In the 1996 draft, O 'Neill, who was only 17 and a half years old and 2 meters tall, was selected by the Blazers with the first-round draft pick of 17, becoming the oldest player selected by the NBA before Bynum. However, O 'Neal didn't get the same treatment as Bynum did when he was in the Blazers. It is not a pick that will be cultivated into the core itself. The Blazers chose O 'Neal Jr. only because no other player has better talent than O 'Neal Jr. in this draft, not because the team really needs O 'Neal to join and reinforce the depth of the position.
What was the center position in the first season of playing for the Blazers? Roof of the world? Sabonis and veteran Chris Dudley dominate, while the position of power forward? Roaring Buddha? Rashid Wallace and rookie O 'Neill Gary Trent only played 45 times in a single season, averaging only 10 minutes per game. In the 1997-98 season, although veteran Dudley left, the joining of brian grant and Cato made the Trailblazers more crowded. O 'Neill's playing time is only three minutes more than that of his rookie season. In his last season in the Trailblazers,
Kobe, who is also a high school student, has been making a steady start in Los Angeles. When the team even sent away the original starting perimeter eddie jones in order to train him, O 'Neill was still a pioneer in the chaos, and he could only get very little playing time in garbage time or when the team was injured. Friends who are familiar with professional leagues should understand that for young players, the season in rookie contracts is the most important. This is not only a golden period for players to learn, but also a crucial period for young players to polish their skills, accumulate confidence and experience and prove themselves. During this period, O 'Neill has been a marginal figure of the team.
At this time, it is estimated that some friends will argue that O 'Neill didn't get the chance to play because he didn't work hard enough. In fact, even if O 'Neill works hard enough, he can't beat the competitors in the team. One is the No.5 show in the 1995 draft, with mature technology and the most potential and fighting power forward at that time. The other is the show 17 in 1996. The technology and mind are not fully mature, and the future is unpredictable. Only talented O 'Neill, if you are the head coach and management of the Blazers, when the championship is the goal, will you focus on O 'Neill or Rasheed Wallace? What's more, can O 'Neal shine in the Pacers without hard work?
After the rookie contract ended, O 'Neal, who had been delayed by the Trailblazers for four seasons, was finally traded by the Trailblazers for the Pacers' insider Dale Davis. In the Pacers' first season, O 'Neal, who became the team's starter, averaged 12.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game, at least three times higher than the Blazers. The total number of blocked shots in a single season has created the pacers'.
This further confirms the fact that O 'Neill was delayed by the Trailblazers. It also proves that if O 'Neill can leave the Trailblazers early, he may not be a late bloomer, but he is more likely to become an inside star early. In O 'Neill's second season, he averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds 13.5 minutes per game. If converted into 36 minutes, O 'Neal can contribute 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, which is not the addition of the core lineup. It is almost the same as the data of the Pacers' first season. What O 'Neill lacks is not strength, but the opportunity to show his strength.
O 'Neal, who got the chance in the Pacers, also proved his strength. In the second season, he was elected as the player with the fastest progress in the season by averaging 19 points 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, and was selected as an all-star and the best team for the first time. From the edge player in the pioneer period, he became the new core of the Pacers and the best inside player in the East. O 'Neal became one of only three players in the league who averaged 2.0+ 10. He even increased his playoff average to 22.8 points, 17.5 rebounds. The data and limelight completely overshadowed Rasheed Wallace, who needed him to look forward to that year, and he also got the Pacers' 7-year sky-high contract renewal.
After that, the auburn hills Palace incident destroyed the pacers who had the strength to compete for the championship. O 'Neal suffered a serious injury in the following season, and his long-term absence also led to a decline in the Pacers' record, so he was traded by the team. Later, the Raptors, the Heat, the Celtics, the Sun and the Warriors finally announced their official retirement on 20 17.
It is inappropriate to say that O 'Neill Jr. is a late bloomer. Just like Billups, the leader of Pistons, the main rival in the East, he never lacked strength, but a visionary Bole and an opportunity to prove himself. But similarly, little O 'Neill is also a well-deserved strong man. It is because of his hard work and firm belief that he persisted and finally got the chance to prove himself, instead of Milicic and.