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The Rules of Pacers Digest

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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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Chad Ford Grades the NBA

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  • Chad Ford Grades the NBA

    Here is what he had to say about the Pacers:

    INDIANA PACERS The Pacers are the toughest team in the league to grade. Based on expectations, the team was disappointing. Given Indiana's early-season play, the Pacers looked as though they would be in the Finals. After the brawl, all their dreams turned to nightmares. Ron Artest was suspended for the season. Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson served hefty suspensions. Major injuries to O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley and Jonathan Bender just rubbed salt in the wounds. But somehow, they've persevered. Reggie Miller was resurrected beyond the 3-point line, role players such as Anthony Johnson and Fred Jones figured out how to take their limited games to another level, and Rick Carlisle proved once again that he can coach anyone and win. If the Pacers are healthy next season, watch out. GRADE: B-

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/colum...=2039992&num=0

  • #2
    Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

    Here are the rest of the teams.

    By Chad Ford
    ESPN Insider

    EAST

    With playoff mania about to set in, there's no time like now to look back to July 1 and give a little credit to the teams that did it right since then and take a few shots at the ones that screwed it up.


    EASTERN CONFERENCE GRADES
    MIAMI HEAT What a season it has been for the Heat. First, they trade for the most dominant big man in the game while giving up one good player (Lamar Odom), one decent prospect (Caron Butler) and one terrible contract (Brian Grant). Then, the Heat's 2003 first-round pick, Dwyane Wade, decides that he, not LeBron, is the second coming of Michael Jordan and plays the role very convincingly. Add a breakout year by cheap free-agent pickup Damon Jones and what do you have? The Heat became not only the team with the best record in the East but also a team with real staying power. The Shaquille O'Neal factor won't last forever, but with Wade's emergence as a superstar, the Heat should be firmly planted on the map for years. GRADE: A

    CHICAGO BULLS It happened a year late, but finally it has happened. The Bulls are in the playoffs. No matter what happens from here on out, nothing should diminish that accomplishment. The Baby Bulls grew up. GM John Paxson realized that drafting proven college studs such as Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng from top programs would pay quicker dividends. A European free agent, Andres Nocioni, and journeyman Othella Harrington gave the team some long-needed grit. And Scott Skiles, in one of the best coaching jobs of the year, got a team with five rookies to play some of the best defense in the league. Amazing. Now, can they keep it all together this summer without breaking the bank? GRADE: A-

    DETROIT PISTONS Team president Joe Dumars is still at the top of his game. Tayshaun Prince developed into a legit scoring threat. Antonio McDyess resurrected his career. The Pistons got something for nothing when they nabbed Carlos Arroyo. And the rest of the Pistons, for the most part, were able to keep up the pace from last season. However, Larry Brown's political games with Darko Milicic and Carlos Delfino will hurt both in the short and long term. Short term, the team could really use them in the playoffs. Long term, two staples for the future both want out of Detroit desperately. Look for the problem to solve itself this summer when Brown retires and Dumars brings in a guy who doesn't have a distaste for international players. GRADE: B+

    BOSTON CELTICS After a shaky rookie season, Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has had a pretty amazing year. His three first-round draft picks (Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen) all look as though they're going to be good. The offseason acquisition of Gary Payton wasn't the disaster we predicted. Doc Rivers has done a solid job coaching the team. And bringing back Antoine Walker, even if it was just for this year's playoff run, boosted the morale of the entire team. If Ainge can find a way to re-sign Walker for cheap and keep up the development of the young guys, the Celtics could be a serious force to reckon with next year. The only knock? He should have gone with his instincts and let Mark Blount walk to Philly. Blount's contract is going to hurt the Celtics for the next five years. GRADE: B+

    WASHINGTON WIZARDS GM Ernie Grunfeld doesn't get much press, but he deserves some. Two summers ago, he picked up Gilbert Arenas in free agency. Last summer, he traded for Antawn Jamison. The combination of the two – along with the emergence of Larry Hughes as a legit All-Star candidate – has the Wizards in the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Now, if they could just get Kwame Brown to register a pulse. GRADE: B

    CHARLOTTE BOBCATS This is an awfully high grade for a team that won just 18 games. But as expansion teams go, the Bobcats were really pretty good. They kept games close, especially at home. They developed three legit young players to build around in Emeka Okafor, Primoz Brezec and Gerald Wallace. And they discovered that creaky old veterans such as Brevin Knight and Steve Smith could still play. They've done all this while positioning themselves perfectly for the future. The Bobcats have a great shot at landing point guard Chris Paul in the draft, and they'll go into the summer with the lowest payroll in the league. Next year they won't be much better. But by year three, if they play their cards right, watch out. GRADE: B

    INDIANA PACERS The Pacers are the toughest team in the league to grade. Based on expectations, the team was disappointing. Given Indiana's early-season play, the Pacers looked as though they would be in the Finals. After the brawl, all their dreams turned to nightmares. Ron Artest was suspended for the season. Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson served hefty suspensions. Major injuries to O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley and Jonathan Bender just rubbed salt in the wounds. But somehow, they've persevered. Reggie Miller was resurrected beyond the 3-point line, role players such as Anthony Johnson and Fred Jones figured out how to take their limited games to another level, and Rick Carlisle proved once again that he can coach anyone and win. If the Pacers are healthy next season, watch out. GRADE: B-

    NEW JERSEY NETS The Nets are another tough team to grade. They started the season miserably. The trade of Kenyon Martin was an awful mistake. It was compounded by an injured and pouting Jason Kidd. And Richard Jefferson ended up missing 47 games with an injured wrist. But credit team president Rod Thorn for persevering. He stole Vince Carter from Toronto, developed rookie Nenad Krstic and put the Nets back into contention for the playoffs. If Jefferson is healthy enough to return for the playoffs, the Nets could give the Heat a scare. If they figure out a way to get an athletic four like Stromile Swift or a veteran like Shareef Abdur-Rahim this summer, the Nets will be right back in contention next season. GRADE: B-

    PHILADELPHIA 76ers Allen Iverson had his best season as a pro. The Sixers' young players – such as Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver and Samuel Dalembert – are developing. And the team, after a brief respite in the lottery, is back in the playoffs. So what's not to like? Conventional wisdom at the trade deadline (Insider included) was that the Sixers scored a home run when they nabbed Chris Webber for Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner. Now? It looks as though GM Billy King panicked and tied C-Webb's millstone contract to Philly's payroll. Webber has been awful, his legs look gone and he's pouting. That's not the worst of it. At the end of the day, his huge contract might prevent the Sixers from re-signing Dalembert or Korver this summer. GRADE: C+

    CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Ugh. A season that started off so promising ended in disaster. The Cavs were looking at the fifth seed in the playoffs in March. Now, it looks likely that, for the second straight year, a late-season swoon will cost them the playoffs. Coach Paul Silas is out of job. GM Jim Paxson will soon follow him. New owner Dan Gilbert has created enormous turbulence. And LeBron James is counting down the days (roughly 1,140 if you're counting at home) until he can cash in on those endorsement incentives that pay him big bucks to play in New York, Chicago or LA. The upside? If Gilbert can find the right GM and the right coach and make the right moves in free agency (resisting the urge to pay Zydrunas Ilgauskas big bucks to start with), he still has a shot at keeping LeBron. That's a lot of ifs, however. GRADE: C

    ORLANDO MAGIC GM John Weisbrod's rise and fall lasted just a little longer than Hootie and the Blowfish's career. The "hockey guy" projected supreme confidence in the chucking of T-Mac at the start of the season. But he knew his career really hinged on that move. "I said from the start this was the way I'd do it and I'd either be a hero or they'd run me out of town." Better get those running shoes on, John. T-Mac has been awesome the second half of the season. Orlando? Not so much. After a solid start, trouble set in and Weisbrod's hockey instincts kicked in. Before we knew what was happening, he was checking the future of the franchise into the stands. Now that confidence reeks of arrogance as his players and the city begin to turn on him. No one's happy. The team is back in the lottery. And the future of the franchise has never been in more doubt. Two solid first-round picks, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, plus the re-emergence of Grant Hill are the only thing keeping the Magic's grade afloat at this point. GRADE: C

    MILWAUKEE BUCKS It looks as though those amazing 2004 Bucks were one-hit wonders. After reaping major praise at the end of last season, the Bucks had nothing go right this year. T.J. Ford sat on the IL all year. Terry Porter, a legit coach-of-the-year candidate last season, is on the chopping block. Michael Redd is heading into unrestricted free agency. And even Larry Harris, one of the best young GMs in the business, is apparently in trouble. If Redd leaves this summer, the franchise will crumble into Hawks territory. GRADE: C-

    ATLANTA HAWKS When one of your players refers to the team as Afghanistan, you know things are ugly. If the Hawks were an expansion team, fair enough. But they're not and have been so bad for so long it's tough to muster much enthusiasm. Their two first-round picks, Josh Childress and Josh Smith, look like legitimate building blocks – especially Smith. After that, it's not pretty. Al Harrington is solid, but no one believes he's going to be more than just a little above average starter in the league. The rest will be replaced via the draft and free agency if Atlanta can persuade a couple of free agents to come. Ideally, the team gets either Chris Paul or Andrew Bogut in the draft, then finds a way to bring in Samuel Dalembert and a guy like Marko Jaric or Earl Watson. But even if the Hawks do all of that, how much better will they be? GRADE: D

    TORONTO RAPTORS The Raptors are such a disaster right now they're counting on Wayne Embry to be their savior. Chris Bosh has been great, but FEMA might have to cross the border to investigate the rest of the Raptors. GM Rob Babcock messed up on draft night, taking Rafael Araujo about 10 to 15 places too high. Then he gave away Vince Carter in what will be remembered as one of the worst trades in the history of the NBA. Then he compounded the error by not trading Donyell Marshall while he still had the chance. Toronto heads into the summer with no cap room and a couple of draft picks. If Raptors chairman Larry Tannebaum has his way, the whole front office and the coaching staff will be looking for jobs in the next 48 hours. GRADE: D

    NEW YORK KNICKS Who would've thought that 18 months into Isiah Thomas' tenure in New York, Knicks fans would actually be referring to the Scott Layden era as the good old days. The Knicks were as bad as any team in the league the last two months. Their $109 million payroll next season and limited flexibility in trade options mean that we're a few months away from the Knicks' joining Isiah's other "success" stories in Toronto and the Continental Basketball Association on the garbage heap. GRADE: F

    WEST

    Just 36 hours and the real season finally can begin. Then 82 games become an afterthought.

    For many NBA fans, the regular season is really a long, long preseason. A warm-up for the real event.

    The Suns can win 62 games this season, up from 29 the year before. But if they lose in the playoffs, some will argue that the team was a disappointment.

    "Everyone talks about the playoffs," Suns point guard and MVP candidate Steve Nash told Insider. "I don't know why it's not important in the NBA to be the best team in the regular season. It's an 82-game season. It's pretty silly. In Dallas, even making the playoffs wasn't important enough. Even making the Western Conference finals wasn't enough.

    "I care about how we play every day. I want to win every game. The playoffs are the playoffs. My job is to play hard every game."

    Can't argue with Steve. In the end, only one team will win the title. A miracle shot (just ask the Spurs) or a miracle block (just ask the Pacers) can end months and months of hard work.

    So with playoff mania about to set in, there's no time like now to look back to July 1 and give a little credit to the teams that did it right since then and take a few shots at the ones that screwed it up.


    WESTERN CONFERENCE GRADES
    PHOENIX SUNS
    They had the second-worst record in the West last season. They drew criticism in the summer when they "overpaid" for Steve Nash and Quentin Richardson. Mike D'Antoni was laughed at when he said he was going to play small ball with Amare Stoudemire manning the middle. And they finished the season with the best record in the league playing a style of basketball that has electrified the league. If that doesn't deserve an A, nothing does. GRADE: A

    SAN ANTONIO SPURS
    The Spurs are about to get a lifetime achievement award. They have emerged, next to the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, as an elite franchise that always seems to find a way to get it right. Tim Duncan helps, sure. But it's the supporting cast of Tony Parker (29th pick), Manu Ginobili (57th pick), Bruce Bowen (undrafted), Devin Brown (undrafted) and Beno Udrih (29th pick) that makes the difference. If a team wants to know how to build through the draft and with role players, the Spurs are the model. GRADE: A

    DENVER NUGGETS
    Forget about the awful start. Just remember the end. The 31-7 record since new head coach George Karl took over. The re-emergence of Carmelo Anthony as an All-Star. The dominance (finally) of Marcus Camby in the middle. The intensity of Kenyon Martin on the block. The steadying influence of Andre Miller running the show. The pure energy of Earl Boykins coming off the bench. Kiki Vandeweghe found the right pieces, he just needed Karl to put them all together. Since Karl came onboard, no team in the NBA has been better. That will keep the Spurs up at night. All things being equal, the Nuggets are probably the third best team in NBA right now – and even that might be an understatement. GRADE: A-

    DALLAS MAVERICKS
    The loss of Steve Nash and the questionable signing of Erick Dampier with the money Mark Cuban refused to spend on Nash notwithstanding, the Mavs seem headed in the right direction. Dirk Nowitzki has emerged as a legit MVP candidate, Jerry Stackhouse is one of the best sixth men in the business and the Mavs finally are playing some defense. Combine that with a nice young stable of talent including Josh Howard, Devin Harris and Marquis Daniels and the Mavs should only get better. GRADE: B+

    SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
    The Sonics have fallen back to earth the last few weeks of the season thanks to injury and chemistry issues. But it shouldn't take away from what they accomplished. Head coach Nate McMillan did a great job of meshing disparate pieces into a real team. Many (Insider included) picked the Sonics to finish last in the conference. Instead, they won their division. What happened? Ray Allen played his butt off for that last contract, Rashard Lewis emerged as a legit All-Star candidate, Vladimir Radmanovic found his calling in life as a sixth man, Luke Ridnour proved he could guard a chair, Antonio Daniels might have been the best backup point guard in the league and Danny Fortson and Reggie Evans were relentless on the glass. GRADE: B

    HOUSTON ROCKETS
    It took them awhile, but Tracy McGrady and Jeff Van Gundy finally saw eye to eye. Ever since that seminal moment in December, the Rockets have been on fire. Yao Ming has progressed more than he's gotten credit for. GM Carroll Dawson turned nothing into a pretty decent backcourt of Bob Sura, Mike James, David Wesley and Jon Barry. They still have a ton of holes to fill this summer, but the important thing is that T-Mac has the Rockets in the playoffs. GRADE: B

    LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
    Ignore their record. If Marko Jaric and Shaun Livingston had stayed healthy all season, the Clippers would have made the playoffs. Livingston still looks like he has the potential to be the best player in the draft class of 2004. Jaric looked like he was on the verge of a breakout year before injuries slowed him down. Bobby Simmons was No. 2 on my ballot for most improved. Corey Maggette is now averaging 22 ppg. Elton Brand remains one of the most steady players in the league and Chris Kaman has gotten better all year. If Donald Sterling is willing to re-sign Jaric and Simmons and spend the money for one more piece, the Clippers are one lottery pick and one free-agent signing away from making a big move in the standings next year. GRADE: B-

    GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
    Their season started off in typical Warrior fashion. GM Chris Mullin overpaid Derek Fisher and Adonal Foyle in free agency, destroying all their cap flexibility, fired a good coach and replaced him with an inexperienced one, then watched his team actually take a few steps backward. But Mullin was finally able to do something his predecessor, Garry St. Jean, couldn't. He made a great trade. Mullin gave up very little to acquire a legit point guard in Baron Davis. He's made all the difference. Paired in the backcourt with Jason Richardson, the pair has been unstoppable. If the Warriors can find a way to land an athletic shot blocker up front via free agency or the draft, we might have to start talking about the playoffs next season. GRADE: B-

    SACRAMENTO KINGS
    You can't blame them for trading Chris Webber or Doug Christie. Despite what was written on the night of the trade deadline, Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner were actually great trades for Sacramento. Still, this team is snake bit. Just when they thought they'd be coming into the playoffs at full strength for once with Brad Miller and Bobby Jackson set to return, Peja Stojakovic goes out with a bad groin pull. Hire an exorcist. GRADE: C+

    MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
    It has been a rocky season in Memphis. The team started off miserably. They overpaid for Brian Cardinal in free agency. Last year's breakout player, James Posey, was hampered by injuries. And, when nothing else could go wrong, coach of the year Hubie Brown resigned on Thanksgiving. However, the team has played better under Mike Fratello and thanks to a monumental collapse by the Timberwolves, is back in the playoffs. Enjoy it while it lasts, Grizzlies fans. It's probably going to get worse from here. With Stromile Swift, Earl Watson and Bonzi Wells likely to leave this summer, and no budget to replace them, the Grizzlies might have lost their bite again. GRADE: C+

    UTAH JAZZ
    On paper the Jazz looked awfully formidable. On the court, not so much. Injuries to Andrei Kirilenko, a point-guard plague, a rocky start for Mehmet Okur, a tough ending for Carlos Boozer and slow development of the two rookies, Kris Humphries and Kirk Snyder, might just drive head coach Jerry Sloan into retirement. If that happens, downgrade them to a D. GRADE: C

    LOS ANGELES LAKERS
    Kobe Bryant, the player, put up a pretty amazing stat line this year. Kobe, the teammate, found a way to alienate almost every player on the Lakers' roster. Kobe, the coach, helped push Rudy Tomjanovich into retirement. Kobe, the GM, traded away the most dominant big man in the game for a bunch of lottery balls. As the Clippers continue to rise in the West and the Lakers sink, were we really that off this past summer when we told Kobe he should choose the Clips? GRADE: C-

    MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
    Kevin Garnett is disgusted again. Wally Szczerbiak is demanding a trade. Sam Cassell is mouthing off. And Latrell Sprewell can no longer feed his family. The Wolves' window is closed and there's very little Kevin McHale (as coach or GM) is going to do to open it. They'll let Sprewell walk this summer and try to trade Cassell, but it's looking more and more like KG's dream of a title will never come in a Wolves uniform. GRADE: D+

    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
    It can't get any worse, could it? That's what we said two years ago and we're still saying it. The Blazers have no concept of the term rock bottom. Every veteran on the team seems unhappy. Every young player is a ways away. Do the Blazers just trade everyone and hand the team over to a 5-11, 19-year-old point guard who can't shoot? Weirder things have happened in Portland. Paul Allen needs to fire everyone and start over from scratch. GRADE: D

    NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
    Injuries were the reason for the Hornets' early season free fall. Stupidity made up for the rest. We had no problem with the Hornets giving up the chronically injured and grumpy Baron Davis. But look what they got in return. This is another team that seems to lack vision and that could mean that they're stuck in this rut for the next five to six years.

    GRADE: D


    Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.


    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/colum...=2040150&num=0

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

      "Al Harrington is solid, but no one believes he's going to be more than just a little above average starter in the league."


      Ouch!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

        Originally posted by Will Galen
        "Al Harrington is solid, but no one believes he's going to be more than just a little above average starter in the league."
        Except Al...
        This space for rent.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

          Originally posted by Anthem
          Except Al...
          Ouch!
          Play Mafia!
          Twitter

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

            Originally posted by drewdawg
            NEW YORK KNICKS Who would've thought that 18 months into Isiah Thomas' tenure in New York, Knicks fans would actually be referring to the Scott Layden era as the good old days. The Knicks were as bad as any team in the league the last two months. Their $109 million payroll next season and limited flexibility in trade options mean that we're a few months away from the Knicks' joining Isiah's other "success" stories in Toronto and the Continental Basketball Association on the garbage heap. GRADE: F
            Well, at least Zeke was a big success in Indy.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

              Originally posted by Bat Boy
              Well, at least Zeke was a big success in Indy.
              Yes - I am proud to be a fan of the only team that graded an "F."

              It's nice to feel special - can't really argue with it though. I just think we maybe should have some company - Toronto & Utah (considering the Carter & Arroyo debacles) for two.
              The poster formerly known as Rimfire

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Chad Ford Grades the NBA

                Originally posted by DisplacedKnick
                Yes - I am proud to be a fan of the only team that graded an "F."

                It's nice to feel special - can't really argue with it though. I just think we maybe should have some company - Toronto & Utah (considering the Carter & Arroyo debacles) for two.
                Atleast everyone knows Jalen Rose is an overpaid cancer in Toronto.
                Isiah still thinks Starbury is the Knicks future. Well maybe he is, but that just means that nobody else will take him and it isn't a very bright future.

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