Pacers' O'Neal On Verge Of Returning

[duncan228]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/03/28/oneal.pacers.ap/index.html

Pacers' O'Neal on verge of returning

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal says he could play against the New Jersey Nets on Friday night after missing 32 games with a bruised left knee, although he's more likely to return next week.

O'Neal, one of the league's premier interior defenders, participated in Friday's shootaround. The six-time All-Star, averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 33 games before the injury.

The Pacers are 2½ games out of the eighth and final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference with 10 games left.

[JamStone]

What's the point?

[Kobayagi]

I guess the point is the last line of the opening post.



But then again...what's the point really? :lol

[LakeShow]

Hey Duncan228, I know you're in Cali. There is a rumor going around that JO was seen having dinner at Magic Johnson's Restaurant with Kobe and Dr. Buss and Kobe gave him a jersey. Have you heard that? Could be a buyout is imminent at the end of the season for JO. Another coup coming for the Lakers? hmmmm

[duncan228]

I haven't heard anything Lakeshow1.
But it wouldn't surprise me. Hasn't Kobe said a few times he'd like to play with JO?

[Medvedenko]

Where would JO fit in on the lakers....backing up Gasol and Bynum I guess.

[JamStone]

Lakers don't need another injury prone big man. They need a small forward that is an elite 3 point shooter and/or a lock down perimeter defender.

[LakeShow]

I haven't heard anything Lakeshow1.
But it wouldn't surprise me. Hasn't Kobe said a few times he'd like to play with JO?

He said that he still wants to play in LA. Who knows what's going on with that. It's been big talk amongst some but it has not been confirmed.

[LakeShow]

We don't really need him but if we can get him cheap. I say go for it!

[Medvedenko]

Lakers don't need another injury prone big man. They need a small forward that is an elite 3 point shooter and/or a lock down perimeter defender.

Yup correct....who would fit the bill...hmmm....maybe signing arenas.....

Arenas
Kobe
Odom
Pau
Bynum

:smokin

[DazedAndConfused]

Lakers don't need another injury prone big man. They need a small forward that is an elite 3 point shooter and/or a lock down perimeter defender.

So does every team.

[rAm]

So does every team.

Thank god we have 2 of those.

[sribb43]

after the game he will feel swelling and be out hte rest of the season

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

after the game he will feel swelling and be out hte rest of the season

I hope so... I need Danny Granger as the man for one more week.

[Marklar MM]

This isn't news. He will be back on the dl soon enough.

[PacerFan]

No way on earth would the Pacers buy out O'Neal. He is set to make around 45 million dollars over the next two years. Add to the face the Pacers are losing money and are last in the league in attendance, that just makes absolutely no sense.

JO returning now would be dumb as well. There is absolutely no point in this. All the Pacers may get for JO is expiring contracts as he has proven yet again to be very fragile. As a Pacer fan I am completely sick of watching JO in a Pacer uniform and hearing his mouth write checks that he can not cash. Hopefully the Pacers can get something for him and Tinsley over the summer.

[SpursFanFirst]

No way on earth would the Pacers buy out O'Neal. He is set to make around 45 million dollars over the next two years. Add to the face the Pacers are losing money and are last in the league in attendance, that just makes absolutely no sense.

JO returning now would be dumb as well. There is absolutely no point in this. All the Pacers may get for JO is expiring contracts as he has proven yet again to be very fragile. As a Pacer fan I am completely sick of watching JO in a Pacer uniform and hearing his mouth write checks that he can not cash. Hopefully the Pacers can get something for him and Tinsley over the summer.

:tu if the Pacers got a bunch of expiring contracts, got rid of Bird, and wiped the slate clean...they could rebuild. Sounds good to me!
JO...what a waste of space and money. :bang

[PacerFan]

Ha, yeah, thats all the need, sounds simple! The main problem with the Pacers is that management refuses to acknowledge they need to rebuild. For whatever reason Bird thinks this team is a player or two away from contending, hence this is an older team with bad contracts and a bleek future.

[DaDakota]

All these players coming back at the end of the season just to show that they are healthy enough to get a new contract.

DD

[PacerFan]

Jo is under a max deal the next two years. If this was a contract year id buy it. I think hes tired of not seeing his name in the newspaper personally.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

He's coming back this late in the season to boost his trade stock in the offseason

[mojorizen7]

Just in time for the off-season.
You gotta admire the love for the game that some of these players of today demonstrate.

[Reggie Miller]

:tu if the Pacers got a bunch of expiring contracts, got rid of Bird, and wiped the slate clean...they could rebuild. Sounds good to me!
JO...what a waste of space and money. :bang


I've been saying that since the day we offered him a max deal. Sigh...

The Pacers will not be in Indiana much longer if they do not pull out of this tailspin. I can envision a scenario in which the Sonics go to OKC and the Pacers move to Seattle a year or two later.

[PacerFan]

The team moving in two years? I do kind of doubt that, especially with the Simons owning the team, and the sweet arena deal they have only having to pay 1$ per year to play in Conseco Fieldhouse. I also doubt there will be a new team in Seattle anytime soon based on them not putting forth the effort to keep the Sonics and Sterns words about Seattle not getting another team.

[Reggie Miller]

The team moving in two years? I do kind of doubt that, especially with the Simons owning the team, and the sweet arena deal they have only having to pay 1$ per year to play in Conseco Fieldhouse. I also doubt there will be a new team in Seattle anytime soon based on them not putting forth the effort to keep the Sonics and Sterns words about Seattle not getting another team.


I thought that the $1 per year deal was only for the first five years. I could very well be wrong, however. I live in Evansville, and I don't follow that side of operations as much as a resident of Marion County would.

On one level, I highly doubt they will move based on their long-term success in the Indianapolis market. On another level, it is an attendance-driven franchise, and attendance has been at all-time lows. (I don't know the specifics of the Pacers' tv deal with FOX, but it can't be that lucrative, considering how many other small markets FOX has tied up in FOX Midwest.)

[SpursFanFirst]

I thought that the $1 per year deal was only for the first five years. I could very well be wrong, however. I live in Evansville, and I don't follow that side of operations as much as a resident of Marion County would.

On one level, I highly doubt they will move based on their long-term success in the Indianapolis market. On another level, it is an attendance-driven franchise, and attendance has been at all-time lows. (I don't know the specifics of the Pacers' tv deal with FOX, but it can't be that lucrative, considering how many other small markets FOX has tied up in FOX Midwest.)

I live in Marion County. Do we pay for Conseco too? I didn't know that, but then again, we have so many outrageous taxes (property taxes going sky high, Lucas Oil Stadium + they're over budget, etc) in this county, I can't keep them straight.

As far as Pacer attendance, it does suck. In addition to wiping the slate clean from top to bottom, they really need to lower the ticket prices to get people to come back. Given the off-court behavior of so many players, you really can't blame the city (and a small portion of the state) for not wanting to support them at this point. It's not like they've simply had bad records.

[PacerFan]

You are probably right reggie. I know they are paying 1$ per year, I didn't know for how long that will happen though. Like you guys have both said, I think it is more than just losing that is driving down the attendance. Players like Jamal Tinsley who yawn on the court don't help, and Jo sitting out when his pinky hurts doesn't help either, to say nothing of the legal issues.

I think if this team cleans up its act for a few years and plays hard the fans will find their way back into the seats. However if management keeps trying to make moves for veterans and keeping dead weight around it will be ugly for a while.