<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Question: Do you think the Pacers will trade Jermaine O?Neal if they're not playing well by the trade deadline in February. Answer: This is a huge season for O?Neal. He said over the summer that he and the Pacers should cut ties if he can?t make them a better team. That?s a pretty big statement. At the same time, though, you have to think about it and maybe he?s right about that statement. The Pacers were on the brink of getting to the Finals a couple years ago. And as we all know they?ve dealt with numerous problems since then. Many people, myself included, think they?re the fourth best team in the Central Division behind Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland. O?Neal had a great summer. He reported to camp in great shape. He raised some eyebrows when he missed two preseason games with a hamstring injury. It turns out O?Neal could have played but doctors told him to take his time coming back. Something I enjoyed hearing from O?Neal is that he wants to make his teammates better. He doesn?t want to catch the ball in the post every time down the court because they?ve got enough players that can put the ball in the basket. He wants to dominate the boards and be an enforcer in the paint on defense. One thing O?Neal can?t afford is to be injured again. Some fans are already frustrated with the amount of time he?s missed the past couple of seasons. Keep an eye on how the Pacers start the season. Trade rumors will likely come up if they start slow and look like they?re not going to be able to rebound from the tough start.</div> Source
