He has been a human turn-style and one of the most colossally overpaid players of his generation. He has never won a thing in his life, yet has earned over $153 million dollars.

Not a fan.

[beat]

will

I don't call it impending doom but those are the facts as far as his games played, and last year he did play 68 games and started 61. So perhaps he can stay healthy enough to help. We need him to mix it up under the hoop and that is NOT a strongpoint of his at all.

beat

[Pumpsie Green]

Jermaine O'Neal=the best of a group of not so great options IMO. His defense and health will be the problems. As a #4-5 offensive option he could be a threat: defenses cannot lay off him like they can off Perkins.
Lets hope Miami is not the landing spot for LBJ or it won't matter who we signed.

[willjr]

Guys, to paraphrase the legendary Celtic coach Rick Pitino, "Robert Parish is not walking through that door". I know O'neal is not hall of fame or even all-star material but I think he is the best we could have done ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. We are desperate for a serviceable big and the pickings are slim. I still think that for us he is a better option than Shaq, at least equal to if not better than Miller and miles ahead of any summer leaguer. The O'neal signing doesn't make the center glass full but without signing someone (and with perk out) it would be empty! As I said earlier, with our cap situation and the dearth of quality bigs would anyone out there we could have gotten for the mle not come with ??'s

[jeb]

I love it. Perk is waaayy better on d but oneal is way better on offense. I think he gives us another legit scorer and ten to 15 points a game. When Perk comes back we will be tough. I did not see this coming but from what is out there I vote this a big yes.

[RosalieTCeltics]

I kind of like this signing. He is still "only" 31, so maybe a team like the Celtics can motivate him more. He had so much talent when he came into the league, never really reach his peak. I know Larry Bird gave up on him, and so didn't Miami, it appears.

I like this signing alot more than a Shaq signing. I just was not for that at all.
Maybe working with Rondo will perk this guy up a little and we will get a little more than we hope for. I am under no illusions though, he has been around for a long time and never, ever lived up to his billing. Maybe now that he doesn't have to play against Perk he will be better!!

Okay, Danny, two in one day, that get my okay!!! What's next?? I would
imagine that Tony Allen will sign soon. After that we still need a back up for Rondo and another big. Some backup help for Paul and Ray too.

[jeb]

rosie t

He is going to get so many easy hoops. So many. We lost to the Lakers because we could not score.

[RosalieTCeltics]

I really agree with you. I hate to say it but maybe his hands are a bit better than Perks???

[jeb]

Perk is beautiful on defense but just plain turble on o. This is a good move. I like everything I am seeing. If we can trade Sheed's for Beasly or someone good we are set.

[gyso]

Rosalie,

Next "big" signing for Celtics is...

Kwame Brown

At the vet minimum, we could do worse.

gyso

[jeb]

gyso

is that in the books? that kwame thing?

[gyso]

jeb,

No, its an old rumor I just made up.

Actually, it could happen and it makes sense at the vet minimum. I've read it being discussed elsewhere and there were not many nay-sayers.

Is Kwame better than POB or Mikki? If so, it works for me. Stone hands, no heart? He can board and play D, although maybe not so much in the team concept.

gyso

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