| The Franchise Returns Authored by Andrew Perna - March 22, 2006 - 2:55 am
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My main concern was – Is he truly ready?
In the past, O’Neal has rushed back to the court too early in order to help his struggling Pacer teammates. While the Pacers do have a solid grasp on one of the Eastern Conference’s playoff spots, they have lost seven of their last twelve games – including embarrassing losses to New York, Houston, Boston (twice), and Toronto. I just hope O’Neal isn’t returning too soon in an attempt to bring some consistency to this Indiana team.
Four of the Pacers’ seven losses this month have been by four points or less. Their lack of execution down the stretch would be expected to improve with the return of O’Neal, but is he truly ready?
Initial reports said O’Neal would be out for eight weeks due to a tear in his left groin, while some even indicated that he might remain on the shelf for the rest of the 2005-2006 season. So my question is – How can an injury-prone player recover from an injury so severe in less than the timetable expected?
I understand that he has been working out by himself for two weeks and he has joined his Indiana teammates for their last three practices, but I wish the Pacers would be more cautious about their franchise player’s return.
With just under a month remaining in the regular season, why not allow Jermaine to heal for a few extra weeks? Then he could return to the court with a few weeks left before the playoffs, and have eight or ten games to get himself into the flow of Rick Carlisle’s new offense. You might argue that it seems to be O’Neal’s preference to return as soon as possible, but Larry Bird has to step up and insure the Pacers don’t lose O’Neal for good.
What if he returns this Friday night against Detroit and re-tears his injured groin muscle? That may mean that Indiana would lose him not just for the playoffs, but for the rest of his career. When news of the injury first came out, O’Neal was seen outside the Pacers locker room commenting on the severity of the injury. He mentioned that if not properly healed, the tear could re-occur and lead to problems for the rest of his career.
Why risk that?
Sure, the Pacers would have one of the best inside-outside combinations in the league when O’Neal finally joins Peja Stojakovic on the court, but the thought of losing O’Neal forever should instill some kind of fear into the hearts of Bird and Donnie Walsh. With the recent luck this franchise has had, what makes anyone think that O’Neal won’t re-injure himself within minutes of returning to the court?
That leads to my other main concern – What will go wrong next?
Over the past eighteen months everything and anything has gone wrong in Indiana.
Is was bad enough that the Pacers had to watch the best player in franchise history ride off into the sunset last May, but they had to do so in a season filled with suspension and injury.
They received a clean slate this season, and once again the infamous Ron Artest ruined their chances of a normal season once again. The Pacers have once again endured a season full of controversy and injury. Point guard Jamaal Tinsley will have missed nearly half of Indiana’s games this season for the third straight year due to injury.
Jeff Foster, who was once considered the iron-man of the Pacers roster, will have missed over fifty games over the past two seasons when the curtain closes on the 2005-2006 campaign. Even Austin Croshere, who has always been ready to fill-in when needed for Indiana, has missed a significant amount of time this year. Having already missed twenty-five games this season, there is a chance that he’ll sit out the remainder with complications from two concussions this month.
So who’s to say that upon O’Neal’s return to the court, when the Pacers will be as close to full strength as they have been in almost three years, something won’t immediately go wrong?
I wouldn’t want anything to happen to the promising young talent of Danny Granger, David Harrison, or even the recently neglected Sarunas Jasikevicius. Oh, and don’t even bring up free-agent-to-be Freddie Jones, or Anthony Johnson, who have kept Indiana afloat. Let’s also not forget Stephen Jackson, while Pacer fans have been critical of him in his short tenure as a Pacer, without him they’re looking at a lottery pick.
So my advice to the Indiana Pacers players is, stay away from all dangerous objects. Don’t walk underneath any ladders, avoid stepping on cracks, and please don’t walk outside without putting on a helmet.
And if you do return this week Jermaine, please wear some kind of protective body armor. Go all out. Cover your shoulder, knees, and your recently healed groin.
Never mind a title, I’m praying for good health!
My last thought was – Are Pacer fans ready to root for a team that is healthy, consistent, and at full strength?
I know I am. |
