Will Jermaine O' Neal make a comeback? The former All-Star, now a reliable veteran who can still provide quality minutes is eyed by the Dallas Mavericks since losing their key reserve Brandan Wright in the Rajon Rondo trade.
Brandan Wright has blossomed under Rick Carlisle's system as he embraced his role as the main frontcourt reserve behind Tyson Chandler and Dirk Nowitzki. However, he was the coveted piece by the Celts should they give away their prime point guard Rajon Rondo. Now the Mavs need to fill the hole Wright left and they may want to look at O' Neal.
Jermaine O' Neal is another stalwart of Draft class 1996 on the verge of retirement. Steve Nash and Ray Allen are still holding out their formal goodbyes but they are also not on the court. It's safe to say that their ship has sailed but the shelf life of an NBA center is usually longer and O'Neal was the youngest of that batch along with Kobe Bean Bryant who is still very active.
Thus, he seems like a logical choice to fill the Mavericks' void. However, he is hesitating. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confided to the Fort Worth Star Telegram:
"I don't know if he wants to come here. A lot of decisions have to be made before then. When we get the right guy we'll get the right guy. No rush."
No rush, but a necessity nonetheless, as their coach Rick Carlisle would admit: "We're looking at everything. There may some [center] possibilities out there, but 7-footers aren't growing on trees. If they were we would have some of those trees planted around here. Finding quality big guys is always a challenge in this league."
The Mavericks can stay in playoff contention as it is provided Tyson Chandler is healthy. However, when they get to the postseason against the cutthroat competition of the West, they need to have the 'trees' ready.
