The Toronto Raptors acquire Jermaine O’Neal from the Pacers
The Toronto Raptors made a bold move which will likely make them a title contender in 2008-09. The Raptors have acquired F/C Jermaine O’Neal and rookie C/F Nathan Jawai out of Australia from the Pacers for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and 1st round pick Roy Hibbert. The price was pretty high but the Raptors can replace everyone that they got rid of. O’Neal will likely start at center and that should take a lot of pressure off of Chris Bosh who had to try to do too much quite often last season. The 29-year old O’Neal played in only 42 games (34 starts) last season for the Pacers and he averaged 13.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game. O’Neal has now played in 724 games (515 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 blocked shots per game. Rookie F/C Nathan Jawai is a big guy at 6′10″, 280 pounds and he played professionally in Australia in 2007. Jawai played in 30 games last season and he averaged 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Jawai is a project and the Raptors will take it slow with him. If O’Neal can stay healthy this is a good trade for the Raptors.
I personally dont really like this trade. in the Past 4 years O’neals ppg average has dropped by 10.7 points. And he only played 40 some games last year because of injury. Not saying its not a good trade for the Raptors just that with what the raptors are offering (t.j ford, rasho nesterovic, and Big boy Hibbert) They could get someone a little more consistant and less expensive,also with a less chance of injury. If O’neal gets injured where would the raptors be then? They’d have to fall back on rookie Jawai who i dont think is ready, and bosh again. Bosh is a great player dont get me wrong. he just needs another big man beside him to help carry the load. If he gets that with O’neal, then o’neal gets injured i think the weight for bosh would be to great and the raptors would have next to no post play, and with ford gone even more wieght would fall on the other starters. And then the bench would really have to come in.
If the raptors are looking for a big man which they need, i think they should go in another direction. Someone who will be able to play 80 games this season doesnt nessesarily have to be as strong as O’neal, just Able to take a load off Bosh.
Man, there’s nothing better than getting a load off… Haha, get it? Blowing a load. Shooting some jizm.
Anyways, I personally like this trade. For me, it’s about bringing your A-game on big nights, performing at your best when the stakes are highest. That’s right, I’m talking about the play-offs.
TJ Ford didn’t particularly scare anyone with his 11.6 PPG average in the post-season this year. His .125 3p% wasn’t giving any Magic defenders the bed wets, either. On the flip side, let’s rewind to the last time O’Neal and the Pacers even made it to the Promise Land: The spring of 2006. Jermaine averaged 21 points in 6 games in the first round. Admittedly, he wasn’t able to lead Indiana anywhere past the first round, but he wasn’t exactly surrpounded by play-makers or snipers. Or even a decent water boy. Teammates aside, 21 is marginally bigger than 11.6, and showing up when it counts is what matters.
Having two big men playing post for the Raptors will undoubtedly help them dictate the pace of the game. It will be harder for teams like The Lakers and Suns to get any kind of penetration (heehee) going on, due to the two dominant figures standing in the paint for the Raptors.
Jawai isn’t really much of a factor in this trade. In this equation, he is sort of like the free game you get when you buy a new PlayStation3. You don’t really care what the game is because you’re too damn excited about your new PS3. Best case scenario, Jawai is an able body who can use his 6′10″ fram to help O’Neal move into his new mansion.
Welcome to Canada.
If Jose Calderon wasn’t such a good point guard I might have a different outlook on this trade. I know that you think O’Neal is injury prone Awexx but so is T.J. Ford. If O’Neal stays healthy this trade will look like a ripoff for the Raptors as he will really help Bosh open up his game. The Raptors are a much better team after making this trade….you’ll will see in the 2008-09 season.
I’m really happy about the trade although I’ve always been a TJ fan. So i wish him to enjoy his time in Indiana and to be healthy….
Bosh and O’Neal together can really be “the real deal”!!!!
As I’m an italian fan, I also hope Bargnani won’t be out for too many minutes, he needs to play to become that great player we all know he can be.
Oh k First of all if ford gets injured calderon is just as good. And hes foregin…..!!!! Plus If O’neal get injured this year. They wont even have ford. ?! Also O’neal has missed way more than ford, A.k.a hes way more of a cripple. Plus how will it help bosh open up his game? Now hes gonna have to share. Last season bosh was so good cause the only other good player was Bargnani (The great player we all know he can be) Bargnani’s an idiot. How is he gonna play more minutes if he cant understand when the coach tells him to get on the court. And we all know how pissed he gets when they score over a 100 pts and the whole stadium gets free pizza. But thats besides the point. See O’neal for the pacers is like Jesse lumsden Of the Ti-cats (CFL) There the best player by far. And there team sucks cause O’neal and Lumsden are always in the hospital shooting up or like my friend t-folt said, blowing a load. But it doesnt matter what i say now cause Toronto bought a 44 million $ cripple….for 2 years, When they shouldve used some of that money to teach bargnani english, And calderon. That is all
They should enter Bargnani into the Canadian CanWest Spelling Bee…
JUDGE: “Please spell ‘Defence’”
Bargnani: “Ahm… B-O-S-H?”
JUDGE: “… What a fag.” (Cock slaps Bargnani)
Just a thought.