The season for the Celtics Jermaine O’Neal has been a mixed bag. JO’s seven games have seen a great game against Detroit (19 points and 7 rebounds), a solid game against Washington (8 points and 3 rebounds), an O.K. game against New York (6 points 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and some terrible games against the Miami (0 points and 1 rebound), New Orleans (2 points and 6 rebounds), and New Jersey (2 points and 5 rebounds). The problem is this is not going to cut it for the Celtics because they need JO to be more consistent in his game. The Celtics need JO to contribute regularly as the one of only two true centers on the roster.
The issues are easy to identify that need correcting. During these bad games JO has got himself into foul trouble. Once JO has that issue, he becomes a different player. No longer does he stalk the paint looking to make a play at both ends of the floor. Instead JO seems to be worried about not picking up the next foul that will cut his minutes even further.
JO needs to just play smarter. The games that he has played well are the ones that he has avoided stupid mistakes.He is a great natural shot blocker that sometimes gets over aggressive. He does not have to make every play in the paint early and just get solid positioning to challenge the shot. On the offensive end, he just needs to get his positioning and take his shot. The drive to the basket is nice, but the man has a solid five foot baby jump shot and should use it. This will keep JO out of foul trouble and he will be able to be intelligently aggressive in the paint at both ends.
The NBA season is condensed and the team needs everyone on board to contribute. The Celtics are going to need JO to provide a solid inside defensive presence and a guy that hits his open shots to keep the defense honest. JO has the potential to give Boston that production. The question is will he deliver?
