O'Neal a rapturous Raptor

Ex-Pacer is happy, says he's healthy

Jermaine O'Neal was just seconds into hearing the news he'd been longing for when his mom called on the other line. Sure, the six-time NBA All-Star was talking to his agent about the details of a trade from the struggling Indiana Pacers, but the agent had to be put on hold for a bit. The new Toronto Raptors center couldn't wait to click over and celebrate with his mom about his new beginning. His emotions spoke volumes.

"My mother told me she just saw it on TV," O'Neal said. "I'm not a very emotional person, but I just started tearing up.

"That's what I was looking for. We needed a new start."

Just five years ago, O'Neal was widely considered one of the NBA's top five players after averaging at least 19 points and 10 rebounds for three straight seasons. The NBA's 2002 Most Improved Player finished third in the 2004 Most Valuable Player voting behind Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan and ahead of Kobe Bryant. Even with future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller and Ron Artest as teammates, O'Neal had become the face of the Pacers after leading them to a league-best 61 wins during the 2003-04 season.

Indiana was considered a strong contender for the Eastern Conference title entering the 2004-05 season. But O'Neal's time as a superstar began coming to an end Nov. 19, 2004, when he, Artest, and Stephen Jackson were among those Pacers who fought with Pistons fans at a game in Detroit. Artest was suspended for the rest of the season, Jackson for 30 games, and O'Neal for 15.

While the Pacers still made the playoffs that season, they didn't contend for the title. Indiana hasn't been an NBA power since, has missed the postseason the past two years, and is now playing in front of dwindling and disillusioned crowds that it's fighting to win back.

"As an organization, we went from thinking about actually putting together a team that is going to win to actually putting out a team for image purposes. It was hard," O'Neal said.

Injuries, most notably to his left knee, have limited O'Neal to fewer than 52 games in three of the last four seasons and he had surgery at the end of the '06-07 season. He said in the middle of last season that his left leg was swollen from his knee to his ankle. His '07-08 averages of 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds were his lowest in seven seasons.

In hindsight, O'Neal wishes he had surgery again on his knee instead of playing on it. But with the needed rest now, the 30-year-old says he hasn't felt this good mentally and physically in three or four years. Outside of taking his wife on vacation for a week, O'Neal said he spent the entire offseason working out in Las Vegas.

"People say that I've lost a step," O'Neal said. "But if you take anyone's best leg away in this game, see what kind of production they have. My production on one leg is better than most guys with two. I wasn't comfortable anymore playing that way."

O'Neal got his long-awaited wish for a trade when he was dealt to Toronto June 25 with a second-round pick (Nathan Jawai) for guard T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston, and a first-round pick (Roy Hibbert). The Raptors are hoping that O'Neal and three-time All-Star forward Chris Bosh can be a duo that can push the Raptors to become an NBA power.

O'Neal said he can be the player who was an MVP candidate again. The 6-foot-11-inch, 260-pounder averaged 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 21.8 minutes while participating in all eight exhibition games for Toronto.

"I just wanted to think just about basketball and address my personal and physical issues and just get better," O'Neal said. "I got an opportunity to go to a team that I actually wrote down on my [wish] list. I got the opportunity to go a classy organization. Great people. Great fan support.

"[The Raptors] have a president in Brian Colangelo I've talked to more than I talked to [the Pacers' Larry] Bird in five years. You feel wanted."

O'Neal and Bosh showed how effective they could be together during a 93-89 exhibition win over the Clippers Oct. 18. Bosh had 26 points and 11 rebounds while O'Neal added 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, however, believes the key for success this season is the production from the rest of the team.

With Ford done, there will be pressure on point guard Jose Calderon to produce as the starter. It will be interesting to see how forward Andrea Bargnani, the top pick in the 2006 draft, responds to coming off the bench because of O'Neal's arrival and being asked to go inside more.

The Raptors are hoping for a breakthrough season from athletic forward Joey Graham, and they have a talented baby-faced rookie floor general in Roko Ukic, a dead-eye deep shooter in Jason Kapono, and two solid swingmen in returnees Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.

"Two or three or them are going to have to step up," Mitchell said. "They can't just sit back and think that because we have Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh they don't have to continue to grow and get better. One of those guys is going to have to step up and be a double-digit scorer for us."

Whether O'Neal is the one-legged big man he has been recently or an All-Star caliber player again remains to be seen. But if things go well, the Raptors could compete with the Celtics and 76ers for the Atlantic Division crown and make some noise in the postseason.

"I told Mr. Colangelo that I don't know what it's going to be this year," O'Neal said. "But [there's] going to be a difference.

"Obviously, I'll have a better feel what me and Chris can do on the floor together when we play a little bit more together. But all in all, the first or second round isn't an option for us.

"I didn't come here to get to the playoffs and get eliminated. I came here to get a championship."

Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com