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**StephenJackson** · 05-17-2005, 11:40 AM

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...TS04/505170440

Quote:

Posters soon could start to appear around the city. His face might show up on milk cartons.
Anybody seen the real Jermaine O'Neal lately?
The four-time All-Star who requires double teams in the post? The multidimensional offensive force who can muscle his way to the basket or step out, face up and hit the 18-foot jumper?
O'Neal's shooting touch has disappeared in the playoffs. He is shooting 34.3 percent and hasn't hit at least 50 percent in any of the Pacers' 11 playoff games. He has hit half his shots in a game once since coming off the injured list April 17. Of the players in the rotation, only Fred Jones' 29.8 percent playoff shooting is lower.
"Any time you have a bad game and you lose you're going to feel upset," teammate Stephen Jackson said of O'Neal, who is averaging 15.5 points against Detroit. "J.O. is a competitor and he wants to help this team and he wants to move on in the series, too. In order for us to move on he has to play better. I don't think he lost his confidence; he's human. It does happen, but he'll be all right."
O'Neal didn't address the media after practice Monday -- saying only, "I will play better" in Game 5 tonight at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich. -- but he did spend a long while working with associate head coach Mike Brown and special assistant Chuck Person on shooting drills and post moves.

Click the link for the rest of the article. Let's hope that JO comes out possesed tonight, we certianly need a huge game for him to help give us a win on the road.

RP McMurphy · 05-17-2005, 12:00 PM

At least O'Neal has been contributing in a lot of other ways even though his shot isn't falling. He's getting a lot of boards and playing great defense. But Rasheed Wallace is playing great defense, keeping him out of the lane, and forcing him to take 15-footers (that he's missing). I hope he just takes fewer shots tonight and focuses more on the things he's been doing well.

PacersguyUSA · 05-17-2005, 04:18 PM

I thought the whole team should have practiced shooting after last game.

naptownpimp · 05-17-2005, 06:26 PM

i think reggie should fix his shooting slump

i really dont want him to go out like THIS

i really dont think were going to win this series...detroit is too good, i kinda want us to lose 6 so his last game is a home game. and hopefully a good one

RP McMurphy · 05-17-2005, 06:35 PM

This is what I was afraid of. O'Neal was so worried about his offensive game that he stopped paying attention to playing defense, boxing out, and going after loose balls. As a result he only played slightly better on offense (but was still bad) but was useless on the defensive end too.

PacersguyUSA · 05-18-2005, 07:27 PM

James Jones was the only one able to shoot in game 5.

Carbo04 · 05-19-2005, 05:41 AM

He's not near 100%. You can't expect too much.

RP McMurphy · 05-19-2005, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaronMcGrady

He's not near 100%. You can't expect too much.

Yes I can. I'm happy to accept his injury as an excuse for his low field goal percentage, but I don't think it's an excuse for some of the other problems he's been having lately, like not passing out of double teams and not boxing out. He did such a great job of doing the little things in the Boston series, what's his excuse for not doing them against Detroit?

I think O'Neal is still an immature player. When he lets the game come to him he's one of the best players in the NBA, but when he gets frustrated he stops doing the little things and all he does out there is force his offense. And he gets frustrated way too often for my liking. It's easy for a good team to take him out of his game.

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