Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal, Chris Denari
January 6, 2007
Hornets.com’s Cris Quintana and Jim Eichenhofer chatted with Indiana forward Jermaine O’Neal and Indiana television play-by-play broadcaster Chris Denari, respectively, on Saturday at the Ford Center.
O’Neal has been selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for five consecutive seasons. The Pacers’ leading scorer, O’Neal also entered Saturday’s game ranked first in the NBA in blocked shots per game (3.18) and No. 12 in total rebounds (296).
Denari is in his first season as the Pacers’ play-by-play announcer, partnering with Quinn Buckner for games on Fox Sports Midwest.
Indiana forward Jermaine O’Neal
Q: Going into the game, the Pacers were 3 1/2 games out of first place in the Central Division. What do you think needs to happen for you guys to make a run at a division title, while earning a playoff seed?
A: Win games that we’re supposed to win, as well as some of the tougher games. We need to be consistent in what we want to do. Defensively we have not been as good as I thought we would be, which has set us up for bad offense. We need to work on our defense and get stops, in order for us to get easy offensive points.
Q: What’s it like to play in a division where all of the teams are so competitive and is considered to be one of the toughest in the league?
A: I really don't look at it like that, because our struggles have been what they are. My concentration is mainly on my team, because we feel that if we go out and play good basketball, we can beat any team in the league. We just have to stay focused and play our style of basketball every night.
Q:Statistically you are having a great season so far, averaging career-bests in blocked shots and assists per game. What do you attribute that to?
A: My teammates… I also studied some tapes of Hakeem Olajuwon this summer and saw his ability to block a lot of shots. I’ve always been a good shot blocker, dating back to high school where I broke the state record. One thing that I learned from Hakeem was that he always his hands up and was quick on his feet. With my ability to jump and get up the floor, it’s helped me a lot in blocking, tipping and altering shots. I just want to continue concentrating on the defensive end of the floor.
Q: With this being your 11th season in the league, after coming out of high school at 18 years old, what are some things that you learned early on that have helped make you an All-Star caliber player?
A: Getting better physically and mentally... stay strong, not only in your professional life, but life in general. It was a tough first four years, but I knew if I got an opportunity to play, I was going to make the most of it.
Q: What are some of the things that you try to instill in some of the younger players on the Pacers’ roster, as far as how they should approach games night in and night out?
A: Educate yourself, ask questions and set your goals high. If you’re wiling to deal with the challenges, along with the ups and downs of being a professional, you will be successful. On the other end, if you shy away and don’t want to deal with the mental part, you’re gonna struggle.
Q: What’s your take on the Hornets and some of their players, including Chris Paul and your former teammate Peja Stojakovic?
A: CP is going to be a heck of a player – he already is! He reminds me a lot of Isiah Thomas, with his toughness, quickness and ability to run a team. Peja is a pure shooter, which helps them both – CP can break down a defense and find the open guy, which will keep the defense honest, because of Peja and his ability to knock down shots.
Indiana broadcaster Chris Denari
Q: The Pacers are a team that no one is really talking about in the Eastern Conference right now, since they have hovered around .500 for most of the season. Do you still think they can be a dangerous team if they make the playoffs, which they are likely to do in the East?
A: I think so. When you look at the East, it’s very balanced. Even if you finish as a fifth through eighth seed and don’t have homecourt advantage in the first round, you will have a winnable first-round series. The Pacers are a team that has been inconsistent all season long. I think if they can put things together, they can be a dangerous team in the playoffs, because they can rebound the basketball well and defend. In a playoff series, those things will make them (tough). But in the regular season, they have to be more consistent before they can even THINK about the playoffs.
Q: There was a story in the Indianapolis Star newspaper Saturday about Jermaine O’Neal’s frustrations with the lack of consistency by the Pacers this season. What do you think will happen with him? Do you think he will be traded before the deadline or after the season?
A: No. I think (O’Neal comments were) borne out of frustration. I think one of the things J.O. is trying to grasp is that this is his team now. Because (retired Pacers guard) Reggie Miller isn’t around anymore, and neither is Ron Artest. I think he’s trying to take steps to be a leader.
Now you can ask, ‘Should he (try to show leadership by talking) to a newspaper reporter?’ But I think he’s trying to reach out to his teammates and get them to perform on a more consistent basis. There has been one player on this team who has been consistent all year long: Jermaine. I think he is frustrated – as is everybody – because they feel the pieces are there to be a contender in the East.
Q: What is your opinion on the progress made by Danny Granger, a New Orleans native, in his second season with the Pacers? He appears to be one of the league’s more improved players after a solid rookie year.
A: People always knew that Danny was a good defender and could get to the rim. The thing he’s developed this year is a three-point shot. He’s leading the Pacers in three-pointers made, and is shooting nearly 45 percent from three-point range. I think that aspect of his game has really taken him to a different level because now he’s a factor on the perimeter. The Pacers have seen numerous teams play zone against them, so he has to be a guy who can step out and hit that three-point shot.
A lot of people compare him to Scottie Pippen – and he wears the same number (33). He’s the first to say, ‘I’ve got a long way to go before I’m that type of player.’ But I think you see things in his game that remind you of Pippen.
Q: The Pacers acquired Peja Stojakovic in a trade during the second half of last season, but he missed games in the playoffs due to a back injury. From what you saw of him in 2005-06 and the injury he sustained in November, what is your opinion of his future health?
A: You’d like to think that they’ve nipped (Stojakovic’s back injury) in the bud with what they did in surgery. I think last season they thought it was back spasms, but (the Pacers) weren’t quite sure. From what I’ve read, it seems like the surgery went well. They went in and found a disc problem.
It’s always scary when you’re messing with a back. But he’s a tremendous shooter, the organization really liked him, and the fans liked him.
It actually worked out (for the Pacers) in that sign-and-trade deal, because it allowed them to be able to get Al Harrington back. Hopefully all parties are happy. The Hornets are happy to have Peja, and the Pacers are happy to bring Al Harrington back after his two years in Atlanta. But I think Peja’s a very good player. I don’t know what the prognosis is for his return this season, but hopefully the surgery will help him down the road and for the next three, four or five years.
Hornets.com’s Cris Quintana and Jim Eichenhofer chatted with Indiana forward Jermaine O’Neal and Indiana television play-by-play broadcaster Chris Denari, respectively, on Saturday at the Ford Center.
O’Neal has been selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for five consecutive seasons. The Pacers’ leading scorer, O’Neal also entered Saturday’s game ranked first in the NBA in blocked shots per game (3.18) and No. 12 in total rebounds (296).
Denari is in his first season as the Pacers’ play-by-play announcer, partnering with Quinn Buckner for games on Fox Sports Midwest.
|
Q: Going into the game, the Pacers were 3 1/2 games out of first place in the Central Division. What do you think needs to happen for you guys to make a run at a division title, while earning a playoff seed?
A: Win games that we’re supposed to win, as well as some of the tougher games. We need to be consistent in what we want to do. Defensively we have not been as good as I thought we would be, which has set us up for bad offense. We need to work on our defense and get stops, in order for us to get easy offensive points.
Q: What’s it like to play in a division where all of the teams are so competitive and is considered to be one of the toughest in the league?
A: I really don't look at it like that, because our struggles have been what they are. My concentration is mainly on my team, because we feel that if we go out and play good basketball, we can beat any team in the league. We just have to stay focused and play our style of basketball every night.
Q:Statistically you are having a great season so far, averaging career-bests in blocked shots and assists per game. What do you attribute that to?
A: My teammates… I also studied some tapes of Hakeem Olajuwon this summer and saw his ability to block a lot of shots. I’ve always been a good shot blocker, dating back to high school where I broke the state record. One thing that I learned from Hakeem was that he always his hands up and was quick on his feet. With my ability to jump and get up the floor, it’s helped me a lot in blocking, tipping and altering shots. I just want to continue concentrating on the defensive end of the floor.
Q: With this being your 11th season in the league, after coming out of high school at 18 years old, what are some things that you learned early on that have helped make you an All-Star caliber player?
A: Getting better physically and mentally... stay strong, not only in your professional life, but life in general. It was a tough first four years, but I knew if I got an opportunity to play, I was going to make the most of it.
Q: What are some of the things that you try to instill in some of the younger players on the Pacers’ roster, as far as how they should approach games night in and night out?
A: Educate yourself, ask questions and set your goals high. If you’re wiling to deal with the challenges, along with the ups and downs of being a professional, you will be successful. On the other end, if you shy away and don’t want to deal with the mental part, you’re gonna struggle.
Q: What’s your take on the Hornets and some of their players, including Chris Paul and your former teammate Peja Stojakovic?
A: CP is going to be a heck of a player – he already is! He reminds me a lot of Isiah Thomas, with his toughness, quickness and ability to run a team. Peja is a pure shooter, which helps them both – CP can break down a defense and find the open guy, which will keep the defense honest, because of Peja and his ability to knock down shots.
Denari |
Q: The Pacers are a team that no one is really talking about in the Eastern Conference right now, since they have hovered around .500 for most of the season. Do you still think they can be a dangerous team if they make the playoffs, which they are likely to do in the East?
A: I think so. When you look at the East, it’s very balanced. Even if you finish as a fifth through eighth seed and don’t have homecourt advantage in the first round, you will have a winnable first-round series. The Pacers are a team that has been inconsistent all season long. I think if they can put things together, they can be a dangerous team in the playoffs, because they can rebound the basketball well and defend. In a playoff series, those things will make them (tough). But in the regular season, they have to be more consistent before they can even THINK about the playoffs.
Q: There was a story in the Indianapolis Star newspaper Saturday about Jermaine O’Neal’s frustrations with the lack of consistency by the Pacers this season. What do you think will happen with him? Do you think he will be traded before the deadline or after the season?
A: No. I think (O’Neal comments were) borne out of frustration. I think one of the things J.O. is trying to grasp is that this is his team now. Because (retired Pacers guard) Reggie Miller isn’t around anymore, and neither is Ron Artest. I think he’s trying to take steps to be a leader.
Now you can ask, ‘Should he (try to show leadership by talking) to a newspaper reporter?’ But I think he’s trying to reach out to his teammates and get them to perform on a more consistent basis. There has been one player on this team who has been consistent all year long: Jermaine. I think he is frustrated – as is everybody – because they feel the pieces are there to be a contender in the East.
Q: What is your opinion on the progress made by Danny Granger, a New Orleans native, in his second season with the Pacers? He appears to be one of the league’s more improved players after a solid rookie year.
A: People always knew that Danny was a good defender and could get to the rim. The thing he’s developed this year is a three-point shot. He’s leading the Pacers in three-pointers made, and is shooting nearly 45 percent from three-point range. I think that aspect of his game has really taken him to a different level because now he’s a factor on the perimeter. The Pacers have seen numerous teams play zone against them, so he has to be a guy who can step out and hit that three-point shot.
A lot of people compare him to Scottie Pippen – and he wears the same number (33). He’s the first to say, ‘I’ve got a long way to go before I’m that type of player.’ But I think you see things in his game that remind you of Pippen.
Q: The Pacers acquired Peja Stojakovic in a trade during the second half of last season, but he missed games in the playoffs due to a back injury. From what you saw of him in 2005-06 and the injury he sustained in November, what is your opinion of his future health?
A: You’d like to think that they’ve nipped (Stojakovic’s back injury) in the bud with what they did in surgery. I think last season they thought it was back spasms, but (the Pacers) weren’t quite sure. From what I’ve read, it seems like the surgery went well. They went in and found a disc problem.
It’s always scary when you’re messing with a back. But he’s a tremendous shooter, the organization really liked him, and the fans liked him.
It actually worked out (for the Pacers) in that sign-and-trade deal, because it allowed them to be able to get Al Harrington back. Hopefully all parties are happy. The Hornets are happy to have Peja, and the Pacers are happy to bring Al Harrington back after his two years in Atlanta. But I think Peja’s a very good player. I don’t know what the prognosis is for his return this season, but hopefully the surgery will help him down the road and for the next three, four or five years.
