O'Neal

[Douglas342@aol.com]

 Today's LA Timesd, courtesy of AP, had the following to say about the O'Neal 
trade. After reading it, I, too, am glad the Celtics didn't land him.

>With Davis, the Blazers clearly got the best of the swap of 6-foot-11 
players. 

Davis, who helped lead the Pacers to the NBA Finals against the Lakers, 
averaged 10 points and 9.9 rebounds, leading Indiana in rebounding for the 
seventh straight year and making his first All-Star team. 

O'Neal, who came into the NBA out of Eau Claire (S.C.) High School, has 
contributed virtually nothing in his four pro seasons. He averaged just 12.3 
minutes, 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds last season and couldn't crack the 
rotation playing behind forwards Rasheed Wallace and Brian Grant. 

"I just don't think he was as talented as the guys who were playing in front 
of him," Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said. 

When O'Neal did get into games, usually as a backup to aging center Arvydas 
Sabonis, he showed promising shot-blocking and rebounding skills at the 
defensive end, but almost no touch on offense. 

"He has rebounding, shot-blocking ability. We feel he can play any one of the 
three (front-line) positions, including center. He's got athletic ability and 
great skill," Pacers president Donnie Walsh said. "This continues our idea of 
trying to keep this team in a position to be good both immediately and in the 
future." 

Before the lockout-shortened 1999 season, O'Neal brazenly had "Year of the 
Resurrection" tattooed on his arm, but two seasons later, the 21-year-old is 
still looking for his niche.