O'Neal optimistic about return sometime in future

maybe bird and o'niel can start a fast food place. old wings and bad knees.nothing butt the worst bumbs will doooooo

Mike reports that Jermaine O'Neal says he could return to the line-up in 3-4 weeks....or sooner(?). My first reaction to that statement is simply, why? Insofar as propelling the Pacers into a late (very late) season charge to the playoffs, I wonder about the wisdom in that. It's widely held that Indiana could, at best, sneak into the eighth playoff spot, and then likely be ousted by either Boston or Detroit. Is that worth possibly rushing the problematic right knee of O'Neal into service?

Had his injury surfaced during the last few weeks of the season, the obvious course of action would be to shut it down for the remainder of the year, and give it 3-4 months to completely recover. No-one would bitch about that, so why bring him back so soon now?

I realize that there's a school of thought that says to get JO back out there and demonstrate that he's 100% healthy, so that serious trade talks can begin prior to the draft. But I still wonder if he can really be 100% in 4-6 weeks? Hasn't he "rested" the knee before, only to have the problem return?

If I'm another team's GM, I wouldn't give much in a trade for O'Neal until I knew absolutely, positively for certain that I wasn't giving up a high draft pick and/or valuable, expiring contracts only to inherit JO's problematic knee (and $20 million salary). Can that be determined, with any degree of certainty, in this short a time? I guess it all depends on the medical reports, and how JO fared in a physical performed by my own medical staff, as a condition to any trade.

Larry Bird will have to make that decision; roll the dice and play O'Neal and pray that he finishes strong so meaningful talks can take place prior to the draft. That apparently is the gamble Bird has to take. I guess.....??

Jo has nothing to be mad about. He isn't a leader. Miller was. See the difference?

Who was it that said J.O. was healthy in the first place?

Hey Jo FU you spoiled POS

Hey!!! I'm a leader!!!!!!

Can someone pass me the marijuana?