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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"

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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

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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.

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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.
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Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

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  • #1

    Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...Rookies-110330


    David Thorpe
    ESPN.com
    Last week, I shared my advice on how some of the top rookies could spend the offseason improving. This week, it's time to honor those who have made strides during the season.



    As we consider who has improved the most from this class, I'm looking all the way back to last spring, when many of these players started focusing on getting better with pre-draft preparation.



    Although every rookie is now a better player to some degree or is getting more time to show his stuff, here are the guys who have improved the most:




    First team



    Monroe


    Greg Monroe, Pistons
    This time last year, scouts were mixed on Monroe. They liked his talent, skill and length but had questions surrounding his inconsistent motor. Would he engage as a rebounder? Would he be a paint presence? Would he find ways to be a significant producer consistently?



    As Pistons fans now know, the answers to those questions are yes, yes and yes. Monroe is entrenched in the starting lineup, one of just a handful of first-round picks who can say that. He's a double-double threat every night now after not getting his first until Jan. 4 -- a 14-and-11 game against the Lakers in L.A. Since then, he has recorded 17 more and missed a double-double by one rebound or point in four other games.



    Monroe has learned to compete harder and for longer stretches, and he's doing so while fouling less often. In fact, he rarely has had to worry about being in foul trouble, which is gold for a starting rookie center. He has gone from a big guy with questions about his future to the big guy his franchise will build around. That makes Monroe our 2011 MIP.





    Patterson


    Patrick Patterson, Rockets
    Early in the season, we wondered whether Patterson would do anything during his rookie season. Then, on New Year's Eve, he put up 15 points and 10 boards in 25 minutes, showing the Rockets that they had a talented backup forward waiting his turn.



    When Luis Scola went down with an injury in early March, Patterson exploded. He moved into the starting lineup, improved the Rockets' defense overall and earned three straight double-doubles (all Rockets wins). He played so well, in fact, that now there is fair conjecture about what Houston should do at the power forward position -- keep the high-scoring Scola or make room for Patterson, who is absolutely ready to be a starting 4 in this league?



    Patterson's journey from role player during his junior season at Kentucky, to struggling summer-league rookie, to not playing for the first two months of the season, to now being in the rotation on one of the hottest teams in the league earns him our MIP runner-up.





    Griffin


    Blake Griffin, Clippers
    Griffin's numbers have dropped a bit recently, but that doesn't mean he hasn't improved. Quite the contrary. To continue to rack up 20-and-12 performances is even harder to accomplish now that he's drawing so much more attention from opponents.



    Taking into account where he was a year ago -- recovering from a serious knee injury -- makes his progress even more impressive. It often takes players a full year to recover mentally from any kind of injury involving their lower extremities. And let's be honest, not even the most passionate Clippers fan expected Griffin to be an NBA superstar in his rookie season.



    If Griffin makes a jump next season like he did this season, you'll hear MVP chants in L.A. -- and not for a certain shooting guard on the Lakers.





    Davis


    Ed Davis, Raptors
    Davis probably surpassed expectations in summer league and has been a bright spot for the Raps all season. But we must remember that he's dealt with injuries twice in the past few seasons. The most recent one cost him the first five weeks of this season and all of the preseason. Still, he played solidly when he returned and has progressed nicely.



    Recovering from injuries is always challenging. To do so while fighting for playing time on a young team is impressive. Plus, Davis has been on opponents' scouting reports as a legit rebounding presence but still has consistently performed well on the boards since December.



    Many scouts and analysts thought Davis wasn't worthy of a lottery selection, but he is proving them wrong, averaging nine points and eight rebounds in just 26 minutes. He likely will be a double-double guy and has played his way into the foundation of the franchise.





    Asik


    Omer Asik, Bulls
    How much do the Bulls like Asik? Consider this: At the trade deadline, when the Bulls were searching for a 2-guard, they wouldn't trade him for Courtney Lee, who is an excellent defender, a true pro and shooting better than 40 percent from 3 this season. Would they have made that trade this past summer? Probably.



    His averages of five and five do not tell the story. Asik has become an integral part of one of the best teams in the league and has seen his minutes increase during this breakout month for the Bulls. He anchors the Bulls' second unit, which doesn't miss a beat on defense when Joakim Noah is on the bench. Asik has learned how to defend without fouling, a challenge that all power players from Europe face but often struggle to overcome because of the physical style with which they grew up.





    George


    Honorable mention: Paul George, Pacers
    No one knows what kind of player George will become -- he has a high ceiling that he's nowhere near reaching. But he is performing much better now than he did back in July, when he oozed talent but mainly just floated outside and launched jumpers that missed. Don't let his honorable mention for the all-summer-league team fool you; he was mostly awful, shooting 33 percent from the field (3-of-26 from 3) and committing 24 turnovers to just 10 assists.



    During the first two months of the season, George played sparingly and mostly ineffectively. Fast-forward to today, however, and you'll find that he is shooting better than 45 percent from the field and has about the same number of assists to turnovers. He also has shown that he can be a difference-maker on defense, something we didn't see much from him in July or early in the season.



    George still has a lot he can improve on, but he clearly belongs on the court with a lot of minutes next to his name.





    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------





    Second team



    Bledsoe
    Eric Bledsoe, Clippers
    Bledsoe looked like a steal back in July thanks to his incredible athleticism and powerful body. But he was far from ready to be an NBA point guard. Although he still has to get much better if he wants the reins to Griffin's team next season and beyond, he is showing serious improvement in running the show.



    Bledsoe looked good early on when he was getting lots of playing time and has continued to read the game better even when his minutes dropped. Explosive off the dribble, he is better now at picking his spots: Blowing past his man only to run into trouble in the paint has become less of an issue.





    Booker


    Trevor Booker, Wizards
    Nobody was sure what position Booker was best suited for coming out of Clemson; possibly the best overall athlete in the draft, he was a bit smallish for a 4 but not skilled enough to play the 3. Now we know he can play both positions somewhat well because he plays so hard and uses his physical skills so often.



    This wasn't the case early on, when Booker wasn't using his amazing athleticism. But now he is a beast on the glass who is always a threat to get a monster tip dunk or an easy garbage bucket because he's hanging around the paint more and floating on the perimeter less. Going forward, he'll be someone who can come in at the backup spot for either forward position -- a rare player, indeed.





    Crawford


    Jordan Crawford, Wizards
    Crawford has exploded onto the scene in Washington, although sometimes it's more of an implosion. (He missed 34 shots combined in tight losses to the Clippers and Warriors.) We must track his shot selection, which may be the worst in the league.



    Still, the acrobatic jumpers, the slashes to the rim and the deep threat he can provide suggest he can be of service to the Wizards going forward. We never saw this kind of play in Atlanta simply because he did not play.





    Turner


    Evan Turner, 76ers
    Awful in summer league and early in the regular season, Turner is starting to look as though he'll end up being a pretty good player. It's been challenging for the second overall pick, who has had to adjust more than any other player in this class to learn how to play without the ball in his hands a lot, but he's been looking more comfortable now.



    Although consistency is still a problem for Turner, that's partially because both his minutes and his opportunities fluctuate from game to game. In March, he has seen as many as 28 minutes in a game and as few as four minutes. So it's no surprise to see he's gone scoreless in four games this month but also scoring 20 points in a fifth game.





    Wall


    John Wall, Wizards
    Wall came into the league with high expectations and, for the most part, has not disappointed -- no small feat for a No. 1 pick with a lot of responsibilities to his franchise and the NBA. Yes, his shooting has been an issue all season and will continue to be until he can spend some real time focusing on it, but he has shown progress in other areas.



    One thing I've seen from Wall is an improved ability to get to the rim and finish, both in transition and in the half court. Within a season he may be the hardest point guard to slow down on a fast break and keep from scoring in the NBA.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

    Too bad, like I said in the last game thread, that PG has hit the rookie wall. Well, not so much hit it as smashed into it so hard that he bounced two towns back.

    Look forward to seeing what he can do after another summer of improvement, though.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

      Monroe is a boss

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

        No Tyler Hansbrough on that list even on the second team? HE is still considered a rookie right?
        You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

          Originally posted by graphic-er View Post
          No Tyler Hansbrough on that list even on the second team? HE is still considered a rookie right?
          no

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

            Originally posted by graphic-er View Post
            No Tyler Hansbrough on that list even on the second team? HE is still considered a rookie right?
            Once you play a signal minute of a NBA game that is your rookie year.

            I asked NBA.com and that is what they told me.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

              John Wall 2nd team! LOL! He's better than anyone on the 1st team not named Griffin or Monroe. He's better than Honorable Mention Paul George too, and I'm a PG fan who wanted Bird to draft him. Seriously, who wouldn't trade George for Wall and never think twice? Thorpe needs to re-assess his thinking, BIG TIME!!!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

                This writer is just afraid to show UK it's proper love; He didn't even mention the play of Cousins. What a beating DMC put down on the Pacers last Friday.

                Paul George is decent but his game was EXPOSED and not improved this last two weeks!!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

                  Originally posted by Lou Bega View Post
                  This writer is just afraid to show UK it's proper love; He didn't even mention the play of Cousins. What a beating DMC put down on the Pacers last Friday.

                  Paul George is decent but his game was EXPOSED and not improved this last two weeks!!
                  He put Patrick Patterson on the team over Cousins LOL

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

                    Originally posted by Justin Tyme View Post
                    John Wall 2nd team! LOL! He's better than anyone on the 1st team not named Griffin or Monroe. He's better than Honorable Mention Paul George too, and I'm a PG fan who wanted Bird to draft him. Seriously, who wouldn't trade George for Wall and never think twice? Thorpe needs to re-assess his thinking, BIG TIME!!!
                    It's about improvement since last year, not how good they are.
                    Wall is great, he's a franchise player, but everybody knew that a year ago. And he still can't shoot.

                    Originally posted by pacer4ever View Post
                    He put Patrick Patterson on the team over Cousins LOL
                    Cousins keeps getting dominant stats, but he also keeps pissing off more and more teammates and keeps making a few stupid decisions during every close game. And we all saw that coming a year ago. So, has he improved over the year more than Patterson?
                    I'd still try put Cousins on the second team (I mean, he used to foul out in 20 minutes at the start of the season, now he can stay on court). But I can understand why Thorpe doesn't put him there.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

                      After reading this, I wonder if we could get Scola.
                      “It is what we learn after we know it all that really counts” - John Wooden

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

                        first team and second teams regarding who has shown the most improvement over their expectations. read the article, guys.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Thorpe: Rookie Watch: Most improved players

                          I hope we one day don't regret taking Patterson or Davis

                          I still believe in Paul , but I see both those players becoming beasts
                          Sittin on top of the world!

                          Comment

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