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

Grade: B-

I was tempted to go with a C+ here, since O’Neal barely played more than half the season, but when he was on the floor, he was an extremely useful and productive backup center who kept the continuity of Golden State’s top-five defense going. He’s not as agile as he once was and his days as an offensive weapon are far behind him, but he provided a decent replacement for Festus Ezeli and rose to whatever defensive challenge he was given on a nightly basis.

Golden State’s offense was 3.5 points superior per 100 possessions with O’Neal on the floor and its defense was 0.6 points per 100 possessions better as well. If O’Neal decides to retire after 18 long years in the association, no one can fault his effort, attitude and toughness until the very end. But if he decides to return, he’ll provide nice insurance for his fellow backup center and could provide some veteran leadership for a team that wants to start competing for championships soon.

What did you think of Jermaine O’Neal’s 18th season in the NBA? Let Gerald know in the comments or hit him up on Twitter!