Today?s match-up features two of the Eastern Conference?s premier big men in Jermaine O?Neal and Emeka Okafor. O?Neal, who edged out second-year center Andrew Bogut in the first round, looks to advance to the elite eight and face the winner of tomorrow?s Dwyane Wade/Greg Oden match-up. You could state a strong case for either player, but which would you choose to anchor a franchise?

The Case for O?Neal

Jermaine is a young ten-year NBA veteran at only twenty-seven years of age. Last season he averaged 20.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a night for Indiana. When you consider the injury problems he suffered from, and the drama the Pacers were constantly dealing with, his production was very impressive. He?s been a constant force in the paint for a number of years now, and he still has time to improve.

The Case against O?Neal

Having missed a substantial amount of time in each of the last two seasons, injuries could be a concern when considering Jermaine as your franchise cornerstone. While his injuries didn?t hurt his production, he has to be on the floor in order for his impact to be felt. O?Neal leadership skills have also come into question as of late. The Pacers have been in disarray ever since the departure of Reggie Miller. It?s Jermaine?s job to handle those things now.

The Case for Okafor

Emeka has the talent and drive to become the next David Robinson, and during his rookie year he showed why he warranted the top pick in 2004. He played a tremendous amount of minutes in his first season and averaged 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, earning Rookie of the Year honors in the process. If he can improve his offensive game he?ll turn into a perennial all-star.

The Case against Okafor

While he has shown just how good he can be on the court, injuries seem to have become a problem for the former Connecticut standout. Following his Rookie of the Year campaign Okafor struggled to remain on the court last season, and an ankle injury eventually shut him down for the season. Playing in twenty-three games he still put up good numbers, 13.2 points and 10 rebounds a night, but it remains to be seen if he can duplicate his rookie year and sustain those numbers over an eighty-two game schedule.

The choice is yours ? Who would you rather start an NBA franchise with?

Vote on our main page to have your voice heard!

Also, submit your daily choice to Andrew.Perna@realgm.com in order to enter yourself in the running to become our first ?Be an NBA GM? Contest winner!