Golden State Warriors 2013-14 Player Grades: Jermaine O’Neal

Weaknesses:

The good thing about veterans like Jermaine O’Neal is they know what they are and they know what they are not. The bad thing about veterans like Jermaine O’Neal is that one thing he is NOT is a guy who can make shots outside of 15 feet. If you take a look at his shot distribution chart above, you’ll notice he only took 10 shots in the 16-24 feet range this season, constituting 4 percent of his shot selection this season.

Why is this bad? Shouldn’t teams love a center who knows it’s generally frowned upon for guys his size without much shooting touch to take shots outside his range? While that may be true, we have to mention that at this stage in his career, O’Neal is what he is, and what he is isn’t exactly conducive to the high-powered offense Golden State fans believe they should have. O’Neal is on par with the league average from everywhere inside 16 feet, but his lack of offensive versatility limits his potential impact.

O’Neal also wasn’t able to stay completely healthy this season, playing in only 44 games. From Dec. 13 through Feb. 4, O’Neal missed every single one of Golden State’s 26 games because of a torn ligament in his wrist that required surgery. Obviously most players can’t help their injury luck, especially in their 18th season, but O’Neal’s fragility at this stage of his career will be a factor in his decision on whether or not it’s time to retire this offseason.