Playing the Percentages on J.O.'s Knee

The Pacers have been up and down and up, but little of it has to do with single star Jermaine O'Neal. J.O., the subject of infinite trade rumors all summer, has played hurt all season... and his play has been consistently underwhelming (13/7 on 39% shooting -- he finished last year at 19/9 on 44% shooting and it was considered a poor effort).

But the mediocrity is easily explainable -- not only has J.O. been playing hurt, he's been playing really hurt. Jim O'Brien told the Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells earlier this week O'Neal's been playing at 60% health. That's terrible, for player and team. It appears things aren't catastrophic down there in the knee -- O'Neal might play Sunday, but only if the medical staff deems J.O. reaches the 90% threshold in terms of how the knee feels. What's the difference between a 60% knee on Wednesday and a 90% knee on Sunday? Who knows?

Despite J.O.'s lackluster season, it's easy to see why he's so important to the Pacers -- his defense. According to 82games.com, Indy gives up 3.2 points per 48 minutes less when O'Neal is on the court. Add in that Jermaine typically faces mostly starters, and it's even more impressive. Whether he is staying in Indianapolis or heading to brighter pastures, his defense is what makes him a star. If he can hold down the paint at 60 or 90 or 110%, he has a ton of value.