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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.

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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.
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2004-03-01

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  • #1

    2004-03-01

    Who should start tanking the season?
    By Chad Ford
    NBA Insider
    Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, March 1
    Updated: March 1
    10:15 AM ET

    Normally, I'm not allowed to use obscene words in my column ... something about
    being family friendly ... but every year I go ahead and push the envelope here
    and write an entire column using the dirtiest word in the NBA. Cover your
    childrens' ears if you just happen to be reading this out loud.

    Tank, v.: To suffer a sudden decline or failure.

    There, I said it.

    The Hawks deny they're doing it. The Magic, at this point, have no choice but to
    do it. The Clippers and Warriors are proving once again they've perfected the
    art form. The Bulls, despite all that talent, can't get off the merry-go-round.
    We all know what goes on behind closed doors, in the dark corners of locker
    rooms and in the wandering mind of Tracy McGrady.

    Avert your eyes if you must. Flee the scene if you can't take the heat. Hang a
    scarlet "T" around your mascot's neck if it makes you feel any better.

    It's tanking time folks. You know it. I know it. And the American people know
    it. And secretly, you love it. You want Dwight Howard or Emeka Okafor on that
    wall. You need him on that wall. You don't want the truth because, frankly, you
    can't handle the truth.

    What else should teams like the Bulls or Wizards be doing at this point in the
    season?

    While it's reprehensible for a team to begin the season with such a goal, at
    this point several teams would be stupid not to dump their last 20 games.

    The Cavs did it shamelessly last season, and look what it landed them. Sold-out
    arenas every night for the next decade and a fighting chance at the playoffs
    this season.

    Everyone is still playing for something. Playoffs or lottery balls? Experience
    or upside? Honor or hope? For the good teams out there, there's no time like the
    present. For the bad ones, there's always next year.

    The key is understanding which category you're in. Sure, it's easy to say the
    Suns are playing for the lottery and the Kings are playing for a ring. But what
    about the Celtics, Sixers, Jazz, Blazers and Sonics?

    Should they be going for the gold or enrolling in the Lottery Ball Acquisition
    Program? In our ongoing effort to educate, Insider reveals the answers today.

    But remember, sometimes the truth hurts.

    There should be one simple mantra for lottery-bound teams 60 games into the
    season: If it's broke, don't fix it.

    Here's a look at 10 teams that should tank the rest of the season ...

    Orlando Magic
    Record: 17-44
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 25%

    The Skinny: The Magic are playing their best basketball of the season (four wins
    in their last 10 games) at the worst possible time of the year. The Magic don't
    have the flexibility to dramatically alter their roster in free agency or via
    trade. They just don't have enough pieces. After severable miserable drafts,
    they need to hit a home run this year. The problem is, the two best players in
    the draft -- Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor -- play the same position as
    Orlando's second- and third-best players -- Juwan Howard and Drew Gooden. The
    Magic do seem enamored with 7-foot-5 Siberian giant Pavel Podkolzine, but he's
    not ready to contribute yet.

    Chicago Bulls
    Record: 17-42
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 20%

    The Skinny: Deja vu? The Bulls are in serious running for the first pick in the
    draft. GM John Paxson has a thing for Okafor, so don't assume the Bulls are
    tired of collecting inexperienced players in the draft. If they slip to No. 2
    and Dwight Howard is on the board, pass Paxson the Rolaids. Most believe the
    Bulls will try to trade this pick, along with another asset or two, to land a
    veteran all-star. Still, to get the most for their money, they need to stop this
    silly streak of winning and get back to what they do best -- dumping the ball
    into Eddy Curry, then limping off the court with another "L" in the Win-Loss
    column.

    Washington Wizards
    Record: 18-41
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 15.7%

    The Skinny: Like the Bulls, the Wizards probably have had their fill of young,
    inexperienced draft picks. The team has eight players with three years of
    experience or less. But there is a lot of interest in Okafor, who by NBA draft
    standards is a 10-year vet, and also interest in moving the pick. If they can
    add a tough, legitimate center to play alongside Kwame Brown, the Wizards might
    actually be able to make some noise next season. They're another team that's
    been winning a little too much lately.

    Atlanta Hawks
    Record: 19-40
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 12%

    The Skinny: They have nothing to play for. Next year's roster, with the possible
    exception of Boris Diaw and Travis Hansen, won't look anything like this
    season's ragtag squad. The Hawks' latest move, dumping Dion Glover, proves they
    have the right idea, but when are they really going to get serious and sit Jason
    Terry for the season? The Hawks' worst nightmare is an injury to Terry that
    makes him untradeable this summer. As far as the draft goes, it's likely the
    Hawks' chances of landing the No. 1 pick will improve, as the odds of them
    reaching 22 wins seems pretty slim right now. Look for Atlanta to nab local
    product Dwight Howard if it gets the No. 1 pick.

    Phoenix Suns
    Record: 20-41
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 8.9%

    The Skinny: The Suns are, by far, the most talented team in this group. Unlike
    everyone else here, they have a very solid core with Amare Stoudemire, Shawn
    Marion, Joe Johnson and some nice young players in Leandro Barbosa, Zarko
    Cabarkapa, Casey Jacobsen and Maciej Lampe. Throw in the draft rights to Milos
    Vujanic, and it's pretty clear the Suns don't need this pick. Unless there is a
    legitimate, Western Conference center waiting for them in this draft, you can be
    pretty sure they'll try to package this pick, along with Jahidi White's
    contract, to get the cap room they need to make a major run at a veteran free
    agent. Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant have the buzz, with Mehmet Okur as a sleeper
    should the Pistons decide to only re-sign Rasheed Wallace.

    Philadelphia 76ers
    Record: 24-36
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 6.4%

    The Skinny: The Sixers have crumbled before our eyes this season. I know they're
    still trying to grit things out and make a run at the playoffs -- and they have
    a legit shot, as almost everyone in the East does -- but is it in the Sixers'
    best interest? The team is getting old and needs fresh blood, especially on the
    front line. Philly's only young players with much promise are Samuel Dalembert,
    John Salmons and, to a lesser extent, Kyle Korver. The Sixers need a freakishly
    versatile, athletic player like Howard in the worst way. Landing the No. 1 pick
    could turn a dying franchise around pretty fast.

    Boston Celtics
    Record: 25-36
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 2.9%

    The Skinny: Danny Ainge loves this draft so much, he was willing to take on the
    last two years of Chucky Atkins' contract just to get a third first-round pick,
    even if it's low in the round. With the Celtics playing some of the worst
    basketball in the league right now, I believe Ainge has decided it's time to
    throw in the towel. He wants head coach John Carroll to play young players like
    Jiri Welsch, Brandon Hunter, Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins so he has a
    better feel for what he does and doesn't have going into the summer. Given
    Danny's preference for up-tempo basketball, you can be pretty sure he's gunning
    for a player like Howard to add size and versatility to his front line.

    Golden State Warriors
    Record: 25-33
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 1.5%

    The Skinny: No one knows this game better than the Warriors. They should miss
    the playoffs for a league-leading ninth consecutive year. Another late lottery
    pick isn't going to help things, and the playoffs appear to be out of the
    question now. Time to pull Erick Dampier (before he gets hurt), Cliff Robinson
    and Calbert Cheaney out of the rotation and let Mike Dunleavy and Mickael
    Pietrus shoot the team into lottery land.

    Los Angeles Clippers
    Record: 25-33
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 1.4%

    The Skinny: Does it really matter?

    Seattle SuperSonics
    Record: 27-32
    Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 0.7%

    The Skinny: Nate McMillan hates this. You don't blame him. But when the Sonics
    decided not to make a move at the trade deadline, GM Rick Sund essentially told
    McMillan the playoffs weren't a priority this year. It's probably just as well.
    Now's the time to throw Ronald Murray and Luke Ridnour out there and see how
    well they'll mesh with Ray Allen.

    Around the League

    Kobe heats up: Has there been a better player over the past two weeks than Kobe
    Bryant. Kobe got off to a slow start this season, and the constant distractions
    of the trial of the year hanging over his head and some nagging injuries have
    been a problem. For the first time all season, though, he seems focused, healthy
    and he's lighting everyone up. He dropped 40 points on the Suns, a triple-double
    on the Wizards and had a streak of six games in seven where he averaged 28
    points or more. That stopped with an 11 point, 10 assist "off night" in New
    Jersey on Sunday. What's gotten into Kobe? He's averaging 30 ppg, 8.3 apg and 8
    rpg on 53 percent shooting since the break.

    "This is the fist time this season I've had to try to will us back in the game,"
    Bryant said. "A lot of times you can look at the stats and put up good numbers,
    but a lot of times that's not what does it. You really have to put forth the
    will and, when your teammates see that you're putting forth 110 percent, then
    they have to follow suit. They have to believe. And I believe."

    Andrei a giant? Sometimes being selected to the All-Star game too early can ruin
    a guy's career. It was no secret Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was worried
    third-year forward Andrei Kirilenko made the cut too soon, fearing Kirilenko
    would become complacent and quit working on the areas of his game that needed
    improvement. Well ...

    Kirilenko has been on fire since the break. The Russian forward averaged 16.3
    ppg before the break and is averaging 23.3 ppg after it. And he's doing it with
    more steals, the same number of rebounds and assists and with a better field
    goal percentage. Kirilenko already has made the leap from great prospect to
    All-Star this year. Is he about to make the jump to superstar in the second
    half? He dropped in a game-winning 3-pointer against the Sonics last Wednesday
    and sounded like a man with new-found confidence afterward.

    "It's tougher when people say, 'All-Star, All-Star,' but I'm liking it," said
    Kirilenko, who scored 24 points, including seven of the Jazz's nine points in
    overtime. "I can make big shot at important moment, like the 3-pointer -- boom!
    I like it."

    Posey for most-improved: The Grizzlies also have come out of the All-Star break
    on fire, and it's becoming pretty clear their best player is not Pau Gasol or
    Mike Miller but the unheralded James Posey. Jerry West signed Posey to a
    bargain, mid-level deal this summer without much fanfare. The thinking at the
    time was Posey would give the Grizzlies a big, athletic, defensive-minded
    swingman to balance the plethora of offensive types on the team. Who knew that
    by February he'd also be the team's first option on offense?

    Posey's improvement over the course of the season has been stunning. He averaged
    8.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg on 40 percent shooting in November. He upped that to 11.9
    ppg and 4.3 rpg in December on 46 percent shooting. In January the numbers
    jumped again to 14.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting 51 percent from the field.
    In February the numbers increased again to 18.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg on 54 percent
    shooting. It gets even better if you focus on his post All-Star break numbers --
    22.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg on 54 percent shooting. He's been doing all of this the last
    seven games despite a badly bruised inner thigh that would put a player like
    Marcus Camby out for the season.

    I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I throw Posey's name into the
    ring for most improved player of the year. He's been downright awesome and the
    biggest reason the Grizzlies are 5-2 since the break.

    Rookie surprise: Either LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony will walk away with
    Rookie of the Year honors in a few months, but who would've guessed their
    closest competition at this point would be Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich?
    Hinrich's game has slowly evolved to the point coach Scott Skiles now believes
    the rookie point is the best player on the entire team.

    Hinrich's post All-Star numbers are impressive. He's averaging 16.7 ppg, 7.5
    apg, 5.8 rpg and shooting 47 percent from downtown, including his first
    triple-double Saturday night against the Warriors. Hinrich becomes the first
    member of the draft class of 2003 to accomplish that.

    Only Anthony (27.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 47 percent shooting) and James (22 ppg, 7 rpg,
    4.7 apg, 46 percent shooting) have been better since the break.

    Soaring Hawks: Who are the two big winners in Atlanta after the Rasheed Wallace
    trade? Stephen Jackson and Chris Crawford. In the absence of anyone else who can
    shoot and score the basketball, both players have seen a big boost in minutes
    and shots since the trade.

    Start with Jackson, who has the most to gain. He can and will opt out of his
    contract this summer, and he now has his first chance to show what he can do
    outside the shadow of Tim Duncan and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He's averaging 21 ppg,
    6 rpg and 3.6 apg since Wallace was traded, a nice up-tick over his 14.8 ppg and
    4.1 rpg season average before the trade.

    Crawford's production has been even more eye-popping. He averaged just 8.4 mpg
    and 2.6 ppg on 37 percent shooting before Abdur-Rahim was dealt. He's been
    averaging 19.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg on 52 percent shooting since taking over as the
    team's starting power forward five games ago.

    "When [Wallace] got traded, there were no more power forwards left," Crawford
    told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I just decided to take advantage of the
    opportunity that came before me."

    Crawford played a total of 12 games the previous two seasons. He tore his
    anterior cruciate ligament during the 2001-02 season and has had to endure three
    surgeries. "The last two years have been a struggle," Crawford said, "but I'm
    getting my athletic ability and my jumping ability back to where it was."
    Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
    Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
    Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
    Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
    And life itself, rushing over me
    Life itself, the wind in black elms,
    Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: 2004-03-01

    The Good, the Bad, the Kitchen Sink
    Terry Brown
    Monday, March 1
    Updated: March 1
    2:42 PM ET

    Who knew that on March 1, the Return Of The King would have just as many Oscars
    as the Chicago Bulls would have home wins?

    The Good

    Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz
    Week's work: 3-0 record, 25 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg, 3 bpg, 53.2%
    shooting

    Is he a center? Is he a power forward? If all you ever saw were his
    statistics, you'd have no idea that this guy is a paper-thin small forward who
    has led his $28 million team to within two games of the Western Conference
    playoffs while the Blazers, at $84 million, are three games out. Or maybe you
    missed him tipping in the game-winning shot in overtime against the Sonics last
    week as Ray Allen, $13.5 million in salary, and Rashard Lewis, $7 million in
    salary, watched. For the record, Kirilenko will make $955,000 this season. Thank
    you very much.

    Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
    Week's work: 2-1 record, 27 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.3 spg, 1.3 bpg, 57.7%
    shooting

    On Sunday night, outscored Peja Stojakovic 33 to 32 while outrebounding Brad
    Miller 17 to 10 before fouling out with 28 second left and really getting mad.

    Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons
    Week's work: 4-0 record, 19.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.7 bpg, 53.7%
    shooting

    Has now scored 1,115 points this season as a shooting guard of which only 24
    have come from 3-point range. Believe me, this should be required reading.

    Michael Finley, Dallas Mavericks
    Week's work: 3-0, 20.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 2 bpg, 9 triples, 50%
    shooting

    This is all you need to know about Michael Finley's importance to the
    offensive-minded Mavericks. Prior to the midweek clash between Dallas and San
    Antonio, Manu Ginobili had rung up double-digits in the scoring column in eight
    of nine February games. Against the Mavs that night, he had seven points on
    3-for-10 shooting as Dallas rolled. Believe me, this game was well in Finley's
    hand long before Duncan went down. The Mavs have won five in a row and are
    within half a game of the Spurs.

    The Bad

    Morris Peterson, Toronto Raptors
    Weak work: 0-4 record, 6.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 0.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.7 bpg, 26.4% shooting

    Last year, he was a starter. This year, it took injuries to Vince
    Carter, Jalen Rose and Alvin Williams to get this guy onto the floor for opening
    tip off. And, by the looks of it, the Raptors should have, instead, started with
    four. In 125 minutes this week, he made a total of nine baskets. That's a hoop
    about every 14 minutes with a miss every 5 minutes as Toronto falls to 0-9 since
    February 12.

    Brian Grant, Miami Heat
    Weak work: 0-3 record, 5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.2 spg, 0 bpg, 36.8% shooting

    They used to try an justify his salary by saying he plays solid defense. Well,
    last week he had a grand total of one steal and no blocks. Then they tried to
    justify his salary by pointing at his rebounding numbers. Well, last week he
    played one 30-minute game in which he grabbed a single board. Then, they tried
    to justify his salary by saying he was such a good citizen within the community.
    Well, the winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded 10 million Swedish
    crowns. In U.S. dollars, that's about $1.35 million. Grant made $12.23 million
    this year alone.

    Penny Hardaway, New York Knicks
    Weak work: 0-4 record, 9.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 0 bpg, 36.5% shooting

    Nobody averaging less than double-digits and shooting this kind of percentage
    should be getting 10.23 shots per game while averaging only 1.8 assists per game
    to 1.5 turnovers. There was a time we thought of Penny as both point guard and
    shooting guard. Now, he is neither.

    Nick Van Exel, Golden State Warriors
    Weak work: 1-3 record, 7.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4 apg, 0.5 spg, 0 bpg, 29.7% shooting

    Nick is getting paid whether he's bored or not. But let's not forget that in
    Dallas' last 15 games of last season, Van Exel led it in scoring six times (all
    playoff games against the Spurs, Kings and Blazers). This year, as the hapless
    Warriors begin their last 24 games of the season, Van Exel has had a hard enough
    time just reaching double digits twice in the last five games.

    The Ugly

    Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns missed 47 shots while the Knicks missed 46,
    meaning that there were, at least, 93 rebounding opportunities. Of those 46
    offensive rebound opportunities, the Knicks managed only four. Of those 47
    defensive rebounds, New York grabbed only 22.

    Overall, they were outrebounded 58 to 26 by the Suns, meaning that Phoenix
    actually grabbed 32 more rebounds than the Knicks in the same game on the same
    floor using the same ball and the same set of rims.

    By the way, the Suns ended up winning that game by 18 points (113-95) after
    grabbing 19 offensive rebounds.

    The Kitchen Sink

    UNLEADED DIESEL

    Shaquille O'Neal's bark has been much worse than his bite, lately. In fact, it's
    been almost an entire calender year since Shaq has scored 40 points in a single
    game. March 21 of 2003 to be exact. In that same amount of time, Tracy McGrady
    has done it nine times, Allen Iverson seven times, Kobe Bryant four times and
    Tim Duncan twice. And, in case you're wondering, he's only reached the 30-point
    plateau four times this year in 43 games while his rebounding, assist, steal and
    block stats are all below last year's numbers when he was averaging 6.2 more
    points per game.

    AROUND THE HORN

    Turns out, Keith Van Horn just needed a change of scenery. Again. In his
    last year in New Jersey, the forward averaged 14.8 points per game and shot 34
    percent from long range. His next year in Philly, which happened to be his only
    year in Philly, he averaged 15.9 points per game and shot 36 percent from long
    range. He started off this season in New York and averaged 16.4 points per game
    for the Knicks on 37 percent shooting from long range. Then, he was traded to
    Milwaukee where he is now averaging 17.7 points per game and shooting 52 percent
    from long range as the Bucks have won three in a row and are tied with New
    Orleans for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

    FOOL'S GOLD

    During the Nuggets' five-game skid (with losses to the Magic, Heat, Grizzlies,
    Lakers and Spurs), they were outscored in the fourth quarter by a grand total of
    144-105. In the last two games, against Los Angeles and San Antonio, they were
    outscored in the final quarter by a total of 25 points.

    THAT'S JAMAAL WITH A J

    Jamaal Tinsley isn't ever going to win any shooting contests unless, of
    course, he's able to somehow compete against himself. This month, the Pacer
    point guard is shooting 47.3 percent from the field (44-for-93 in 11 games).
    Now, that might be average for some NBA players out there, but it's absolutely
    great for Tinsley. After all, he came into February shooting 37.5 percent from
    the floor after shooting 39 percent last year and 38 percent the year before.
    Even more impressive, though, is the fact that he's shooting 42 percent from
    long range after shooting 28 percent on his career.

    OLD JERSEY NETS

    In their last 15 games against Eastern Conference opponents, the New Jersey Nets
    are 15-0, destroying the competition by an average of 14 points per game. But in
    their last four games against Western Conference opponents, including Sunday
    night's blowout against the Lakers, the Nets are 0-4, getting blown out,
    themselves, by a sobering 16.5 points per game.

    RATTLED

    Last Sunday, the Orlando Magic took 100 shots and 25 free throws compared to the
    Portland Trail Blazers' 80 shots and 20 free throws and still lost by three
    points. And it wasn't because the Blazers shot particularly well at 46 percent
    from the field. Heck, they only shot 62 percent from the line. It was because
    new Blazer center Theo Ratliff blocked a whopping nine shots. Now, you may not
    be surprised that Ratliff continues to lead the league in that category at 3.23
    per game. But you may be surprised that he's blocked nine shots in a single game
    five other times.

    DOUBTING THOMAS

    Tim Thomas, rookie season
    1998: 11 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.2 bpg, 44% from field, 36% from
    three, 74% from line
    Tim Thomas, career numbers
    Six Years: 11.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44% from field, 36%
    from three, 76% from line

    SHEED SPECIAL

    Detroit Pistons (38-24) versus Portland Blazers (29-30)
    Thursday, March 4 in Portland, Ore. at 7 p.m. PST on TNT

    It's the return of Rasheed Wallace to the Rose Garden. Do you love him? Do you
    hate him? Does it really matter when the home team needs every win it can get to
    keep alive a consecutive playoff streak that started when 'Sheed was barely
    8-years-old?

    The End

    "Listen, kiss my (butt). Coach your own team, don't be calling me up. I'll be
    all right. I've been through a few of these before. I don't really want to hear
    from anybody, going well or going bad, because it's all (garbage) anyway, unless
    they're really your friend."

    Toronto head coach Kevin O'Neill waiting for the next telemarketer to call on
    his long distance plan after his team lost its ninth game in a row.
    Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
    Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
    Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
    Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
    And life itself, rushing over me
    Life itself, the wind in black elms,
    Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: 2004-03-01

      Friday, February 27, 2004
      Are Knicks still one player away?


      By Greg Anthony
      ESPN Insider

      It already feels like the playoffs have begun, and in a lot of ways they have.
      In the East, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers are surging, while the
      Knicks, Raptors, 76ers and Celtics are floundering. And in the West, home-court
      advantage in the first round could determine whether a team goes to the Finals
      or starts making tee-times.

      Let's get to the e-mail:

      Dan from New York writes,

      First, props. In my mind, you are becoming, along with David Aldridge and
      baseball's Peter Gammons, one of the most insightful, knowledgeable and
      articulate people in sports broadcasting today ... looking forward to watching
      you for many years to come.

      Now for my question/comment: I am a New Yorker and have been thrilled at the
      moves Isiah Thomas has made ... except the Keith Van Horn trade ... jury is
      still out on that one. But I still don't see the Knicks as a contender unless
      they can pick up a truly dominating big man. What moves do you see them making
      before next year, if Rasheed Wallace stays in Detroit?

      A: There has to be concern with the trading of Van Horn, because he was playing
      the best basketball of his career, in my eyes. However, as Isiah stated, this
      move was not just about this season, but also the future, and it was done not
      just for Tim Thomas but also Nazr Mohammed.

      The real issue for the Knicks is the health of Allan Houston, and now Thomas.
      They should still make the playoffs, and, depending on how successful the
      Pistons are in the playoffs, will have a shot at Rasheed in the offseason.

      James Brown from Virginia asks,

      Will the Hornets make a run at Dion Glover? It would make sense, because they
      have needed a scoring big guard for years.

      A: I think it would make sense, because they not only could use some offense off
      the bench from that position, but more importantly an athletic defender who is a
      legit two guard. It would not cost them much, and there is really no downside if
      it doesn't work. This is another team that has to find a way to get out of the
      second round.

      Eddy in Toronto writes,

      ESPN rarely talks about the Raptors. Even though I'm a loyal Raps fans, I have
      to admit this team is stuck without any direction. They want to be a contending
      team in the East, but they can't. After the loss Wednesday to Washington, I'm
      wondering if they'll make the playoffs this year. They should rebuild the team
      and shouldn't rely on Vince Carter anymore. Vince isn't Mike. I'm afraid he's
      turning out to be another Penny or Grant Hill.

      A: Injuries certainly have hurt Vince and the Raptors, and there are rumblings
      the coaching staff is not enamored with Vince as a player. But he still sells
      out whenever he plays, and that will be a factor in whether or not management
      pulls the trigger on a trade.

      But while this team has been unlucky with all the injuries, it also has other
      personnel concerns -- no true point guard or center, and an inability to shoot
      from the perimeter. There also are concerns with the coaching staff and in the
      front office, as well. There is no quick fix here. Stay tuned.

      Rob from New Jersey asks,

      How long do you think the rebuilding process will take in Orlando? Do you see
      them being a contender in the playoffs next year?

      A: First, I think a lot will be determined over the next six weeks, in terms of
      how they finish the season. They have to get the taste of losing out of their
      system and be able to evaluate their talent base when there has been some
      success.

      Also, they want to finish strong to ensure that either T-Mac decides to stay or,
      if he wants out, they can pull a trade for some established talent that can help
      them win now. In the East, one or two players could be the difference in being a
      contender or being at the bottom of the barrel.

      Thanks for the e-mail. Let's have some fun as we head for the home stretch.
      Greg Anthony, a veteran of 11 NBA seasons, is a regular contributor to ESPN
      Insider.
      Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
      Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
      Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
      Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
      And life itself, rushing over me
      Life itself, the wind in black elms,
      Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: 2004-03-01

        Peep Show
        NBA Insider
        Monday, March 1
        Updated: March 1
        8:43 AM ET


        Washington Wizards: Not so fast Jerry Stackhouse. "He's going to go
        get everything checked out and make sure that everything, structurally, is
        sound," said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld after Stack voluntarily quit on
        the rest of the season.. "He's going to go and get therapy and we'll evaluate it
        after that. Our number one concern is that he feels good health-wise." The
        bottom line, though, was that the shooting guard wasn't going to get an early
        vacation. "It's trying to come up with a plan," Stackhouse said in the
        Washington Post. "If that's to be in rehab or whatever or trying to find a
        schedule, that works from a standpoint of rest from games and practicing and
        doing rehab and everything to where I feel good. You do what people ask you to
        do . . . I'm still basically on the clock and that's what I have to do and we'll
        see and go from there."

        Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson didn't show up to Sunday night's game, didn't
        call head coach Chris Ford as required, and didn't seem to care that the two
        were about to get into it again. "There will be something levied for that," Ford
        said in the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There are rules in our handbook that was
        handed down at the beginning of the season, not my rules but the organizational
        rules. There are guidelines that are handed down." Iverson wasn't scheduled to
        play because of a sore shoulder as the Sixers upset the Timberwolves, but he was
        expected to be on the bench even if he was claiming to be sick.

        Los Angeles Lakers: The basketball drama in Los Angeles has reached biblical
        proportions. Just ask Phil Jackson. "People don't understand, they're like
        brothers," the Zen Master said of Shaq and Kobe in the L.A. Daily News. "They're
        like Cain and Abel, they're just scrumming over the blood and the fruit. You
        know, who's going to have which sacrifice that means the most to God. So they
        have their little disagreements, but they are very attached in each other's
        minds and in the team way, too. I think both of them have been together for long
        enough to have adopted each other's plights and their cares. And sometimes their
        concern does get personal, but that's normal things that you have in a family."
        And about Gary Payton . . . "He's got to find out how to work inside of my
        offense, inside the team offense," Jackson said of an upcoming meeting with the
        point guard. "That's something that's taken players a long time, and it's not
        unusual that a player is going to have a little difficulty. He'll find his way
        around it."

        Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade didn't feel any pain in his left foot after a fall
        in Sunday night's game and that's what worried him. "My foot was very numb,"
        Wade said in the Palm Beach Post. "Once I got the feeling back I knew that it
        wasn't good. I knew it was hurting real bad. I still tried to come out and play.
        Once I know it's not broken I'm always trying to come back." X-rays were
        negative but it is still not known if he will play against Toronto on Tuesday.

        Denver Nuggets: Marcus Camby refused to go on injured reserve and head coach
        Jeff Bzdelik refused to comment on it publicly. "Next question," the visibly
        upset coach told the Denver Post. Camby was unable to play Sunday night with a
        strained groin and isn't sure when he'll be back on the floor. Because of that,
        the Nuggets asked him to go on the five-game disabled list so that they could
        activate big man Francisco Elson. Camby refused, forcing the Nuggets to put Ryan
        Bowen on the injured list to activate Elson. "I have to look out for myself,"
        Camby said. "I've been playing the last couple of games on a bad wheel."

        Cleveland Cavaliers: Dajuan Wagner didn't make a bucket in the Cavs latest game
        but what worried the team was that he didn't even take a shot. "He's got to
        figure it out," head coach Paul Silas said in the Lorraine Morning News. "He's
        got to shoot the jumper. We need his production." Silas admitted, though, that
        he believed his oft-injured guard may need until next season to be back to his
        former self.

        Stackhouse's Season Isn't Over Just Yet
        Steve Wyche / Washington Post

        Round 2: Ford upset with Iverson
        Joe Juliano / Philadelphia Inquirer

        Jackson puts onus on Payton
        Howard Beck / Los Angeles Daily News

        Wade sprains foot in crash to floor
        Chris Perkins / Palm Beach Post

        Camby shuns spot on injured list
        Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

        Wagner may yet be a year away
        Bob Finnan / Lorain Morning Journal
        Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
        Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
        Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
        Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
        And life itself, rushing over me
        Life itself, the wind in black elms,
        Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

        Comment

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