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

Highlights:

You could say this about most bench players in the NBA, but with Jermaine O’Neal it was most especially true: When this guy got going offensively, the Warriors were an extremely difficult team to beat. In the 15 games where O’Neal reached double digits in the scoring column, the Dubs posted an impressive 12-3 record (1-1 in the playoffs). And luckily for Golden State, there were a couple of fine performances where he turned the clock back to his golden days and gave his team a much-needed boost in close games.

On Nov. 12, he handled the Detroit Pistons for 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in a win. He went 9-for-12 a few weeks later in a one-point win over the New Orleans Pelicans. On Apr. 1, O’Neal put up 20 points and eight rebounds in a win against the Dallas Mavericks while going 9-for-12 from the floor. His best game of the season came in a win against the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 22 when he went for a season-high 23 points and 13 rebounds while going 10-for-13 from the floor.

O’Neal’s finest individual play of the season came on Feb. 20 against the Houston Rockets. Despite playing a season-high 37 minutes and going 1-for-6 from the floor, O’Neal was ready when the game’s biggest moment came for him. With a one-point lead and less than 30 seconds left, the Warriors needed a stop. James Harden found Chandler Parsons on a backdoor cut and Parsons rose up to throw it down…and then Jermaine O’Neal ended him. Jermaine O’Neal veteran elongated crowd stare-downs for the win!