Charlotte Hornets: Jermaine O’Neal, Hornets A Match?
By Jon Shames
A 6-foot-11, 255-pound veteran center is still on the market, and somehow, despite coming off of a fantastic season (albeit, a short one), still hasn’t received much interest this offseason. Jermaine O’Neal was once a 24-point-per-game scorer, but as he’s aged, he has lost much of the athleticism that allowed him to dominate back in his day.
Still, though, O’Neal has remained a solid rotation player over the past couple of years. Last season, he was a valued member of the Golden State Warriors, and his ability to come off the bench and both defend and post up was a big part of the Warriors success.
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Even at the ripe age of 35, his shot-blocking was still a big factor on the defensive end. Playing just 20.1 minutes per night, O’Neal was able to post averages of 7.9 points and 0.9 blocks for game, which over 36 minutes translates to 14.3 points and 1.7 blocks.
So how does he fit in with Charlotte?
Well, behind Al Jefferson, the Hornets don’t have a ton of depth at the five spot. The only player with a decent amount of experience playing center is Bismack Biyombo, who although a great shot-blocker, isn’t much of an offensive threat. The 22-year-old center is also just 6-foot-9, a bit undersized for a center.
After the 2.9 point-per-game scorer in Biz, the options (miraculously) get worse. Cody Zeller struggles to finish around the hoop, and Noah Vonleh is neither healthy nor proven. Really, the injury-prone Big Al is all the Hornets have up front.
Thanks to last year’s first-round series vs. the Miami Heat, fans got a glimpse of Charlotte sans Jefferson, and the result wasn’t pretty. Miami won four consecutive games, and ended the Bobcats’ final season in their own arena.
In 10 seasons, Jefferson has only played in all 82 games once. He’s battled foot, knee, and ankle injuries, some of which began in his second season. Considering his age, weight, and injury history, it’s tough to see Jefferson playing in every game next year.
Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but they are a reality, and thus, the Hornets have to plan accordingly. For the nagging injuries–a sprained ankle, a strained calf…things of that nature–starting Biyombo isn’t the end of the world. But if something more serious were to happen, the Hornets would be, well, screwed.
O’Neal could serve as insurance for the Hornets. He too struggles to stay healthy, especially as he gets up there in age, but last year, the Warriors found a way to keep him activated when they needed his services.
Seemingly, there has been an emphasis on upping the Hornets’ offensive tempo this year, but with that said, Charlotte’s slow and methodical offense, which ranked 26th in pace last year, has shown to be effective under certain circumstances. O’Neal is someone who excels in halfcourt sets, especially at this stage of his career.
With 18 years of experience, O’Neal is still a very effective cutter, and thanks to his long arms, he runs beautiful slip-screens. He and the speedy Kemba Walker running pick-and-roll sets would be a thing of beauty.
For the veteran’s minimum, there’s no way that the Hornets can go wrong with O’Neal. Even if he doesn’t suit up once, his ability to mentor Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh will be invaluable to their development. Charlotte needs a quality big man to come off the pine, and O’Neal is their guy.