Jermaine O'neal targets Thursday against the Spurs to return

[GreenFaith1819]

Great News!

I am expecting just about the same stuff from him again here eventually:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNK827rw95g&feature=related

So that's 3 blocks (and a charge @ about the 30 sec clip) in the same game.

[get_banners]

I hope to see him on the court tomorrow -- 10-15 minutes. 

I expect JO to be a contributor, but I also at some point I expect to hear the 's' word (swelling) --  I am sure it is inevitable.  What I'd like to know is whether swelling is an indication that he won't be able to continue or whether it means he'll just have to gut it out but will still be able to give us some defensive minutes. 

well, the hope is that's behind him. apparently he's been going pretty hard for about a month now and has had no issues. of course, playing in a game is completely different, but its a good start

[LilRip]

i will be rooting hard for him. he's worked hard to get back to help this team. woooh! let's go JO!

[Von_Waf4]

I'll be realistic since its' JO, so he should be averaging 10 points, a little under 6 rebounds and 1.8/1.9 blocks a game 

[GreenFaith1819]

I'll be realistic since its' JO, so he should be averaging 10 points, a little under 6 rebounds and 1.8/1.9 blocks a game 

That would be nice, indeed...I'd be happy with just the blocks portion, myself, but hey I'll take whatever he can give us.

Looking forward to tonight!

[Drucci]

One personal observation, though...  I'm not sure if anyone else had this impression, but of the few games I saw of JO earlier this season... he didn't look happy AT ALL to me.  He looked like a guy who didn't want to be here.  I mean... #1 - I might have been imagining things... #2 - that might have been because he was hurt and frustrated... but I had a different perception of it.  From seeing his body language and seeing him sulk on the bench, he looked like the only guy who wasn't part of the team.  At the time, my thought was that he had been brought in originally as "KG insurance" and probably promised the starting role until Perk came back.  Then suddenly the Celtics went out and signed Shaq and JO's role was no longer defined.  I was getting the same vibe from him as I got from Baby when he was crying about his lack of defined role.  He was giving me a vibe of a guy who felt he had made a mistake by signing here.  No guaranteed role, purpose or minutes.  Short term it was Shaq starting with Baby as backup... long term it was Perk starting with Shaq and Baby as backup.  I was guessing that Jermaine felt like he was too young and talented to be the "spot minute insurance guy" at the age of 32 when just a year before he was the 2nd best player on a playoff team.  I remember vividly a game we played against Indiana where the Pacer's broadcast team said that Jermaine probably regretted not taking time to appreciate his time as a star on the Pacers... and there he was sitting on the bench sulking while they said it.  A washed up backup to a backup with his glory days behind him... at the age of 32.

Lol, I don't know about what JO may have imagined going into this season; you might be right about his role long term, but you definitely imagined BBD backing up the 5 over JO short term, and why I don't know. BBD is a power forward who can play center for spot minutes, simple has that. Maybe JO coming back will place BBD in his proper position.

Looked back at the box score of the game I was remembering.  December 28th against the Pacers -  We won 95-83... Shaq started but fouled out in 16 minutes.  Baby got 35 minutes off the bench.  Jermaine got 12.   I think at that point, Jermaine had to be thinking to himself, "Why am I even here?"... I'm tellin you, his body language wasn't very good.  He didn't look like he was part of the team.  He must have figured he would have been the odd man out when Perk came back.

Look back to even the first game of the season.  Shaq plays great in 18 limited minutes.  Baby gets 29 off the bench... JO gets 13 spot minutes.  

I'm just thinking... when we originally recruited Jermaine, he had to be thinking his role would be temporary starting center until Perk returned... and then primary back-up.  Then we go out and sign Shaq and I just figured Jermaine wasn't happy about his new role.  In games this season when Shaq didn't play, Jermaine got 22-30 minutes as a starter.  I think that's what he expected when he signed on.

I know he played injured earlier this season.  All I'm saying is... trading Perk removes the doubt about his role.  He signed on expecting to be Perk's main back-up in the playoffs.  Instead he'll be Shaq's main back-up in the playoffs.

Looks like this article supports your theory about JO's lack of a defined role and possible frustration : http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=19309&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Here is a particularly interesting quote in that regard :

"The timing of Jermaine O'Neal's injury was particularly unfortunate, as he had just begun to figure out exactly how to play on a team with so many other super stars.

"Right before he went out, I told guys JO had really bought into his role," Rivers explains. "When he first got here it was a struggle. He was used to people looking for him. I remember after his first game he told me, 'you know I can score down there (in the post).' I said, 'yeah, so can Kevin, Paul, Ray, and a lot of other guys.' But he bought into it, he really did, and that's tough for a guy who's been the focal point for most of his career. Watching him in practice the other day I felt like he really had picked up right where he left off. He made some defensive plays that our guys were very excited to see again."