During an appearance on WEEI's Dale & Holley show Thursday morning, Jermaine O'Neal indicated that he has met with team officials and and admitted that surgery is an option, adding that both sides "may be looking at that situation now."
"[Surgery] was definitely something that we talked about the first time I was out for an extended period of time," he said. "We wanted to try a couple of options. And we may be looking at that situation now. It's something that I will eventually need at some point, at the end of the season or in the season, but you want to be around. You don't want to miss an extended period of time. I already did that. So, you make your decisions as a player. You listen to the staff, and if they have a certain way, then you try that. And if that doesn't work, you've got to go with the next best scenario."
O'Neal signed a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics back in July but so far in the 2010-11 season he has appeared in just 17 games because of a lingering knee injury. He missed more than a month between November and December before returning to action on Christmas Day. He had played in every game in January before sitting out Wednesday night's win over the Sacramento Kings, a late scratch because of swelling in his knee.
The center, despite a frustrating beginning, loves playing in Boston: "This is a very enjoyable time for me ... I've never been in a situation where I've had ... just so many enjoyable people throughout the city that really makes it easy to be here, and no matter what you're going through, it makes it fun." Celtics fans may not feel the same. From CelticsBlog:
Will the Celtics get anything out of Jermaine O'Neal? And I don't mean in the near future, either. I mean ever. Will the Celtics ever get anything productive from Jermaine O'Neal? Or will his whole stint in Boston become entirely stained by injuries, the injuries that have limited O'Neal to two double-digit scoring games in his first three months as a Celtic?
If O'Neal has to miss more time, that would leave the Celtics with three big men out with injuries -- O'Neal, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. Expect to see more Glen Davis, Semih Erden and Luke Harangody in their place.