Jermaine O'Neal, who can opt out of the final two years of his contract at the end of the upcoming season, said several times over the past year that he and the Pacers should go their separate ways if he couldn't make them an elite team. However, the excitement of a new season seems to have healed some of those wounds.

"I'm here, I'm happy to be here, I feel good," he said Monday during the team's annual media day. "I like the staff and I like the guys. It should be an exciting year. It's a new year, too. That's the most important part."

O'Neal is calling this season a "fresh start."