What happens if Jermaine is Better than we Expect?

[SCBirdman]

Jermaine will be better than most of you expect. I don't know about 20/10, but here is why he will be better and why he will make our offense better.

First, he will be better because of who he will be on the floor with. He will not have to be a first or second option. He will benefit from being on the floor with PP and Ray, who can both spread the floor, not to mention playing with Rondo and an unselfish, great passer like KG.

JO will make our offense better because he will give us a legitimate low post presence, something Perk does not. JO can score on the block, as well as consistently hit baseline and top of the key jumpers. He is also a better offensive rebounder than Perl and is more athletic.

His post presence will lead to more inside-out offense and many better looks for Ray and PP. He and KG will be a great tandem in the post with the high-low game.

The key will be his health. I had the privilege of following his career in high school and working with him for three summers at Alex English's basketball camp when I was a HS coach in SC. He is very skilled.

Both JO and KG came out back to back years, and both went straight to the NBA, which hurt, because one or both could have ended up playing college basketball at USC-East.

But I digress. The point is that if JO can stay healthy, I think our team is gonna be really tough to defend.

While he may not be as big or tough as Perk, JO is a better shot blocker and can hold his own on the defensive end as well.

[Bankshot]

If JO is healthy, he will be better than Perk and Perk will probably be relegated to 20 mpg.  I don't see how Perk will be more effective than JO next season after coming back from injury.

[celticinorlando]

he def. will bring more scoring to the position

[bobdelt]

Perkins wont ever be at full strength next season.

[CoachBo]

I agree with the two guys above. O'Neal's offensive ability should cut into a healthy Perkins' minutes, if JO remains healthy himself. A low-post scoring presence - shoot, even someone on the block who can catch a pass - is something we have missed.

[celticinorlando]

i dont expect much from perk next season

[Jon]

I think there's a difference between scoring and being a scorer.  I think we need him to be both, but to varying degrees.  If he can work a bit of a post game, it will be beneficial to both our first team and lineups he's in with the bench.  But let's also not discount his relative ability to finish.  While he may have not have the spring in his step he had when he was 25, he's probably the best finishing big man we've had since KG hurt himself.  That itself should account for several baskets per game and will make opponents hesitate to leave him (as they often left Perk), leading to more opportunities for Rondo and the Big Three. 

Statistics are tough to say.  Pierce, Allen, and KG could all score well over 20 ppg if they were on lesser teams.  But I think he can be very, very effective for us. 

[thirstyboots18]

I am afraid that you might be right about Perk's ability to rebound 100% this next season; you can't rush knee rehab.  I hope you are right about Jermaine's potential with this team.  We still need another big for at least the first half of the season, and as insurance in the second half.  I don't think Perk will have too hard a time being the one to come off the bench at least until he is back to full strength.  Do you think one of the summer league bigs is developed enough to play limited minutes and get some experience?  I know Doc usually doesn't lean that way.  All in all, I am getting used to the idea of Jermaine in green, and I am liking what I hear. 

Thanks for the input, SCBirdman, TP

[Meadowlark_Scal]

I say oneal will be better than most think..he has the potential..i think he was just a bad kid from a bad neighborhood...nor he is "moving on up" to the good side of town...he'll change, and get with it...!

[Jon]

I am afraid that you might be right about Perk's ability to rebound 100% this next season; you can't rush knee rehab.  I hope you are right about Jermaine's potential with this team.  We still need another big for at least the first half of the season, and as insurance in the second half.  I don't think Perk will have too hard a time being the one to come off the bench at least until he is back to full strength.  Do you think one of the summer league bigs is developed enough to play limited minutes and get some experience?  I know Doc usually doesn't lean that way.  All in all, I am getting used to the idea of Jermaine in green, and I am liking what I hear. 

Thanks for the input, SCBirdman, TP

But with Perk, prior to injury, was there any under-30-year-old in the NBA more unathletic than Perk?  I feel like some people on this board are acting like Perk was Tyson Chandler and that his lost athleticism is really going to hurt him.  

So what if Perk's ability to jump is somewhat diminished next season?  He always tried to lay it up (and sometimes got blocked) in traffic anyway.  Who cares if his lateral quickness is somewhat slowed?  He never had any anyway.  

If he can come in and bang for 20-25 mpg, which I think he'll be able to do by playoff time, it's fine.  

Plus, I know they're different sports, but if Wes Welker's planning on trying to play wide receiver this year, I don't see why Perk can't play center.  Perk won't have to cut on hard routes and Perk certainly isn't going to be mauled on a regular basis.  

[pearljammer10]

"What happens if Jermaine is better than we expect?"

Um, we'll be happy? I dunno. Who is to say that we all think he is going to be bad? I love the signing and I think he is going to be great for us. I have much higher expectations with him already than I had with Sheed when he signed.

[thirstyboots18]

I wasn't worried about Perk's ability...I was thinking of his health, the possibility of reinjury and if he would be fully healed.  I recognize his limitations and his strengths. And I was thinking how he would feel emotionally, about coming off the bench. 

I am afraid that you might be right about Perk's ability to rebound 100% this next season; you can't rush knee rehab.  I hope you are right about Jermaine's potential with this team.  We still need another big for at least the first half of the season, and as insurance in the second half.  I don't think Perk will have too hard a time being the one to come off the bench at least until he is back to full strength.  Do you think one of the summer league bigs is developed enough to play limited minutes and get some experience?  I know Doc usually doesn't lean that way.  All in all, I am getting used to the idea of Jermaine in green, and I am liking what I hear. 

Thanks for the input, SCBirdman, TP

But with Perk, prior to injury, was there any under-30-year-old in the NBA more unathletic than Perk?  I feel like some people on this board are acting like Perk was Tyson Chandler and that his lost athleticism is really going to hurt him.  

So what if Perk's ability to jump is somewhat diminished next season?  He always tried to lay it up (and sometimes got blocked) in traffic anyway.  Who cares if his lateral quickness is somewhat slowed?  He never had any anyway.  

If he can come in and bang for 20-25 mpg, which I think he'll be able to do by playoff time, it's fine.  

Plus, I know they're different sports, but if Wes Welker's planning on trying to play wide receiver this year, I don't see why Perk can't play center.  Perk won't have to cut on hard routes and Perk certainly isn't going to be mauled on a regular basis.  

[the_Bird]

I agree with the two guys above. O'Neal's offensive ability should cut into a healthy Perkins' minutes, if JO remains healthy himself. A low-post scoring presence - shoot, even someone on the block who can catch a pass - is something we have missed.

Not that Perk seems to play a ton in the fourth quarter of games, but an effective Jermaine O'Neil gives us a lot more options going down the wire of close ballgames.  O'Neil has a reputation as a bit of a choker, but he IS a 71% career free-throw shooter, and that's dragged down a lot by his first six seasons in the league.  He's not someone that other teams will be immediately looking to foul if he catches the ball and they're down five points. 

I've talked myself into Jermaine O'Neil.  Let's just hope that it really was injury that was holding him back so much in the playoffs.

[wahz]

Imho, there is a 100% chance he will be better during the reg season than the average poster here thinks. No one thinks he can be a 20-10 guy and whats funny is he was a 16-7 guy while stuggling through injuries all year...its obvious few think he will be a 16-7 guy, and that exactly what he will be while Perk is out. Meanwhile Perk himself was nowhere near a 16-7 guy. This move alone has made us better.....but

If that had been Oneal instead of Sheed in game 7 we lose by more than 4. I think we lose something net in the playoffs and that isn't good.

I think like many do that we need a wing shooter to spell Ray and PP...a good one who Doc will play, but I also think we need another big body like Shaq or Gortat to play a few big minutes. We are too old to be confident that all these guys will hold up.

[Q_FBE]

O'Neal will be a lot more consistent than the Sheed and depending on his health could help the Celtics win close to 60 games. The bugaboo may be trying to win key games on the road in the playoffs and keep those series short so the Celtics can have enough energy to win the Finals.

The Celtics needed a couple of more rebounds and a couple more of Ray Allen 3 pointers in Game 7.

I am eager to see what this Luke kid from Notre Dame can do.