# Jonathan Bender Vs. Jermaine O'Neal



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

*Jonathan Bender* 
*Position: F 
Born: 01/30/81 
Height: 7-0 / 2,13 
Weight: 219 lbs. / 99,3 kg. 
High School: Picayune HS (MS)*









*Career Highlights* 
*Second on the team in blocked shots in 2002-03 with 56. 

At New Jersey, 11/1, he blocked a career-high six shots. 
He scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Pacers against the Utah Jazz, 3/14/03. 

Appeared in two games of the 2000 Finals against the L.A. Lakers
Made his NBA debut, tallying 10 points (4-7 FG) and 2 blocks in a 136-88 win over Cleveland on 12/10

A 6-11 forward from Picayune, Mississippi, Bender averaged 23.1 points, 15 rebounds, five blocked shots and four assists as a senior at Picayune High School. 

He scored a record 31 points for the West at the 1999 McDonald's High School All-America Game, breaking the previous mark of 30 set by Michael Jordan in 1981.*

*Stat Lines*

*99-00* 5.4 mpg, 2.7 ppg, .9 rpg, .1 apg, .21 bpg

FG%-.329 3PT%-.167 FT%-.667

*00-01* 9.7 mpg, 3.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, .5 apg, .47 bpg

FG%-.355 3PT%-.268 FT%-.735

*01-02* 21.1 mpg, 7.4 ppg, 3.10 rpg, .8 apg, .63 bpg

FG%-.430 3PT%-.360 FT%-.773

*02-03* 17.8 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, .9 apg, 1.22 bpg

FG%-.441 3PT%-.358 FT%-.714

*Jermaine O'Neal* 
*Position: F-C 
Born: 10/13/78 
Height: 6-11 / 2,11 
Weight: 242 lbs. / 109,8 kg. 
High School: Eau Claire HS (SC)*









*Career Highlights* 
*Named to the All-NBA Third Team for the second consecutive season in 2002-03. 

Selected to the USA Basketball 'core group' for qualifying for the 2004 Olympics. 

Set team playoff record by averaging 17.5 rebounds in the first-round loss to Boston, including a single-game record 22 in Game 5. 

One of three players in the NBA, and the only one in the East, to average 20+ points and 10+ rebounds a game in 2002-03, he averaged a career-best 20.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg. 

The first Pacers’ player to ever be named Player of the Month twice in his career, he won the Eastern Conference Player of the Month twice in 2002-03 (January and April). 

A career 62.1 percent shooter from the foul line entering the season, he shot 73.1 percent. 

Led the Eastern Conference and was sixth in the NBA with 43 double-doubles. 

Had two 20-20 games, scoring 26 points and snaring a career-high 21 rebounds at Washington, 11/26/02. He also had 23 points and 20 rebounds vs. the Lakers, 2/4/03. That was the third 20-20 of his career. 

Ranked seventh in the league in blocked shots (2.31), he set a team NBA record by rejecting 10 shots against the Toronto Raptors, 1/22/03. In that game, he became the second Pacers’ player (and the first in the NBA) to ever have a triple-double involving blocked shots. He added 11 rebounds and 18 points in that game. 

Only the second Pacers’ player to ever be elected an All-Star starter by the fans, he registered the first double-double in an All-Star Game by a member of the Pacers with 10 points and an Eastern Conference-leading 10 rebounds. He also led the East with four blocked shots and grabbed two steals in that game. It was his second consecutive All-Star appearance. 

His four blocked shots in the All-Star Game was the third highest total in All-Star Game history. 

NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2001-02, raised his scoring average from a career-high 12.9 ppg in 2000-01 to a team-leading 19.0. Also lifted his rebounding average to a team-best 10.5 rpg, which was seventh best in the NBA. 

Joined Reggie Miller on the U.S. team for the 2002 World Basketball Championship in Indianapolis. 

Helped the U.S. win a Gold Medal in the 2001 Goodwill Games. 
Made his NBA debut at the age of 18 years, 1 month and 22 days old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history, against the Denver Nuggets on 12/5/96 

Named Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball in South Carolina as a senior at Eau Claire High School 

Named to the USA Today All-USA Basketball Team* 


*96-97* 10.2 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .2 apg, .5 bpg

FG%-.451 FT%-.603

*97-98* 13.5 mpg, 4.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, .3 apg, .97 bpg

FG%-.485 FT%-.506

*99-00* 8.6 mpg, 2.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, .4 apg, .39 bpg

FG%-.434 FT%-.514

*01-02* 12.3 mpg, 3.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .3 apg, .79 bpg

FG%-.486 FT%-.582


The point of this thread is to try to give Pacers fans some hope in Bender, he started out the first four years of his career in the gutter as did JO. Hopefully he can dig himself out like JO did. Bender has one thing different about his game though, he is more of a perimeter player while JO prefers the post.

_All Images and Info Courtesy of NBA.com_


----------



## TLR (May 28, 2003)

How can anyone call Bender a bust? Look at his MPG in his first four years. Pitiful. :verysad:


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>TLR</b>!
> How can anyone call Bender a bust? Look at his MPG in his first four years. Pitiful. :verysad:


Yeah I know what ya mean and he didn't do that bad last year considering he missed like half the season with calf strains.


----------



## lakerking8 (Jul 5, 2003)

Bender has the potential but he needs to get his *** in the weight room and the gym and work hard to become a player. You dont see 7 footers with that kind of athleticism and all around game very often. He just needs to work. Jermaine O'Neal is a much different player than Bender anyways. Jermaine is a post player, a big man, Bender is a or should be like a KG type of player.


----------



## DaUnbreakableKinG (Jun 28, 2003)

> Only the second Pacers’ player to ever be elected an All-Star starter by the fans, he registered the first double-double in an All-Star Game by a member of the Pacers with 10 points and an Eastern Conference-leading 10 rebounds. He also led the East with four blocked shots and grabbed two steals in that game. It was his second consecutive All-Star appearance.


what else can you say? J.O'Neal is an All*Star and will be until he finishes his career.


----------



## Scinos (Jun 10, 2003)

Bender will need time to improve his game, as did JO. Bender has the athleticism, he just needs to develop his game. Maybe he should get more minutes to help the process...

Maybe he should bulk up and get in the post...:whoknows:


----------



## Xavier8 (Jun 13, 2003)

If Bender would just gain some weight and get a reasonable amount of minutes, he will be fine in the NBA.


----------



## Tom (Jul 15, 2002)

4 years is a long time. i dont care how old he was when he came in the league. His progress has been slow to be nice.


oh yes, comparing him to oneal is an insult to the best PF/C in the east.


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Tom</b>!
> 4 years is a long time. i dont care how old he was when he came in the league. His progress has been slow to be nice.
> 
> 
> oh yes, comparing him to oneal is an insult to the best PF/C in the east.


The thread title can be misleading, I don't think his game is anywhere near O'Neal's, I'm just trying to make a point that he could still do good.


----------



## cram (Jul 18, 2003)

Jermaine....

...is a centre/PF....these guys naturally take longer to develop than swing players

and...

...was stuck behind veterans in portland. 

Bender has been outplayed by less talented and less tenured players. He has the talent, but does he have the intensity? Has anyone seen this guy look angry on the court? 

He reminds me (in personality, not talent) of Chris Jefferies from Toronto -- the guy either doesn't care or has ZERO testosterone.

You guys should trade bender for a centre and keep harrington at the 3, where he's a mismatch.. You're not going to go anywhere with 2 great SF's and no centre.


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

I bet Bender gets traded and blossoms elsewhere.


----------



## Xavier8 (Jun 13, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>TicN9neZ8</b>!
> I bet Bender gets traded and blossoms elsewhere.


Thats the way its looking, but I will be pissed if he were to become the next Garnett lol.


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Xavier8</b>!
> 
> 
> Thats the way its looking, but I will be pissed if he were to become the next Garnett lol.


I doubt that will happen, but that would piss me off to.


----------



## PacersguyUSA (Sep 1, 2002)

> 4 years is a long time. i dont care how old he was when he came in the league. His progress has been slow to be nice.



And I'm sure 4 years ago you would have called it an insult to compare Jermaine O'neal to Rasheed Wallace, Webber, or the other great PFs in the league.


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>PacersguyUSA</b>!
> 
> 
> 
> And I'm sure 4 years ago you would have called it an insult to compare Jermaine O'neal to Rasheed Wallace, Webber, or the other great PFs in the league.


ya know that is very true, I like your logic. Now its very reasonable to compare him to those guys.


----------



## Jermaniac Fan (Jul 27, 2003)

I know Bender will be new Jermaine O'Neal but tell me when!


----------



## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>PacersguyUSA</b>!
> 
> 
> 
> And I'm sure 4 years ago you would have called it an insult to compare Jermaine O'neal to Rasheed Wallace, Webber, or the other great PFs in the league.


Good post.



> I know Bender will be new Jermaine O'Neal but tell me when!


3 years to get Jermaine's level now


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Pacers Fan</b>!
> 3 years to get Jermaine's level now


I hope your right, hopefully next year he puts up at least average numbers.


----------



## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>TicN9neZ8</b>!
> 
> 
> I hope your right, hopefully next year he puts up at least average numbers.


Sadly next year he's still on the bench. I see 10/4/2/1.5. But he'll improve. Thing is i see us in 2 years year trading him to a crap team (Jazz maybe?) and the year after him becoming a 19/8/3 guy.


----------



## TLR (May 28, 2003)

I think he can be a 15 and 5 guy this year.


----------



## Tactics (Mar 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>TLR</b>!
> I think he can be a 15 and 5 guy this year.


possibly since Pollard doesn't have the offense Miller did so the younger guys can get more shots.


----------



## TLR (May 28, 2003)

Yeah because he can hit the three. So people will respect his jumper. then he can pumpfake and it only takes him one step to get from the three point line to the hoop. So I think he could average at least 15 points this year.


----------

