Tweet
I believe they have some stuff from JO in the article.
Thanks in advance.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...eport%2f060824
Thanks in advance.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...eport%2f060824
The Rules of Pacers Digest
Hello everyone,
Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.
A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.
Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.
Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.
Rule #1
Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:
"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"
"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"
"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"
"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"
"He/she is just delusional"
"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"
"I'm going to take a moment to point and
/ laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"
"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good?"
In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.
We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.
Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.
That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.
A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.
There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.
Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.
In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.
Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.
If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!
All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.
Rule #2
If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.
The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.
The right places to do so are:
A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.
B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.
If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.
Rule #3
If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.
When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:
A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.
B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.
To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!
Rule #4
Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.
Rule #5
When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.
An example:
If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:
http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star
Rule #6
We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.
The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.
Rule #7
Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.
It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).
We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).
However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.
Rule #8
We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.
Rule #9
Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.
Rule #10
We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.
Rule #11
Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.
A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.
Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.
Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.
Rule #1
Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:
"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"
"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"
"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"
"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"
"He/she is just delusional"
"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"
"I'm going to take a moment to point and
/ laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*""Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good?
"In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.
We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.
Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.
That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.
A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.
There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.
Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.
In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.
Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.
If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!
All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.
Rule #2
If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.
The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.
The right places to do so are:
A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.
B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.
If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.
Rule #3
If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.
When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:
A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.
B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.
To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!
Rule #4
Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.
Rule #5
When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.
An example:
If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:
http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star
Rule #6
We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.
The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.
Rule #7
Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.
It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).
We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).
However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.
Rule #8
We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.
Rule #9
Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.
Rule #10
We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.
Rule #11
Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
See more
See less
-
-
Re: Insider Request - 8/24
There isn't really anything new here, but here it is
http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/print?...594&type=story
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlanta Hawks | All Hawks sitelines
Red Ink Didn't Tie Hawks' Hands
The Harrington deal and the impending signing of free agent Lorenzen Wright will leave the Hawks about $7 million under the NBA salary cap. "We don't want to lose that flexibility by taking a bad contract now," Gearon said. "I think the key for us is to maintain the flexibility so that as this team evolves, we can make moves." Because of NBA rules, he would not discuss specific players that were offered for Harrington. One player publicly linked to trade discussions -- one with the type of contract the Hawks apparently did not want -- was Golden State power forward Troy Murphy, whose $9 million salary the Warriors wanted to unload to make room under the cap for Harrington. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Celtics | All Celtics sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlotte Bobcats | All Bobcats sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Bulls | All Bulls sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland Cavaliers | All Cavs sitelines
LeBron, Tiger First Names Of Success In Sports
Tiger Woods and LeBron James share more than a birthday, the keys to the Nike kingdom and the ability to make a million dollars over a weekend in Akron. They are two sports icons who can do almost anything -- except the unexpected. That was never an option for either. Greatness was anticipated. Dominance was foretold. The element of surprise was removed as a weapon as far back as their teenage years. Name two other athletes who have entered the pro sports arena to greater expectations? Woods, 30, has exceeded them. James, 21, appears capable of doing the same. Akron has had a front-row seat for each. -- Akron Beacon-Journal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detroit Pistons | All Pistons sitelines
Pistons Name Porter Assistant Coach
The Pistons added Terry Porter to their coaching staff Wednesday, filling the spot vacated by Sidney Lowe. Porter reunites with coach Flip Saunders, this time as an assistant. Porter played for Saunders on the Timberwolves from 1995-98. "Terry was a fierce competitor during his playing days and he excelled as both a head coach and assistant in this league," Pistons president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "We feel his experience is a good fit for our team." -- Detroit News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana Pacers | All Pacers sitelines
Summer Of Change Not Done
Promising change to a disgruntled fan base after last season's 41-41 record and first-round playoff elimination, CEO Donnie Walsh and president Larry Bird have spun their roster through an unprecedented flurry of comings and goings. "You might disagree with what we've done, but you can't say we haven't followed through," Walsh said, allowing himself a laugh over all the atypical activity. Al Harrington, who will be re-introduced at a Fieldhouse news conference today, is one of 11 acquisitions. Seven players, including the retired Jonathan Bender, have been traded or dropped from last season's payroll. Seven others return. The Pacers have 18 players under contract, three more than allowed during the season. With a couple of needs to fill and nearly six weeks to go before training camp, more changes appear inevitable. -- Indianapolis Star
O'Neal Excited About Next Season
Jermaine O'Neal watched patiently from afar this summer as Indiana Pacers officials made moves to improve a team that underachieved and had chemistry problems last season. O'Neal, the team's centerpiece, believes the franchise has moved toward becoming a contender again. The Pacers, whose 41-41 record was their worst in a regular season since 2000-01, have added 11 players during the offseason. "You can't only look at the move to get Al (Harrington) back here. You have to look at everything they've done so far," O'Neal said Wednesday in a phone interview. "What they've done so far should answer a lot of questions on what direction this franchise is headed in." -- Indianapolis Star
Smits Rekindles Passion By Racing Cycles
Rik Smits rode small motorcycles as a kid in his native Holland, and got his first motocross bike when he was 12. He never raced, but some of his friends did. "I was always wishing that I could, too," he said. "That's where a lot of this comes from. There's just something about being out on the bike. I'm still competitive, and this is a good way to stay competitive. It's a heck of a workout. I think motocrossing is tougher than basketball in a lot of ways. There's no break, and you've constantly got to be on your feet. It's tough. It's a challenge." -- Indianapolis Star
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miami Heat | All Heat sitelines
Observers Back Riley's Comeback
Pat Riley broke his public silence Wednesday by announcing he would return to coach the Miami Heat for one more season, and those simple words brought back talk of another NBA title. ''That's going to provide a golden opportunity,'' ESPN analyst Greg Anthony said of Riley's decision via phone. "They're the odds-on-favorite to win the championship. I don't think they could win it if he didn't come back.'' Riley remained mum about whether he planned to coach the Heat again after the franchise's first championship in June, but his decision to come back hardly came as a surprise. -- Miami Herald
For Now, Coach Must Let Up A Bit
This time Pat Riley arrives for the start of training camp, too, and so has an even longer not-to-do list: Don't practice long. Don't fret over January. Don't yell until March. Maybe he could even say something after the Heat loses another hyped regular-season game like, "Hey, whatever. I've got to remember to get milk on the way home." You don't have to tell Riley that 82 games is too many. He once sent a proposed schedule to commissioner David Stern that would have limited the regular season to 60 games. As things stand, you know Riley's theme last spring of "15 Strong?" Even from August, this one looks like, "82 S-o-o-o Long." -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Players Instrumental In Riley's Return
Everything Pat Riley could want, and just as importantly, nothing that his ample ego is willing to pass on to another Miami coach. "Winning the championship," Riley said in a Wednesday statement," showed me that I am definitely in the right place, at the right time, with the right people." There will be times in the months to come when the timing may be suspect, but never the people. Never Shaq or Dwyane or Udonis Haslem or James Posey or Zo or, heavens to Betsy, even Antoine Walker. The ultimate trustworthiness of every man in Miami uniform, the ability to turn tight the bolts of teamwork, is proven by the gaudy championship ring on his finger. -- Palm Beach Post
A Great Day For The Heat
Pat Riley showed his characteristic sense of history, and sense of self, in explaining Wednesday why he had decided to return as the Heat's coach. ''After winning the championship, I realized there's always something meaningful that happens in your life that becomes the primary point of your destiny,'' said Riley, who is so doggone well spoken that even his sneezes are eloquent. "Winning the championship showed me that I am definitely in the right place, at the right time, and with the right people.'' There was a small addendum to the brief Riley statement released by the team. Perfunctory, sort of. Almost like an afterthought. But it was those six other little words that should rev a Heat fan's engine: ''I can't wait to get started,'' the coach said. The message is that Riley is eager, excited, still hungry. -- Miami Herald
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milwaukee Bucks | All Bucks sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Jersey Nets | All Nets sitelines
Williams Invited To Camp By Nets
Jay Williams' manager, Kevin Bradbury, told The Star-Ledger yesterday the Nets have invited the Plainfield native to take part in their training camp in six weeks. The point guard is "seriously considering" their invitation despite the lack of job security, Bradbury said. "He's been working out every day with the Nets' coaches for a couple of weeks at their practice facility," Bradbury said yesterday. "But he hasn't accepted the invitation yet. That might not happen for a few more weeks, because he is considering other offers." The offer Williams wants most, of course, would be one that includes guaranteed money -- which the Nets cannot give him because they will soon have 15 players under contract, the maximum allowed by the NBA. -- Newark Star-Ledger
Vince Hopes For Brooklyn Bridge
Vince Carter's contract doesn't say he will be around for the Nets' planned move to Brooklyn. Yesterday, however, Carter said he wants to be. "I hope they keep me here," Carter said at an appearance in support of the Atlantic Yards project. "We'll see." Carter and Jason Kidd were in Brooklyn as Bruce Ratner brought out the heavy artillery in advance of the project's public hearing yesterday. Carter can opt out of his contract after this season. He said he hasn't had any extension talks with Rod Thorn. -- New York Daily News
Nets Arena Backers, Foes Clash
The controversial real estate project that would include a new basketball arena in Brooklyn for the New Jersey Nets drew nearly 1,000 participants to an often raucous, four-hour public hearing at the New York Technical College auditorium in the borough on Wednesday. ... Nets' principal owner Bruce Ratner, the would-be developer of the entire Brooklyn project, invited Nets stars Jason Kidd and Vince Carter and singer Roberta Flack to a pre-hearing rally across the street. Kidd said he hoped New Jersey would someday get another team but added that Ratner "is doing the right thing, not just for the Nets, but for the community. Hopefully, I'm not too old to participate." -- Bergen Record
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York Knicks | All Knicks sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Orlando Magic | All Magic sitelines
Howard 'Sore' After A Hard Fall
The Orlando Magic let out a collective sigh of relief Wednesday when they received confirmation from USA Basketball that Dwight Howard wasn't injured seriously when he crashed to the court against Italy in the FIBA World Championship. Howard went up to block a shot in the first half of Wednesday's victory in Japan, then went over his opponent's back and smacked his hip and back on the floor. He limped off the court and later returned to the game, but he hardly played in the second half. ... Magic General Manager Otis Smith admitted he initially was concerned when he saw the play on TV but was relieved to know it was nothing serious. -- Orlando Sentinel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philadelphia 76ers | All 76ers sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toronto Raptors | All Raptors sitelines
Bosh Buried On Deep U.S. Bench
Playing the role of 11th man behind the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh seems frustrated at times, averaging about 12 minutes of playing time a game. But Bosh says he's gaining a lot from his inactivity, especially watching Raptor teammates like Nesterovic and Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa, the latter duo playing key roles for unbeaten Spain. "It's a good learning thing," said Bosh, "just to see how much pride they have playing for their country. It's giving me a better concept of team play. I want to take that back with me." -- Toronto Star
Bosh Takes A Back Seat
Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo, however, is not worried about his star player's lack of minutes, nor his psyche at this point. Colangelo, who has five players taking part in the tournament in Japan, believes Bosh's minutes will come as the worlds progress and believes that, no matter his playing time, the tournament will be beneficial for Bosh, and all the Raptors taking part. The other Raptors playing at the worlds are forward Jorge Garbajosa and point guard Jose Calderon for Spain, and centre Rasho Nesterovic and forward Uros Slokar for Slovenia. "I'm sure it's frustrating for Chris not to be playing, but he knows that he is there for a bigger purpose," Colangelo said. "This is part of a three-year plan, not a one year thing." -- Toronto Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington Wizards | All Wizards sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas Mavericks | All Mavericks sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Denver Nuggets | All Nuggets sitelines
Anthony Finally Gets A Chance To Go Solo
With every performance by USA Basketball's not-so-senior men's team -- especially the last one -- Carmelo Anthony shifts the onus of his NBA potential to the Nuggets organization. While Anthony's participation as a bench ornament on the 2004 Olympic team confirmed he was not ready for prime time and excused the Nuggets for modest achievement, his transformation into a star for Mike Krzyzewski in the '06 World Championship rightfully raises expectations for the Nuggets. ... Anthony is in the process of establishing, for all the world to see, that he is ready for prime time. Whether the Nuggets can say the same is not so clear. -- Rocky Mountain News
Dunlap, Melo Enter New Roles
First, Dunlap is a big boy who knew what he was getting into when he signed on for Denver's dysfunctional NBA family. "I think anybody who's healthy through their ears would have trepidation on this one," Dunlap said Wednesday of his new gig. "But if there's apprehension about anything, I should be open about it, because these people are really smart." While that may be the best indication that someone can literally be right next door and yet a thousand miles away at the same time, the hoops IQ of everyone on the premises will go up to Mensa levels if Carmelo Anthony can carry his stunning summer into the 2006-07 season. -- Denver Post
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden State Warriors | All Warriors sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston Rockets | All Rockets sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Clippers | All Clippers sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Lakers | All Lakers sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memphis Grizzlies | All Grizzlies sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minnesota Timberwolves | All Wolves sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Orleans Hornets | All Hornets sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix Suns | All Suns sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portland Trail Blazers | All Blazers sitelines
Can Blazers Cut A Player For Conduct?
The Blazers are within their rights to cut Zach Randolph or any other player at any time, except the contracts in the NBA are guaranteed so they'd be on the hook for the remainder of his $84 million contract. Same goes for Darius Miles. There is a moral turpitude clause in every NBA contract that would allow the team to void it, but even as it's written loosely, historically that clause has been reserved for felony offenses. We're taking about Rae Carruth stuff. The Warriors tried this with Latrell Sprewell after he choked PJ Carlesimo, but it fell flat. So I don't think Miles dressing at halftime is necessarily going to hold up. -- The Oregonian
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacramento Kings | All Kings sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Antonio Spurs | All Spurs sitelines
Popovich To Produce His Own Private Label
San Antonio's newest winemaker: noted oenophile Gregg Popovich. The Sept. 30 issue of Wine Spectator includes an item that Popovich has signed on as a partner in A to Z Wineworks, a winemaker in Oregon that specializes in Pinot Noir priced under $20. As part of the deal, the winery will bottle a limited-release 2004 Pinot Noir called Rock & Hammer -- exclusive to the Spurs coach. The magazine said he plans to share his private label wine with basketball friends and donate some bottles to charity. -- San Antonio Express-News
International Play Has Risks, Rewards
Tony Parker's index finger, now immobilized, points to a question the Spurs face again. Is it fair for NBA teams to pay millions to their players, only to have them risk injury while playing for others during the summer? Mark Cuban asked that several years ago. As a result, someone other than NBA teams often pick up the insurance premiums. But there's a flip side to this, and the Spurs have benefited. When Manu Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in Athens, he seemed to add yet another level of confidence to his game, Gregg Popovich said that the next season. -- San Antonio Express-News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle SuperSonics | All Sonics sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Utah Jazz | All Jazz sitelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team USA
Nice To See Good, Old Work Ethic
I loved when Shane Battier, the ultimate example of USA Basketball's new approach to develop a complete team rather than a collection of stars, took a charge as an Italian player tried a dunk that could have have ended the Americans' momentum. More than anything, though, I was excited to see the return of lost elements that I considered most responsible for the USA's loss of stature as the superpower of global hoops -- national pride, respect for opponents and the passion and desire to fight for your country. It's never been about talent. Player for player, the United States always fields the best team in the tournament. But after the incomparable dominance of the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Team USA/NBA began assuming it could win by simply showing up. -- Philadelphia Daily News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miscellaneous
Baxter Sentenced To Jail In Gun Incident
Lonny Baxter, the former University of Maryland basketball star caught last week with a gun a few blocks from the White House, was sentenced yesterday to spend the next two months behind bars after a judge rejected the prosecutor's recommendation for probation. Baxter, who recently signed a pro contract to play in Europe, agreed to plead guilty yesterday, just a week after he was charged, in hopes that he would be released from jail so he could join his team in Italy for training camp. Shackled at his wrists and ankles and clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, the 6-foot-8 Baxter said that a .40-caliber Glock found in his white Range Rover was his and that he had fired it into the air in the early hours of Aug. 16 in downtown Washington. -- Washington Post
• Check out your team's news at ESPNLocal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
Re: Insider Request - 8/24
I don't believe for a second that the people in charge have any intention whatsoever of actually trying to improve this basketball team. I will be shocked if they spend any more money than is absolutely necessary to put 15 warm bodies on the court.The Harrington deal and the impending signing of free agent Lorenzen Wright will leave the Hawks about $7 million under the NBA salary cap. "We don't want to lose that flexibility by taking a bad contract now," Gearon said. "I think the key for us is to maintain the flexibility so that as this team evolves, we can make moves."Comment
Comment