The Official Site of Jermaine O'Neal

Mon, Mar 9th 2009, 17:55

Jermaine O'Neal taking patient approach with Miami Heat

When Jermaine O’Neal arrived in a trade from the Toronto Raptors, his goal was to have an immediate impact on the court as big as his hefty contract.

A month into his stint with the Heat, O’Neal is simply hoping not to get short-changed in the offense. O’Neal has had to temper his expectations some in his first few weeks since the Feb. 13 trade.

O’Neal remains the anchor of Miami’s reloaded frontcourt. But he has not been the go-to option in the lane as often as he initially expected. O’Neal hasn’t complained. Instead, he’s taking a patient approach.

A breakthrough of sorts came in Saturday’s loss at Cleveland, where O’Neal scored 19 points, making 7 of 10 shots. He hopes to build on that effort when the Heat (33-29) plays Chicago (29-34) on Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

‘‘Hopefully, one damn day I’ll be able to get it going,’‘ said O’Neal, who has been disappointed in his overall play since he joined the Heat. ``It’s not very many sets at all. Most of what I’ve been getting are jump shots. And if I’m not hitting my jump shots, it’s been hard to get going. It becomes a struggle for me.’‘

O’Neal, 30, has averaged 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in his first 10 games as the Heat’s starting center. He has shot 54 percent from the field. O’Neal said more plays are being installed in the offense for him. But it’s been a gradual process that has required patience, considering the Heat’s lack of practice time in recent days.

A VALUABLE PRESENCE

Coach Erik Spoelstra said he spoke with O’Neal before Saturday’s game in Cleveland about his role. He also told O’Neal that his value to the team goes beyond scoring.

‘‘I know Jermaine wants to contribute more — he and I have talked,’‘ Spoelstra said. ``I just keep trying to reinforce to him that his presence has already helped us a great deal offensively. Our production has gone way up.’‘

The Heat is averaging nearly 10 more points per game since the trade that sent forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to Toronto for O’Neal and small forward Jamario Moon.

Dwyane Wade’s recent scoring binge has had a lot to do with the offensive boost. But both Spoelstra and Wade, the NBA’s leading scorer, said O’Neal’s arrival gave the Heat a much-needed threat in the post. That, in turn, has balanced the floor and opened up lanes for Wade to operate.

‘‘Since we made the trade, it’s been a little bit different,’‘ said Wade, who has been averaging nearly 40 points and 11 assists his past five games. ``So the only thing we can do is try to continue to go from here. I have a lot more freedom on the court, and my mind is not as clogged.’‘

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