Jermaine O’Neal Pacers still expect
The optimism remains, but the thought of Jermain O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley returning to the Indiana Pacers lineup before the end of the regular season seems to decrease as each game passes.Jermaine O’Neal is obviously unhappy, and why shouldn’t he be? He’s watched the Pacers go from just a piece or so away from contending for an NBA title to being a guaranteed lottery team. Mike Dunleavy Jr. has always been overrated, Jamaal Tinsley has worn out his welcome and Danny Granger, though talented, is still a year or two away from playing a key role for a playoff calibar team. Now might be the best time to trade O’Neal. He’s turning 29 this October and he’s scheduled to make about $18 million this season. With or without him, the Pacers are going nowhere, so they might as well go nowhere with more cap space and some future prospects to build around.
For the moment, we can safely say the recently reported four-team trade that would send O’Neal to Boston, bring Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to the Pacers, send Kevin Garnett to the Lakers and a variety of elements to Minnesota is dead. In fact, it was apparently dead before it was reported. Sometimes, you see, parties involved in such trade discussions, sensing things are falling apart, leak strategic details to the media in an attempt to use public reaction to rekindle the deal.
“I’ve talked to (Minnesota boss Kevin) McHale but there was never anything mentioned about a four-way deal,” Pacers President Larry Bird said Tuesday during his pre-NBA Draft press briefing. “Obviously when Kevin Garnett and players like that are out there you usually call to see what’s happening. There’s a lot of speculation out there. We do get phone calls every once in awhile not only about Jermaine but about some of our other players. Right now it’s just all speculation.”
O’Neal still isn’t practicing but is doing individual work after practice, including playing one-on-one. Tinsley continues to be restricted to working on the sideline. The Pacers have only 18 games remaining. O’Neal has been out since Jan. 16 with a sore left knee. Tinsley has been out with a sore left knee since Feb. 5.
“Absolutely,” O’Brien said when asked if he still expects both players back this season, “but it’s one of those situations where I have no timetable to go by. I haven’t been given a timetable. I can’t afford to spend too much time from a coaching standpoint thinking about it until I know somebody is able to get on the court to practice.”
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Hello,J’Oneal is a good player. However, paces is not a good place for him to compete the champion. After Miller retired, Paces is lacking in player who is having playoff experience.