Report: Jermaine O'Neal agrees to sign with the Celts (update on page 11)

[Roy Hobbs]

Ah crap ... Jermaine signed ... this has been a horrible offseason!

I think you'll be proven wrong on this one.  J.O. was the best all-around MLE center available.

[guava_wrench]

Ah crap ... Jermaine signed ... this has been a horrible offseason!

I think you'll be proven wrong on this one.  J.O. was the best all-around MLE center available.

I agree so long as we are careful about his health. Don't want him to run out of gas like Sheed did.

He was productive last year. Just not $20m second best player on team productive. He is a player who you can't respect at $20m, but who is easier to appreciate at MLE.

[Jon]

Ah crap ... Jermaine signed ... this has been a horrible offseason!

I think you'll be proven wrong on this one.  J.O. was the best all-around MLE center available.

And I think he's a darn good NBA quality center, who if all goes right, won't be starting come playoff time.  Given that he could probably start on 5-10 (or more) NBA teams right now, that's  a pretty good thing.    

[xmuscularghandix]

Ah crap ... Jermaine signed ... this has been a horrible offseason!

Who should we have gotten then? What MLE Center fits our system better than J.O.?

[the_Bird]

Who's being a curmudgeon again... 

I've talked myself into JO, with the caveat that we still need another veteran big and we need to turn 'Sheed into a decent third wing.  Better fit for what we need that Brad Miller.  Kwame 's a third center, not who you want as your backup.  Ben Wallace isn't going anywhere.  Haywood was never going to be available, and ended up getting WAY too much money anyway (just me, or do his career stats scream "Jamaal Magliore II", and he just had his one "All-Star" season?)

Happy with TA's return, we'll absolutely need him against Miami.  But, need someone else who can spell Paul and Ray.

Not sure what the "Plan A" would have or should have been, other than pursuing JO.   

[moiso]

Ah crap ... Jermaine signed ... this has been a horrible offseason!

Yep.  It seems sacreligious to even picture him in green.  He does not compete and he seems to look for every reason under the sun to not get it done.

[Mike-Dub]

Ah crap ... Jermaine signed ... this has been a horrible offseason!

So you forget about resigning Ray and Paul?  If we get a good wing with Sheed's contract then I'll like the deal.  If not I won't.

[Bahku]

It's done, so I'll have to accept it, the way I did with Sheed ... very reluctantly. However, a player is only as good as his team, and being surrounded by unselfish, hard-working guys like this Celtic's team has, may just bring out the best in him, and could be just what he needs to light a fire under his tush, and bring out the best in his game, (and attitude). Here's hoping.

[JoeRowe23]

I love JO and maybe now we could get Jamario Moon from the Cavs? They hate LeBrick as much as us. Why not help us out?

[nickagneta]

I said it last year during the CB Draft and I will say it now, Jermaine O'Neal's game is in serious decline and he can't be relied upon to be a main player on a team any longer. That said, he will be the fifth option offensively on the court next year. Hopefully even in his diminished state O'Neal will be able to just rebound, play good defense, block some shots and occasionally throw down some dunks.

That's all this team will need from him. He won't need to be scoring 15-20 PPG. He won't need to have a major portion of the offense flow through him. All next year he's just going to have to give this team 30 MPG and rebound and play defense.

He will start for the Celtics for the whole year next year. I think people here at Celticsblog are going to have to get used to that. Perk will be back but when he returns he will be back in an off the bench role and be limited physically all of next year. Do not expect Perk to be himself until the 2011-12 starts, whenever that may be, if he is even on the team when that season starts.

[Brendan]

Could easily see Perk leaving after this season. MIA would be a place willing to give him the MLE, especially if they get chewed up by ORL in the post season. Crunch time 5 of Perk, Bosh, M. Miller, Wade, and LJ.

Can't see the Celts loving the idea of an MLE contract for 3 or 4 years.

[Who]

Could easily see Perk leaving after this season. MIA would be a place willing to give him the MLE, especially if they get chewed up by ORL in the post season. Crunch time 5 of Perk, Bosh, M. Miller, Wade, and LJ.

Can't see the Celts loving the idea of an MLE contract for 3 or 4 years.

I was thinking of Joel Przybilla ... but wow, Perk would be an excellent addition for Miami.

So if they're offering five years and $33 million ... how much money do Boston need to offer to get Perk to sign? At least $40 million, right?

[j804]

Perk in Miami now that WOULD be scary ..

[jdpapa3]

I agree so long as we are careful about his health. Don't want him to run out of gas like Sheed did.

This is enormous. He suffered an injury just before the series with us and didn't look like he had for the 70 regular season games that he played. We're gonna have to rely on another center, Baby, and/or Semih to play center for about 23 minutes a night because I don't really want Jermaine to get much over 25 a game.

[celticpride07]

when is the jermaine oneal signing going to be official and when is the press conference??