Jermaine O'Neal to Raptors: Nearing Done Deal

[Bahku]

If O'Neal works out, this is the best deal they could have made, I think, but I'd only worry about the health.  Toronto is asking a player who is notorious for his injury history to bang bodies for 82 games?  Then again, what else was available for them with TJ Ford?

Just seems like a mess waiting to happen.

I love Bosh ... great player with a great head on his shoulders and positive attitude ... I hope it rubs off on O'Neal and he finally grows up a little, though I won't hold my breath ... that guy's just bad news.

I think it's really unfair the image that is given to O'Neal, so I'd like to know your reasons why you'd paint him with that brush.  From what I've heard he's a really smart and articulate guy.  The only major thing against him that I know of is the fight.  From what I could tell, he defended himself and tried to stick up for his teammates in a fight where absolute hell was breaking loose.  I can't fault him for that.

I still think most people here are still sour grapes on him from when he beat us in 2004 with only one arm, although I'm not saying you are.

Personal preference ... and it's just my opinion, (as most blogging is). I don't care for the guy ... everyone has players they don't care for, for many reasons, and he's one of those for me. I think he shows a great deal of immaturity still, and he wasn't just "defending himself" ... he went out of his way to punch out a spectator, and while many people could care less, that goes beyond the realm of decency and restraint that every professional athlete should abide by. The guy's a great ball player, and I love his game, I just don't like his attitude and would never want him as a Celtic. Again, just my opinion, which is worth very little.

[KungPoweChicken]

Is there any way Toronto could make a trade for Ron Artest once Oneal is acquired?

What about if Toronto sends Barngani and a filler for Artest. 

This may be a gamble for both teams. But both teams need to shake things up a bit anyways. The Kings

are in full rebuilding mode. Why not try and get a young guy who can still put it together in

Barngani? 


For toronto a starting line up of Oneal, Bosh, Artest, Kapono, and Calderon seems really solid. This

trade could only be done in Oneal and Artest get along. I do not know the status of their

relationship. But if you guys think Artest would be a bad fit, who else could the Raps package

bargnani for?

[Who]

Well Larry pretty much destroyed his team for the next few years

The clock is on now. He has to rebuild this team. I don't think he'll do a good job, actually I'd be shocked if he did a good job. I expect him to bring a half thought out plan that mires his club in mediocrity for years to come. How much faith do others have in Larry's GM skills?

[KungPoweChicken]

I always thought Larry was a better coach than a GM. However, he once a great pick with Granger. But I agree that Indiana is in a very terrible position right now.

[Ersatz]

I don't understand this trade for Toronto, as Bosh and O'Neal are almost the same player. Two perimeter-based big men who have had injury problems. And then Bargnani is the other "big" man on the team, another, even further out perimeter player. It's weird.

That said, I think I'm higher on O'Neal that most people. The way he's turned himself into a defensive force the last couple of years is impressive. Anyone who can add new dimensions to their game after so many years in the league is to be commended, and O'Neal is now a monster shot blocker.

That said again, as good as Calderon is, and he is better than Ford individually, did anybody else get the impression that the Raptors were actually a better team with Ford on the floor? It surely looked that way to me.

[Who]

That said, I think I'm higher on O'Neal that most people. The way he's turned himself into a defensive force the last couple of years is impressive. Anyone who can add new dimensions to their game after so many years in the league is to be commended, and O'Neal is now a monster shot blocker.

Jermaine made his bones in this league as a defensive force under Isiah Thomas. That's how he first got starters minutes. Pulling down double digit boards and swatting three shots a night while single-handedly keeping together a very weak Indiana interior (next best interior player was Austin Croshere). He was only scoring 12 points a night while getting very few touches and was the fourth option behind Reggie/Jalen/Best.

That said again, as good as Calderon is, and he is better than Ford individually, did anybody else get the impression that the Raptors were actually a better team with Ford on the floor? It surely looked that way to me.

I rate Calderon and Ford both as top 12 PGs in the league. Both comparable talents with hardly any separation. Like yourself, I'd inch towards TJ Ford. Because they're both so close there's no bad decision no matter the decision.

TJ was better for Toronto because he knew his teammates couldn't create their own shots. Look at Jason Kapono's splits, he stopped getting minutes when he stopped getting shots and it coincides with TJ's injury. He started getting back into it when TJ got back. Ford was more capable of creating shots for limited offensive players (spot up shooters). Calderon will look much better as a player when they surround him with a few more scorers, he's more willing to stand back and allow his teammates to make plays plus he has a money jump shot to help space the floor for them. TJ only allows his teammates to do that regularly if they're talented enough which is fine in my books, that's a decision I want my PG making.

Defensively TJ was better too although he put no effort in defensively over the second half of this past season. When he tries he's a good pressure defender who uses his superb lateral quickness well. His lack of size is a serious liability but he can overcome it with good pressure defense. Calderon is weak defensively but has better size.

TJ Ford is a thoroughbred winner. He has that self-belief/arrogance that feeds into his teammates. I love that. Calderon has some of that too but not like TJ. TJ never backs down from a challenge either.

[cordobes]

TJ's decision making, courtvision and jump-shotting skills are not even close to those of Calderon. Those are skills nice to see in a pg. That's why Colangelo opted to trade Ford.

[lon3lytoaster]

TJ's decision making, courtvision and jump-shotting skills are not even close to those of Calderon. Those are skills nice to see in a pg. That's why Colangelo opted to trade Ford.

Calderon is a nice PG but he's going to be a top reason why the Raptors will again be a non-factor. I kind of liken him a bit to Steve Nash, he's terrible defensively but can pass and create shots for others on a ridiculous scale. The difference is Calderon isn't going to score 20 or more points and get 10 or more assists to help make up for how terrible he is on defense.

Factor in how soft the rest of their team is and the Raptors still aren't better than Boston, Detroit, Orlando or maybe even Philadelphia or Atlanta for that matter. If the Hawks can keep Smith and Childress this offseason I can see them being better than Toronto.

Does Toronto get better with O'Neal? Yea, almost no doubt but they're still not really anything too special.

[Ersatz]

TJ's decision making, courtvision and jump-shotting skills are not even close to those of Calderon. Those are skills nice to see in a pg. That's why Colangelo opted to trade Ford.

I don't necessarily agree with the first two -- Calderon makes fewer mistakes, but Ford makes things happen that Calderon doesn't. Calderon is a better shooter, for sure. But Ford is not incapable of scoring a lot of points. Witness the 33 he had against us this year. I haven't looked it up, but I bet Ford has had more 30-point games than Calderon in his career. And as Who said, he sets his teammates up better than Calderon. And plays defense. That's the kind of PG I want.

I guess now that Indiana has their requisite PG from Texas, they won't be drafting Augustin, which I had assumed they would. Now they can spend their two first-round picks on interior help, as they have the perfect PG to run their system now. In fact, with Ford, Dunleavy, and Granger, that's a pretty solid and potentially spectacular 1-3. This is a good move for Indiana. They'll have a rough couple of years, but they shouldn't be horriblb while they rebuild.

[Chris]

Maybe I'm being dense but who plays where?  Bosh is at 4 isn't that where O'Neal is most comfortable/effective?  Does somebody slide to the 5 or to the 3?

Oneal is actually an ideal center for their system.  He is long, and strong enough to bang inside, but is still athletic enough to play in an uptempo game.  He is has a good offensive repertoire both facing the basket and in the post.  He also can be an intimidating shotblocker defensively.

The only real problem with him is that he can't stay healthy.  If he is healthy, the Raptors are going to be a force, especially inside.

The only thing that keeps me from putting them among the top teams in the East is that they don't have a wing who can make his own shot at the end of games.  Calderon can make up for that a bit...but I don't think he is good enough to be a true "closer" for them.

[iowa plowboy]

I think it's really unfair the image that is given to O'Neal, so I'd like to know your reasons why you'd paint him with that brush.  From what I've heard he's a really smart and articulate guy.  The only major thing against him that I know of is the fight.  From what I could tell, he defended himself and tried to stick up for his teammates in a fight where absolute hell was breaking loose.  I can't fault him for that.

That's an interesting account of the fight.  If sprinting from one end of the court to the other, winding up, and coldcocking somebody constitutes defending himself....Well...OK.

O'Neal is smart and articulate guy who complains of racism every time Stern gives a directive.   He's also a guy who for debatable reasons, has sat out way too many games after signing the big contract.

The odds of this being a good move for Toronto are very slim.  Very slim.  Unless they win all 40 games O'Neal feels like appearing in.