2004 Jermaine O'neal finished 3rd place in MVP Voting behind KG and TD

[Lebron23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02XPe2P4xms 2004 Jermaine O'neal finished 3rd in mvp voting behind Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. Led the Pacers to 61 wins"

[MrFonzworth]

https://images2.imgbox.com/b8/a8/HoaDpGww_o.png

[Im Still Ballin]

A great defensive anchor.

[3ba11]

Exactly

Most guys don't need an 8-year organic juggernaut and he didn't need a defending 3-peat champion to win 55

[1987_Lakers]

I think Peja got a vote that year as well.

[majari1234]

Must have been bad MVP season, or I missed something. Jermaine O'neal ahead of Shaq/Kobe/Dirk/Lebron.

[Lebron23]

Must have been bad MVP season, or I missed something. Jermaine O'neal ahead of Shaq/Kobe/Dirk/Lebron.

Lebron was 19 years old rookie in 2004

[Street Hunger]

Jermaine O Always seemed pretty good to me but never that great, maybe I don't remember clearly

[j3lademaster]

I think Peja got a vote that year as well.I remember him getting flak for shooting so many 3's. That he can easily get his shooting above 50% if he just relaxed on those a bit. It's crazy how much the philosophy has changed.


Lebron was 19 years old rookie in 2004he was in his 2nd year averaging 27/7/7. It would have fair to give him some MVP consideration that year, those were video game stats back then.


Must have been bad MVP season, or I missed something. Jermaine O'neal ahead of Shaq/Kobe/Dirk/Lebron.He was the best player of a 60 win team, whenever that happens you're going to get mvp votes. He was never going to win. Kobe and Shaq had their worst statistical seasons of their respective primes. They were going to be low no matter what. This was also the 'superteam' Lakers experiment with Malone and Payton.

[dankok8]

JO was pretty great defensively and pretty underrated then and now. A calm head along with Reggie in that locker room. If the Malice in the Palace doesn't happen derailing Indiana's season they could have gone all the way in 2005.

[majari1234]

I remember him getting flak for shooting so many 3's. That he can easily get his shooting above 50% if he just relaxed on those a bit. It's crazy how much the philosophy has changed.

he was in his 2nd year averaging 27/7/7. It would have fair to give him some MVP consideration that year, those were video game stats back then.

He was the best player of a 60 win team, whenever that happens you're going to get mvp votes. He was never going to win. Kobe and Shaq had their worst statistical seasons of their respective primes. They were going to be low no matter what. This was also the 'superteam' Lakers experiment with Malone and Payton.

Actually he is right, it was Lebron 1st season.

Lebron finished 9th. Kobe 5th, Shaq 6th, Dirk 10th.

[majari1234]

I think Peja got a vote that year as well.

Peja finished 4th

https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2004.html

[j3lademaster]

Actually he is right, it was Lebron 1st season.

Lebron finished 9th. Kobe 5th, Shaq 6th, Dirk 10th.You're absolutely right. That was my bad.

[majari1234]

You're absolutely right. That was my bad.

I am going overr the MVP voting season, and you find things at that time logical but now crazy.

2013-14 NBA Awards Voting Joakim Noah finished 4th. Ahead of James Harden, Curry ..

[Reggie43]

Injuries derailed his career but was a legit Mvp caliber talent honestly. Could have been elite at both ends of the floor if he had better shot selection and not settled for jumpers.

Lacked the mental toughness to be a leader even though he tried and playing with the JailPacers didnt really help. Him and Artest breaking up a talented 61 win team because of egos was such a waste and one of the more bigger what ifs in Pacers history.

[ShawkFactory]

Injuries derailed his career but was a legit Mvp caliber talent honestly. Could have been elite at both ends of the floor if he had better shot selection and not settled for jumpers.

Lacked the mental toughness to be a leader even though he tried and playing with the JailPacers didnt really help. Him and Artest breaking up a talented 61 win team because of egos was such a waste and one of the more bigger what ifs in Pacers history.

Who knows what actually happens after but that Tayshaun Prince block in retrospect seems like such a franchise demoralizer. I believe they would have just tied the game with that bucket but the Pacers would have been up 2-0 after than and then it's a very different series.

Such a huge moment.

[Reggie43]

Who knows what actually happens after but that Tayshaun Prince block in retrospect seems like such a franchise demoralizer. I believe they would have just tied the game with that bucket but the Pacers would have been up 2-0 after than and then it's a very different series.

Such a huge moment.

Legendary play but they had more problems than that internally. They had all the talent in the world but a team that had Jermaine, Artest, Tinsley and Stephen Jackson as their main guys/leaders was never going to work.

[ShawkFactory]

Legendary play but they had more problems than that internally. They had all the talent in the world but a team that had Jermaine, Artest, Tinsley and Stephen Jackson as their main guys/leaders was never going to work.

Yea fair point. Y’all needed someone steady and it wasn’t there.

[Lebron23]

Legendary play but they had more problems than that internally. They had all the talent in the world but a team that had Jermaine, Artest, Tinsley and Stephen Jackson as their main guys/leaders was never going to work.

I remembered they were projected to be one of the contenders in 2005. It sucks that the Malice in the Palace ruined their chemistry.

[dankok8]

JO wasn't a headcase like Artest and Jackson at all. He was the most professional guy on that team after Reggie Miller.

[Reggie43]

JO wasn't a headcase like Artest and Jackson at all. He was the most professional guy on that team after Reggie Miller.

He obviously wasnt as bad as those guys but he was still part of the problem.

I remember reading interviews where Reggie Miller has said that the only guy who would listen to him was James Jones who was their rookie at the time.

It was well documented how frustrated he was with Jermaine and Artest because they couldnt get along with each other and they wouldnt listen to his advice.

[kawhileonard2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02XPe2P4xms 2004 Jermaine O'neal finished 3rd in mvp voting behind Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. Led the Pacers to 61 wins"

He was pretty good at the time. Modern day Jokic.

[dankok8]

He obviously wasnt as bad as those guys but he was still part of the problem.

I remember reading interviews where Reggie Miller has said that the only guy who would listen to him was James Jones who was their rookie at the time.

It was well documented how frustrated he was with Jermaine and Artest because they couldnt get along with each other and they wouldnt listen to his advice.

JO hated Artest especially after the Malice in the Palace when Artest got suspended and then decided to leave the team. Honestly that must have been such a terrible time for Pacers fans. You finally build a contending team and the window just evaporates due to stuff like this.

[Reggie43]

JO hated Artest especially after the Malice in the Palace when Artest got suspended and then decided to leave the team. Honestly that must have been such a terrible time for Pacers fans. You finally build a contending team and the window just evaporates due to stuff like this.

They had the league's best record (61 Wins) an Mvp caliber player (JO), Dpoy (Artest), talented young guys in Harrington, Tinsley and even Bender all aged 25 and under.

Nobody had a brighter future than those guys at that time yet all gone in an instant. Sucks that the most talented team in Pacers history had to be so dumb and immature.