Dwight Howard, Jerry Colangelo & Scoop Jackson on the Raptors Jermaine O’Neal trade

DWIGHT HOWARD, Orlando Magic: “J.O. is going to be very helpful for the Raptors. They already got Chris Bosh, he’s a low post threat and a jump shooter, there will be a lot of things with having a big centre is going to change how people play them. They will be a lot tougher then they were last year.”

JERRY COLANGELO, USA Basketball: “I think it was a terrific deal for them, I think it puts the Raptors into a different situation. They had great momentum after their season two years ago, but they were marred by injuries this year, and never seemed to get a rhythm. I like the fact that O’Neal, because of his talent, is coming off of a situation where he has something to prove. And, when you catch a player on a rebound like that, that’s good timing.”

Scoop Jackson, ESPN Columnist: “If you look at the play-offs and the way they fell off against Orlando, they needed more scoring. You need somebody down there who’s going to give you an additional scoring threat, to take the pressure off of Chris Bosh. I think Jermaine O’Neal probably has three good years left, and something to prove. There’s a bigger problem in Toronto about what the hell is going to happen to Andrea Bargnani? As a top pick, he’s a one-dimensional player, and he’s not doing that one dimension well. I know what protocol is in situations like this, but I’m looking at management to do what’s best for the team. If Bargnani doesn’t do anything this year, they got to get rid of him.”