Where is the real Jermaine O’Neal?
You know “J.O.,” the Indiana Pacers star who was arguably one of the top players just two years ago. But the four-time all-star’s career was marred by the storied fight with fans in Auburn Hills, Mich., as well as injuries. The now God-fearing O’Neal understands if you’ve forgotten him but vows to make you remember him again soon.
“If you don’t play, they don’t think about you,” said O’Neal, whose Pacers visit Denver on Saturday. “That is really what it is.”
After the 2003-04 season, O’Neal was third in the MVP voting and was second-team all-NBA. Then came the melee.
O’Neal told me before the 2004-05 season that the Pacers could be NBA champions that season. With O’Neal, Ron Artest and Reggie Miller, Indiana opened with a 7-2 record. But in beating reigning NBA champion Detroit in a statement 97-82 win Nov. 19, 2004, at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Artest and the Pacers were involved in a vicious fight with fans that made headlines and highlights worldwide and the franchise was forever changed.
O’Neal was suspended for 15 games and Artest for the season. The 6-foot-11, 230-pound O’Neal still averaged 21 points and 7.5 rebounds that season and was an all-star. But the aftermath of the fight was too deep to overcome. Indiana finished 44-38 and was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round.
With Artest eventually traded to Sacramento and O’Neal missing 24 games to injury, Indiana finished 41-41 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
“We had one situation that was a national nightmare,” O’Neal said. “And we had another situation where I got hurt last year and Ron went through his episode. You can’t have that if you want to continue to win an ultimate goal.”
The Pacers are still talented with the addition of Al Harrington. But the bad news came again in the preseason when Stephen Jackson was involved in a fight at an Indianapolis strip club with three teammates there with him.
“You got to try not to put yourself in situations where you’re going to damage your life, career,” O’Neal said. “You’re going to be tested.”
So how did O’Neal get this deep now? He got into Christianity last year.
“I love playing basketball,” he said. “I love being in NBA arenas, playing for the crowd. And when that’s taken from you, you kind of sit back and say, ‘What’s going on?’ You got to look deeper. You look at your beliefs in God and get closer to your religion.”
Despite being mentally stronger and healthy, O’Neal hasn’t quite regained his all-star form. He is averaging team bests of 18.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. The Pacers (7-6) are quietly saying he is shooting too many jumpers, and Harrington is viewed as a bigger offensive threat. USA Basketball also passed on O’Neal’s hopes to join the squad next year.
The season is still young, O’Neal has just entered his prime and he still can score inside and outside, run the floor like a track star and block shots like few can. But talk of the Eastern Conference’s best bigs no longer includes him; rather, youngsters Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor. But the 26-year-old O’Neal believes the real Jermaine will be back soon.
“I have full confidence in what I can do as a player,” O’Neal said.
Scouts questioning Roby
Word is NBA scouts are questioning Colorado junior guard Richard Roby’s competitive fire, after he scored 12 points Nov. 14 in a 106-65 loss to New Mexico and six points Nov. 18 on 3-for-14 shooting in an 84-46 loss to Air Force. Roby entered his name in the 2006 draft, but then withdrew. An NBA scout said Roby is being viewed as a potential second-round pick right now.
Said one NBA scout: “He has the skill, but how hard he plays will determine whether he will be an upper-echelon player or not.”
Footnotes
NBA scouts are expected at Colorado State’s Jan. 9 game, to watch centers Jason Smith from the Rams and Utah’s 7-1, 265-pound Luke Nevill. … Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams had a cast removed from his left hand Tuesday after suffering a broken finger in a preseason practice. The second overall pick in the 2005 draft could play against the Nuggets on Dec. 6. … Remember ex-Nuggets swingman Tariq Abdul-Wahad? The Frenchman is now playing for Italy Climamio Bologna. … Speculation is running rampant the 2007 draft could be the deepest since Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in 2003 and that it will be loaded with small forwards and centers. One NBA Eastern Conference executive says to keep an eye on Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden, Texas freshman forward Kevin Durant, Florida center Joakim Noah and trimmed down Louisiana State forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis. … Anthony is a big fan of HBO’s show “The Wire,” which centers on the tough Baltimore streets where he grew up. To celebrate last Friday’s release of Anthony’s MELO M3 shoe, several cast members from “The Wire” will attend tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. … On the hot seat: Memphis coach Mike Fratello and Toronto coach Sam Mitchell.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-954-1098 or mspears@denverpost.com. Spears can also be heard weekly talking NBA on ESPN 560 AM with Hall of Famer Dan Issel every Thursday at 4 p.m.
