Jermaine O'Neal Hurting Already

[Built Ford Tough]

Jermaine O'Neal missed Miami's preseason loss to Orlando on Wednesday night with an injured left foot.

 

He immediately squashed concern that his absence may have been due to his balky knees.

 

"Not the knees," O'Neal told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "it's not the knees."

 

With the Heat expected to have Thursday off, O'Neal insists that he'll return to practice with his teammates on Friday.

 

"I'll be back at practice ready to go on Friday," he said. "I have no doubt in my mind that I'll be ready to rock and roll at a high level come Sunday."

 

O'Neal has been limited since being kicked in the left foot during the second day of training camp.

 

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_a..._not_the_knees/

 

Jermaine O'Neal missed Wednesday's shootaround in order to ice his legs and it doesn't appear that he will play in the game against the Magic, either, as Joel Anthony started at center.

 

After spending the entire offseason making sure he would be healthy, O'Neal has already dealt with a sprained ankle and whatever part of his legs he was icing earlier today. In addition, he managed just one rebound in 22 minutes of his first preseason game.

 

I don't care if it isn't his knees, but anytime you hear the name Jermaine O'Neal mentioned with injuries it is a cause for concern if you ask me. The Heat need him to have a healthy season this year because he could really make a difference for them, mainly on the defensive end of the floor.

 

However, I don't think that it is realistic at all to expect him to be healthy for an extended period of time anymore. His body is just shot.

[Real Deal]

Jermaine isn't in Jonathan Bender mode yet, but he's never going to get back to that all-star level he was at. It's amazing to think that he's Kobe's age, and he was a strong candidate for an MVP award at one point, yet now he's just hanging around in Miami, calling for the ball and not getting it, and playing at about 1/3 of his abilities.

 

But yeah, Miami needs him. They also need to stop experimenting with injured bigs. Magloire didn't work out for them, Jermaine won't, and it wasn't too long ago that they were after Elton Brand in a sign and trade situation with the Clippers.

 

Heat fans just need to cross their fingers on Beasley and pray to God that Wade doesn't go to Chicago.

[JohnWayne]

Miami should really consider using JO the same way the Suns used Shaq Daddy Diesel this past season. The rest would maybe cut down on his injuries, and definitly take some of the pressure off of his knees/foot/herpe sores.

[Poe]

Jermaine isn't in Jonathan Bender mode yet, but he's never going to get back to that all-star level he was at. It's amazing to think that he's Kobe's age, and he was a strong candidate for an MVP award at one point, yet now he's just hanging around in Miami, calling for the ball and not getting it, and playing at about 1/3 of his abilities.

The Heat aren't looking for him to regain any sort of previous status. They are looking at what he can do NOW. He brings a shot blocking presence and forces opposing slashers and bigs to alter their shots. He draws charges, and is just an all around great presence to have defensively. Offensively he's a guy the Heat can count on to score 18 points per game (watch it happen this year), plus he has great chemistry with Haslem and Wade.

 

And what are you talking about "calling for the ball and not getting it"... please, watch some actual Heat games before making that assumption. The Heat's strategy is to get him the ball and isolate early in games. His teammates are actually looking for him to score, and he performed quite well against the Hawks last playoffs with a three game stretch of 20 points and 8 boards before his concussion.

 

But yeah, Miami needs him. They also need to stop experimenting with injured bigs. Magloire didn't work out for them, Jermaine won't, and it wasn't too long ago that they were after Elton Brand in a sign and trade situation with the Clippers.

Again, the Heat aren't looking for former all star production from this guy. He brings mental toughness, experience, and is a mentor to the young guys. He's also been a major help to Beasley's defensive improvement. The game isn't all numbers and highlights. There are other reasons why the Heat resigned Magloire.

 

Heat fans just need to cross their fingers on Beasley and pray to God that Wade doesn't go to Chicago.

I'm not into all that superstitious crap. Wade will stay in Miami because of the right reasons.

[Real Deal]

Wow, a bit offensive, are we?

 

1) Jermaine O'Neal is still a third of what he used to be, and no, he won't propel your team into the ECF's. It's going to take much more than that. You're making it sound like O'Neal is still a good player, but he has plenty of defensive lapses and is inconsistent on offense.

 

Do I watch the Heat? Yeah, I do. I had League Pass. Wade was one of my favorite players to watch last season. You may want to take your own advice about assumptions.

 

2) Magloire doesn't bring ANYTHING to the table in Miami. Stop overrating him. He played less than 13 minutes a game last season, played in less than 60 games. His numbers were terrible, he shot under 50% as a center, and he sucks. His "mentoring" will only negatively alter any intelligence Beasley has picked up since the first game he played in the pros.

 

3) What does superstition have anything to do with Wade going to a team with better players and a better chance to win it all? Riley didn't break a mirror, and Arison didn't walk under a ladder. It has more to do with the Heat not making any moves towards bringing Wade a team he can contend with, while the Bulls just opened up a spot for him to play alongside who will soon to be the best point guard in the NBA. Wade isn't an idiot. Doing the RIGHT thing would be to go to his hometown and contend for a title. Superstition has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

Mental toughness and experience does nothing if you aren't a consistent contributor. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar brought that every day when teaching Bynum, but that didn't prevent Andrew from missing all the games he did, playing lackluster defense in his return, and eventually decreasing his time with Kareem as a mentor (practically getting rid of him).

 

Three consecutive games of 20+ PTS and eight or more boards? When?

 

GM1: 5 PTS (2/5 FG), 2 REB

GM2: 19 PTS (6/9 FG), 6 REB

GM3: 22 PTS (7/14 FG), 10 REB

GM4: 20 PTS (7/11 FG), 6 REB

GM5: 14 PTS (6/11 FG), 3 REB

 

I don't see the streak...but I do see where he must have had a concussion in Game 1, also.

[Poe]

1. I never said Jermaine was going to be the main cause in propelling the Heat to an eastern conference finals... at all. I think the Heat have what it takes to be a top 3 or 4 team in the east for other reasons, and I do expect them to go no further than the 2nd round. Remember, they were one game away from getting out of the first last year, and I guarantee that they would have won with this year's team in the same situation, simply because of experience and hopefully health.

 

And again, the Heat aren't basing Jermaine off of his former self or his pay check. Erase the past and just look at what he is capable of now, and what he has proven during last year's playoff series before the off season, which the Heat do hope that he can build from for next season. No, he won't be the Jermaine of old, but he will be filling an important role for the Heat this season.

 

2. I'm not going through the AI (numbers) vs Billups (intangibles) argument again. Magloire has been a positive asset to the team in his own ways. Also, Beasley has been putting a lot more importance into his defensive improvement than people realize.

 

3. Wade has the choice between starting over with the Bulls and a potential superstar guard in Rose, and a great defensive player in Deng. Or he can stay on the Heat with more spread out talent in potential all star guard in Chalmers, 3 point shooting champ in Cook, potential all star (maybe) forward in Wright (injuries slowing him down), and superstar (maybe) forward in Beasley (he's only 20, it's still a bit early to tell where his ceiling is at). Plus the Heat will have plenty of cap next off season to bring in more weapons to build around D Wade.

 

Also, Chicago being Wade's hometown doesn't mean he'll be happier there. All of his best friends as players are gathered on the Heat team as it is. So there would be at least some sort of sense of a loss if he left that behind. If Wade is to choose Chicago because he believes it will be a better team for him, it still won't be that easy of a decision to leave Miami behind.

 

BTW, You're right. Superstition has nothing to do with anything. So.. why did you bring it up in your first post?

 

Three consecutive games of 20+ PTS and eight or more boards? When?

 

GM1: 5 PTS (2/5 FG), 2 REB

GM2: 19 PTS (6/9 FG), 6 REB

GM3: 22 PTS (7/14 FG), 10 REB

GM4: 20 PTS (7/11 FG), 6 REB

GM5: 14 PTS (6/11 FG), 3 REB

 

I don't see the streak...but I do see where he must have had a concussion in Game 1, also.

I said averaging around 20 points and 8 boards. There is the streak right there. The exact average in those 3 games is 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. K, fine, I was one board off.

[Real Deal]

with a three game stretch of 20 points and 8 boards before his concussion.

That's not saying average, that's saying he had at least 20 and 8. Eight boards...that's decent rebounding. Six boards? That's not, not for Jermaine.

 

And don't ever call Wright a potential all-star. It will never, ever happen. Chalmers is my boy, but he'll never be an all-star, either. Beasley a superstar? A superstar like Kobe, LeBron, Wade and Howard?

 

Well...okay.

 

As far as the Iverson/Billups argument, that's comparing two all-stars. Jermaine is far from that, and Magloire doesn't even exist. Big difference. So all Magloire brings to the table is...what exactly? Experience in the Finals? Experience as a winner? Or just experience as a mediocre pro? I guess every single veteran can do that, then...every single one of them. Isn't Jacque Vaughn up there in age? I'm sure he'd be a great asset to the Heat.

[Poe]

That's not saying average, that's saying he had at least 20 and 8. Eight boards...that's decent rebounding. Six boards? That's not, not for Jermaine.

 

And don't ever call Wright a potential all-star. It will never, ever happen. Chalmers is my boy, but he'll never be an all-star, either. Beasley a superstar? A superstar like Kobe, LeBron, Wade and Howard?

 

Well...okay.

 

As far as the Iverson/Billups argument, that's comparing two all-stars. Jermaine is far from that, and Magloire doesn't even exist. Big difference. So all Magloire brings to the table is...what exactly? Experience in the Finals? Experience as a winner? Or just experience as a mediocre pro? I guess every single veteran can do that, then...every single one of them. Isn't Jacque Vaughn up there in age? I'm sure he'd be a great asset to the Heat.

"Average", "at least", whatever. Jermaine was getting in his groove and I believe he can build on that for next season. That's my point.

 

Despite a couple injuries, Wright still has what it takes to potentially become an all star at least by his peak. The only thing holding him back is his confidence on the court. He gets sort of a stage fright on the court. When he forgets all of that, though, you can see it, and he really shines.

 

Here are some of his better games:

 

19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

17 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 6 blocks

17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block

20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals

10 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

19 points, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks

16 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

 

and so on.

 

Are those not the stats of an all star caliber player? He is only 23 years old. He has been in the league for 5 years since being drafted out of high school as a project yet has only gotten the chance to play in 139 games (18mpg). By experience on the court, he is basically in his 3rd year. Don't count this guy out yet, he still has plenty of time to prove himself in this league.

 

I know it's hard to see it now with Beasley, but he is only 20 years old. With a good 10 years of improvement, if he takes the right steps, he can possibly become a top 5 player in the league at some point in his career. I'm not guaranteeing anything with this guy, though, I'm just saying this as a "maybe".

 

As for Chalmers, I think this is the year for us seeing if he will ever become all star caliber or not. By not signing any vet PGs, Riley has given all the room for Chalmers to sort of show what he's made of. Like Wright and Beas, he's also pretty young. He could also potentially become all star caliber by his peak if he improves as greatly as Spoe and Riles predict.

 

 

 

About Magloire... Yes, Billups and AI are in a different level. I was just using it as a small comparison. It's intangibles. Things like helping Beasley vocally here and there on and perhaps even off the court. He also brings competition for centers in the rotation as sort of an extra motivation, as well as learning about the game through his experience, for a young guy like Joel Anthony to improve their game. As far as personal production goes, Magloire is a pretty good rebounder and decent defensive presence, and can finish decently around the rim. Despite him being only the Heat's 3rd or 2nd string center, the little things that he can do for his teammates count, and that's all the reason for his resigning. I'm not trying to say that he's the edge to the Heat's success or anything like that, but he is definitely not a complete waste.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Poe

[His Greatness]

and Magloire doesn't even exist.

lmao. I'm going to use that.

 

Too bad for JO, though. The man is a walking injury. I still remember BFT getting excited about him and forecasting big things for the Raptors. That was great.

 

In before Elton Brand joke.

[Built Ford Tough]

The Heat aren't looking for him to regain any sort of previous status. They are looking at what he can do NOW. He brings a shot blocking presence and forces opposing slashers and bigs to alter their shots. He draws charges, and is just an all around great presence to have defensively. Offensively he's a guy the Heat can count on to score 18 points per game (watch it happen this year), plus he has great chemistry with Haslem and Wade.

 

Raptor fans were saying the exact same thing about adding Jermiane O'Neal prior to last season. We convinced ourselves that JO would manage to stay on the court and be a presence on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. We convinced ourselves that O'Neal would manage to put up around 18 ppg and 8 rpg while playing great defense (he did play good defense during his time with the Raptors though). We convinced ourselves that Jermaine O'Neal would become more than just an overpaid, injury prone center.

 

We were wrong and O'Neal showed that he simply is not a reliable player anymore. Sure, he can have some impressive games but he will follow those games up with a 6 point 2-11 game or get yet another injury and miss some time.

 

I want to see O'Neal do well because I like his game and the tenacity that he plays with, but the fact of the matter is that expecting 18 ppg from O'Neal is simply unrealistic at this point in his career. He is simply too fragile and not consistent enough to be able to produce like that.

 

Too bad for JO, though. The man is a walking injury. I still remember BFT getting excited about him and forecasting big things for the Raptors. That was great.

 

In before Elton Brand joke.

 

I predicted that the Raptors would finish 5th in the East with around 45 wins and get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Not exactly big things.

 

I admit that I hyped him up way too much, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the majority of Raptor fans that I know who were saying the Raptors were a 50+ win team that would challenge the Celtics and Cavs in the playoffs.

 

And seeing how the Raptors were a 41 win team and the 6th seed in the East the season prior to JO coming to TO, was it really unrealistic on my part to expect a 45 win 5th seeded team?

 

I remember writing that season preview and I may have stated that I believed the Raptors could flirt with 50 wins and advance in the playoffs, but that was more to generate discussion than anything. All of my other posts concerning the Raptors were more along the lines of 45 wins (I even had a huge debate on another forum with a Raptors fan who called me a pessimist because I was projecting 45 wins).

[Real Deal]

19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

17 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 6 blocks

17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block

20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals

10 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

19 points, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks

16 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Wow, Wright had some good games. I can give you some good games by Smush Parker, if you'd like.

 

Check this out, from 2005-06 alone:

 

24 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL vs. GSW, 1/14/06

24 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL vs. PHI, 1/6/06

22 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL vs. MIN, 12/2/05

21 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL vs. UTA, 12/1/05

21 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL vs. ATL, 11/8/05

21 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL vs. PHX, 11/3/05

20 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 7 STL vs. MIL, 12/6/05

20 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL vs. DEN, 11/2/05

18 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL vs. GSW, 4/11/06

15 PTS, 5 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL vs. HOU, 4/2/06

 

How about in 2006-07?

 

26 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL vs. ORL, 1/12/07

25 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL vs. PHX, 4/8/07

...six other 20+ point games...

19 PTS, 7 REB, 9 AST, 0 STL vs. MIN, 3/18/07

18 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL vs. POR, 2/21/07

 

How about some Luke Walton, in 2006-07?

 

25 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL

22 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL

21 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL

20 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL

19 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL

19 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL

18 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST, 0 STL

18 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL

15 PTS, 8 REB, 11 AST, 2 STL

 

Wright isn't an all-star, and he never will be.

[moeroadkill]

How about some Luke Walton, in 2006-07?

oh [expletive], that one cracked me up

[His Greatness]

I predicted that the Raptors would finish 5th in the East with around 45 wins and get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Not exactly big things.

 

I admit that I hyped him up way too much, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the majority of Raptor fans that I know who were saying the Raptors were a 50+ win team that would challenge the Celtics and Cavs in the playoffs.

 

And seeing how the Raptors were a 41 win team and the 6th seed in the East the season prior to JO coming to TO, was it really unrealistic on my part to expect a 45 win 5th seeded team?

 

I remember writing that season preview and I may have stated that I believed the Raptors could flirt with 50 wins and advance in the playoffs, but that was more to generate discussion than anything. All of my other posts concerning the Raptors were more along the lines of 45 wins (I even had a huge debate on another forum with a Raptors fan who called me a pessimist because I was projecting 45 wins).

You're right, but I do vaguely recall discussing his impact on the Raptors with you or something like that, I think.

[Diesel]

Yeah Poe I don't even think Wright has starter potential at this point. You kinda dug yourself in a hole calling Chalmers, and Wright future all-stars. Beasley is the only other player who has the potential to be an all-star on that team right now.

 

However I disagree about Miami being in crappy shape. This offseason they have JO, Quentin Richardson, and Haslem coming off the books along with Wade. That leaves them with 55 million coming off the books and they will have a TON of cap room to offer someone a max contract along with Wade. Imagine Bosh(or even LeBron, Amare, Dirk,Yao) going to Miami to team up with Wade. Domination. There is so many all-star free agents this year it's amazing and Miami has more CAP room than Chicago to work with. If they can sign some all-stars and then get Wade to wait a bit to resign for the Bird Rights they will be very very scary. Miami will become an elite team again.

[Poe]

The reason I posted those stats on Dorell Wright was just to show what he's capable of when given consistent playing time. The problem for him is that he's played in so few games over the years, he's not used to the spotlight, so he has trouble coming off the bench in games and producing right away. When he's guaranteed playing time, which has happened in the past, in the beginning he appears to not do much with the minutes he's given. Over time, you see a steady improvement after each game.

 

Now, I'm going to bring up stats again, just to make a small point in his potential. This was in 07-08 season:

 

1/16 Chi - 4 points(2/8), 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal - 26 minutes

1/18 Por - 2 points (1/3), 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal - 20 minutes

1/19 Nyk - 8 points(4/7), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks - 30 minutes

1/21 Cle - 7 points(3/6), 2 rebounds - 16 minutes - 16 minutes

1/24 Sas - 9 points (4/6), 6 rebounds, 2 steals - 37 minutes

1/26 Ind - 14 points (7/11), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks - 32 minutes

1/29 Bos - 8 points (3/9), 3 rebounds, 1 block - 22 minutes

1/30 Orl - 12 points (6/17), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block - 40 minutes

2/1 Njn - 7 points (1/5), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal - 27 minutes

2/4 Tor - 17 points (5/5), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block - 34 minutes

2/6 Det - 14 points (6/9), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal - 32 minutes

2/7 Phi - 16 points (4/10), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks - 40 minutes

2/10 Lal - 15 points (7/12), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block - 34 minutes

2/12 Den - 19 points (8-16), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block - 46 minutes

2/14 Chi - 6 points (3-9), 6 rebounds, 3 assists - 30 minutes

2/21 Hou - 8 points (4-9), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block - 34 minutes

 

Before January 16th against Chicago he had about an 6 game span of no playing time, and after February 21st against Denver, his minutes sank significantly for a few more games and then were cut completely for the rest of the season. I forget the reason why, either it was injury or it was because Pat Riley was replaced with a new coach that thought it was better to replace Wright's minutes with Kapono's. I do know that Wright missed almost all of last year because of injury.

 

These numbers may not show anything incredible, but they do mean something. You can take it one way and say that oh, he just had a good span of games then dropped. The way I see it is from the first game against Chicago all the way until the game against Denver, there is a noticeable increase in his performance. And it's not just how much better he got, but how much better he might have gotten before the sudden changes were made.

 

Being a Heat fan, I am familiar with his style of play and his personality. Giving him small spurts of minutes in games, he won't react well since he tends to get very nervous on the court, which affects his performance greatly. Giving him consistent playing time he eventually gets used to playing in front of the crowd and the cameras, and he just gets better and better.

 

Maybe these stats alone don't prove anything about him becoming an all star, I'm just trying to show his upside. In all of the games shown, he was expected to guard the best perimeter scorer on all of these teams (Kobe, LeBron, AI). Aside from Wade, he could possibly be the best perimeter defender on the Heat team. Maybe numbers won't show his ceiling of being on All Star sometime in his career (I still think its possible for him), but in my opinion, he is more than a worthy starter.

 

Dorell's stats in 07-08 showed a much higher upside than any sort stretch in Jamario Moon's stats for the the Heat last season, who started almost every game he was healthy for. Some say that Dorell's ceiling IS a player similar to Moon. The reality is, Wright is ALREADY ahead of Moon, both athletically, skill-wise, and overall production on both end of the court, and is 6 years younger.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Poe

[Poe]

I wrote a bit more than I meant to about Dorell, there...

 

Anyway, about Chalmers, I think his range for success can be up to becoming an all star sooner than I expect (next year or year after), or it may never come. Don't underrate this guy for being a second round pick, either. He was already a top 5 in the entire league in spg in only his rookie season. That's saying quite a bit right there.

 

Other than the steals and starting all 82 games for the Heat, I don't have any sort of flurry of stats to support my claim on this one. I'm judging this one from what I am hearing from the coaches. I'm hearing great things like how he is coming into his role at the point and proving himself to be able to handle the ball well enough to take some pressure off of Wade. I've also heard that he's been one of the hardest workers on the team putting in the 2nd most amount of hours (next to Wade) into his training. With all the talk about how the Heat should get a vet PG for his replacement, he seems to have a good attitude and focus about it with a strong mindset of "proving the doubters wrong".

 

Chalmers had a pretty good rookie year, and it's normally the 2nd and 3rd years are when you start to see young players blossom. I think with all the opportunities that the coaches are giving him in the line up, this will be his year to prove himself. I'm still unsure of his success, and I'll admit that all star may be a bit of a high expectation, even by his prime. I think by the end of this year we'll know where his ceiling lies.

 

 

 

And about O'Neal, I think his situation in Toronto simply didn't work out well for him, and his transition to the Heat has just been a slow adjustment.

 

In Toronto he was expect to put up points alongside a similar type of scorer in Chris Bosh. Both Bosh and JO are face-to-the-rim players, who like to drive, take midrange jumpers, and neither rely on post moves as much as the average big. With two of the same types of players, I think it may have been a harder situation for Jermaine offensively especially coming off an injury, but it didn't affect him much with his rebounding and defense versus what he may have done on other teams. Even though he may not be scoring and rebounding the way he used to, he is still a great presence and very efficient defensively.

 

When he moved to the Heat, you could see some immediate chemistry between him and Haslem, and on both ends of the court (which I expect to strengthen next season after spending time training in an offseason together). Aside from that, it took some time to fit him in. I think he showed signs of renewing himself during the series with the Hawks, and the rest of the team was getting a feel for when and where to get him his looks. I'm confident he will be able to pull off similar success during this coming season, although his health may look shaky throughout the season.