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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

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Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Wednesday Insider 3-10-2004

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  • Wednesday Insider 3-10-2004

    I dont have Insider but I got this from hawsquak.net

    By Chad Ford
    ESPN Insider


    It's exactly 104 days until Charlotte Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff gets to do something ... official.

    The team already has an office, staff, head coach, scouts, marketers, ticket salespeople and a web site. It even has a bright orange Bobcats logo to get your attention. But nothing in Charlotte really happens until June 22. That's when the Bobcats add the real bricks and mortar of any NBA franchise -- players -- in the upcoming expansion draft.

    Two days later, June 24, the Bobcats will make their first-ever lottery selection with the fourth pick in the NBA draft. Exactly one week after the draft, they officially can begin wooing the free-agent class of 2004.

    "You get a little stir crazy waiting around," Bickerstaff said. "You've got to be patient and make sure you're prepared."

    Bickerstaff has hardly been waiting. He and his staff have been cavorting through the league, college basketball arenas and Europe for six months searching for the right 15 players who will eventually become the Bobcats.

    The process began in training camp in October and has extended through the season. Bickerstaff and a slew of scouts and front-office types have a major task ahead of them.

    Not only do they need to evaluate the 100 or so prospects who will become available in the NBA draft and the 150 or so free agents who will flood the NBA market this summer, the Bobcats also have to be well versed on every player in the league in order to be ready for the expansion draft.

    That's a lot of players to track.

    "What we've done is, we ranked all of the players on every team in order of preference to us," Bickerstaff said. "Then we go through the rankings looking at restricted, unrestricted, early termination options and the like. We wanted to get a good handle on just who will be available to us."

    The Bobcats have very little choice but to do that kind of homework. Teams can wait until June 12 to reveal their expansion rosters, giving the Bobcats only 10 days to plot a draft strategy.

    Why doesn't Bickerstaff just pick up the phone and call the league's 29 other GMs and jump start the process a little? Because NBA rules prohibit Bickerstaff from even talking to other teams about players or potential deals until May 5. Until then, all he can do is project hypotheticals on dry-erase boards.

    Every time there's a trade, injury or sudden shift in the balance of power in the league, the Bobcats have to react.

    "We just have to try to map out all of the different scenarios out there," Bickerstaff said. "Things have changed since the trade deadline, which means we'll probably have to make another round of visits to make sure we've seen everyone on our list."

    Such uncertainty makes it tough to predict what the Bobcats are going to do in June. But Bickerstaff claims there are a number of core principles that will inform the decisions the Bobcats make this summer.

    # Build through the draft: Bickerstaff said his team is least concerned with free agency right now. The team is looking for young players and thinks the best place to get them is in the expansion and amateur drafts. Bickerstaff said he doesn't expect to be a big player in free agency this year unless something special comes around. That means that, unlike previous expansion drafts, the Bobcats will be looking for core players they can begin building around.

    # A young core: Bickerstaff said the team will focus on developing a core group of young players. "We want to go with youth," Bickerstaff told Insider. "We want a young group of core players. We don't feel there are going to be any dominant players out there [in the expansion draft or free agency]. Therefore you focus on a core group of young players and build."

    # Veteran support: Much like the Nuggets did this year, Bickerstaff wants to make sure his young core is surrounded by a handful of patient, unselfish veterans who can show the rookies how to win and be professionals. "It's also important to find veteran players who understand their role, who are there to be positive in your locker room, to show professionalism, work ethic, to build those young players," Bickerstaff said. "You've got to be very selective. They have to understand why they're there."

    # Cap flexibility: Don't expect owner Robert Johnson to break the bank on draft night. The Bobcats will be given the flexibility to select players in the expansion draft regardless of the size of the players' contracts. An owner like Mark Cuban could easily spend $50 million to $75 million in the expansion draft and come away with an impressive veteran core. Bickerstaff said he would resist that temptation. "Cap management is really important. We've got to be very careful who we give our money to." Bickerstaff understands most teams get in trouble when they lose their cap flexibility. He's trying to maintain it early on (despite being limited to only two-thirds of the salary cap this season and three-fourths next season) so the Bobcats can capitalize on an opportunity if one presents itself.

    # Let's make a deal: The Bobcats can expect to hear from several teams looking to enrich them if they're willing to select an undesirable player or two in the expansion draft. Teams like the Suns, Wizards and Pistons are looking for major cap room and might be willing to offer cash and draft picks if the Bobcats take a troublesome contract off their hands. Bickerstaff said that the idea, in theory, was interesting, but claimed he hasn't been able to talk with GMs around the league about it, so he couldn't really comment. "We're good listeners," Bickerstaff said. "I think we're going to be open to hearing what people want to offer."

    # Patience: The Bobcats know the fans in Charlotte aren't normal expansion fans. The Hornets' team that left two seasons ago was a playoff team. The city's NFL team just went to the Super Bowl and previously made it to the NFC Championship Game in only its second year in the league. Will Bickerstaff & Co. feel pressure to put a good team out on the floor right away? "No," Bickerstaff said bluntly. "We've got to be patient. Do the right things for the basketball team. It's important to have a young team. ... We want to build a product that has sustaining value."

    Bickerstaff realizes that some attractive players will be put on the expansion list. He claims Charlotte can resist the temptation, unless, that is, someone dangles a star in their direction. "I know teams are going to put players on list with big salaries. If there's a player that makes a difference, you consider taking them. If that player makes a difference." What is a difference-maker? Bickerstaff said only a handful of players in the league qualify. In other words, you won't be seeing a difference-maker in this year's expansion draft.

    Can the fans be that patient? Rebuilding in the NBA sometimes takes years. The Grizzlies, the league's last expansion team, have never been to the playoffs (though it looks like that will change this season). Before the Hornets finally left Charlotte, fans were staying away in droves. Most of their issues were with team owner George Shinn. Now that new management is in town, Bickerstaff says the response from the fans has been "very positive."

    The Bobcats' plan is generally endorsed by GMs around the league. Insider talked to several about Bickestaff's blueprint, and all of them agreed that going young and maintaining cap flexibility is the way to go.

    "The biggest problem that teams have right now is a lack of financial flexibility," one NBA GM said. "I think many of us would give our right leg to start with a fresh slate like Charlotte has. The temptation will be there to go grab an established player or two, because you do need stars in this league to win a championship. Having said that, I don't see any reason why the Bobcats can't be successful on the court doing what they're doing. Milwaukee and Utah have proved that you can be a playoff team with a collection of mid-priced veterans and young people. If I'm Bernie, I follow the same path they did."

    Fortunately, the Bobcats should be in a better position than the Bucks or Jazz when it comes to recruiting free agents. Players are generally interested in playing in Charlotte. The team should have a broad appeal for the numerous former ACC players in the NBA.

    "The weather's pretty good, Charlotte is a great city, we're going to have a new arena and we have a great fan base," Bobcats P.R. director Scott Leightman said. "I think we won't have a hard time at all finding players who want to be here. When I go around the league and introduce myself as a member the Bobcats, they really light up. I think it's a great place to play basketball."

    Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's Insider.

    By Chad Ford
    ESPN Insider


    How do teams go about deciding who to protect for the expansion draft?

    It's an emerging science that many teams are still wrestling with. Insider talked to numerous team sources to try to get insight into that process, and from those conversations we have made our first attempt at projecting who will and won't be protected for the expansion draft.

    The rules are pretty simple. Teams are allowed to protected a maximum of eight players for the expansion draft. Since unrestricted free agents are ineligible to be drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats, they don't count. If a team has fewer than eight players under contract, they still must leave at least one player unprotected.

    That's the bad news. The good news is the Bobcats are only allowed to select one player from each NBA team. If a team has one of its players selected, the team receives a trade exception equal to the player's 2004-05 salary. This allows teams to replace a player lost in the expansion draft with another player of comparable salary.

    So how do teams go about making the list? The general rule is for teams to put players on the unprotected list who make huge salaries. The Bobcats are unlikely to select players with onerous contracts, which is why players like Keith Van Horn, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Penny Hardaway, Raef LaFrentz, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel could be left unprotected.

    Teams also try to keep young players with reasonable contracts off the list. That's why it's likely you'll see a team like Washington leave a better player, like Larry Hughes, unprotected in order to protect a cheap, young player like Steve Blake.

    Finally, teams are allowed to entice the Bobcats to take, or refrain from taking, a player on the list. Teams can offer draft picks, cash or future trades to incent Charlotte one way or the other. Several teams, including the Suns, Wizards and Pistons, may go this route.

    With that said, some teams have no choice but to leave players they value unprotected. The Grizzlies are the best example. They have a very deep team, and almost all of their players are under contract. They'll have to leave as many as five or six very serviceable players unprotected. They could offer the Bobcats money or a pick not to pick someone, but if he's on the list, he's fair game.

    ATLANTA HAWKS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Boris Diaw, Travis Hansen, Stephen Jackson, Joel Przybilla and Jason Terry. Chris Crawford and Alan Henderson.

    BOSTON CELTICS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Marcus Banks, Mark Blount, Ricky Davis, Brandon Hunter, Chris Mihm, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce and Jiri Welsch. Jumaine Jones, Raef LaFrentz, Walter McCarty and Michael Stewart.

    CHICAGO BULLS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Tyson Chandler, Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, Ronald Dupree, Marcus Fizer, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Jefferies and Linton Johnson. Antonio Davis, Scottie Pippen, Eddie Robinson and Jerome Williams.

    CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Tony Battie, Carlos Boozer, Kedrick Brown, DeSagana Diop, LeBron James, Jason Kapono, Jeff McInnis and Dajuan Wagner. Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ira Newble and Kevin Ollie.

    DALLAS MAVERICKS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Marquis Daniels, Michael Finley, Josh Howard, Antawn Jamison, Eduardo Najera, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Antoine Walker. Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Shawn Bradley, Tony Delk, Danny Fortson and Jon Stefansson.

    DENVER NUGGETS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Chris Andersen, Carmelo Anthony, Earl Boykins, Marcus Camby, Nene Hilario, Voshon Lenard, Andre Miller and Nikoloz Tskitishvili. Ryan Bowen, Francisco Elson and Jeff Trepagnier.

    DETROIT PISTONS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Darko Milicic, Mehmet Okur, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace and Corliss Williamson. Elden Campbell.

    GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Speedy Claxton, Erick Dampier, Mike Dunleavy, Popeye Jones, Troy Murphy, Mickael Pietrus, Jason Richardson and Cliff Robinson. Evan Eschmeyer and Nick Van Exel.

    HOUSTON ROCKETS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Steve Francis, Adrian Griffin, Jim Jackson, Yao Ming, Cuttino Mobley, Bostjan Nachbar, Eric Piatkowski and Mike Wilks. Kelvin Cato, Maurice Taylor and Clarence Weatherspoon.

    INDIANA PACERS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Ron Artest, Jonathan Bender, Jeff Foster, Al Harrington, Fred Jones, Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley. Jamison Brewer, Primoz Brezec, Austin Croshere, Anthony Johnson, James Jones and Scot Pollard.

    LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Elton Brand, Keyon Dooling, Eddie House, Marko Jaric, Chris Kaman, Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson and Chris Wilcox. Matt Barnes, Peja Drobnjak, Melvin Ely, Josh Moore and Bobby Simmons.

    LOS ANGELES LAKERS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Kobe Bryant, Brian Cook, Devean George, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Kareem Rush and Luke Walton. Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Jamal Sampson.

    MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Shane Battier, Pau Gasol, Mike Miller, James Posey, Stromile Swift, Earl Watson, Bonzi Wells and Jason Williams. Troy Bell, Ryan Humphrey, Dahntay Jones, Bo Outlaw, Theron Smith, Jake Tsakalidis and Lorenzen Wright.

    MIAMI HEAT
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Malik Allen, Jerome Beasley, Caron Butler, Rasual Butler, Udonis Haslem, Lamar Odom, Dwyane Wade and Loren Woods. Brian Grant and Eddie Jones.

    MILWAUKEE BUCKS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    T.J. Ford, Dan Gadzuric, Marcus Haislip, Desmond Mason, Michael Redd, Daniel Santiago, Brian Skinner and Joe Smith. Erick Strickland and Keith Van Horn.

    MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Sam Cassell, Ndudi Ebi, Kevin Garnett, Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson, Mark Madsen, Michael Olowokandi and Wally Szczerbiak. Ervin Johnson and Latrell Sprewell.

    NEW JERSEY NETS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Jason Collins, Lucious Harris, Richard Jefferson, Jason Kidd, Kerry Kittles, Kenyon Martin, Zoran Planinic and Aaron Williams. Alonzo Mourning, Rodney Rogers, Brian Scalabrine and Tamar Slay.

    NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Courtney Alexander, Darrell Armstrong, P.J. Brown, Baron Davis, George Lynch, Jamaal Magloire, Jamal Mashburn and David West. David Wesley.

    NEW YORK KNICKS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Othella Harrington, Allan Houston, Stephon Marbury, Nazr Mohammed, Mike Sweetney, Kurt Thomas, Tim Thomas and Frank Williams. Shandon Anderson, Penny Hardaway, Dikembe Mutombo, Moochie Norris and Cezary Trybanski.

    ORLANDO MAGIC
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Keith Bogans, Andrew DeClercq, Reece Gaines, Drew Gooden, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Tracy McGrady and Zaza Pachulia. Pat Garrity and Grant Hill.

    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Samuel Dalembert, Willie Green, Allen Iverson, Kyle Korver, Glenn Robinson, John Salmons, Eric Snow and Kenny Thomas. Greg Buckner, Derrick Coleman, Marc Jackson, Todd MacCulloch and Aaron McKie.

    PHOENIX SUNS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Leandro Barbosa, Zarko Cabarkapa, Casey Jacobsen, Joe Johnson, Maciej Lampe, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire and Jake Voskuhl. Howard Eisley and Jahidi White.

    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Dale Davis, Darius Miles, Travis Outlaw, Zach Randolph, Theo Ratliff and Qyntel Woods. Derek Anderson, Omar Cook, Eddie Gill, Ruben Patterson, Vladimir Stepania and Damon Stoudamire.

    SACRAMENTO KINGS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Mike Bibby, Bobby Jackson, Brad Miller, Anthony Peeler, Darius Songaila, Peja Stojakovic, Gerald Wallace and Chris Webber. Doug Christie.

    SAN ANTONIO SPURS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Tim Duncan, Alex Garcia, Manu Ginobili, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker and Hedo Turkoglu. Robert Horry and Malik Rose.

    SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Ray Allen, Nick Collison, Antonio Daniels, Reggie Evans, Rashard Lewis, Ronald Murray, Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Ridnour. Calvin Booth, Richie Frahm, Jerome James and Vitaly Potapenko.

    TORONTO RAPTORS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Robert Archibald, Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Donyell Marshall, Roger Mason Jr., Jerome Moiso, Milt Palacio and Morris Peterson. Lamond Murray, Jalen Rose and Alvin Williams.

    UTAH JAZZ
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Carlos Arroyo, Curtis Borchardt, Gordan Giricek, Matt Harpring, Andrei Kirilenko, Raul Lopez, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Maurice Williams. Raja Bell and Jarron Collins.

    WASHINGTON WIZARDS
    Protected players Unprotected players
    Gilbert Arenas, Steve Blake, Kwame Brown, Juan Dixon, Jarvis Hayes, Brendan Haywood, Jared Jeffries and Etan Thomas. Larry Hughes, Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse.

    Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's Insider.

    Peep Show

    NBA Insider
    Wednesday, March 10
    Updated: March 10
    9:52 AM ET

    Chicago Bulls: Head coach Scott Skiles needs all the help he can get with Eddy Curry. "I wish, frankly, that everyone would stop focusing so much on Eddy's scoring, because that makes my job very difficult," Skiles said in the Daily Herald. "I'm trying to convince him to play defense and block shots, and that's how we'll win. Everybody keeps asking me, 'Has Eddy arrived now? He's got 15 double-digit (scoring) games in a row.' It becomes difficult, because players can buy into that. He needs a lot of work on his defense and his rebounding."


    Walker
    Dallas Mavericks: To know Antoine Walker is to love Antoine Walker. "My role will be the same," Walker said in the Dallas Morning News after complaining about playing only 18 minutes in his last game. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to win games. I've never won like this. I'm happy as hell. The last thing I want is to be a distraction. I'm not concerned with my play. The goal is to be on top of your game at the playoffs. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be consistent. But I've never shot the ball for a high percentage. That's just not my game." And the Mavs understand. "He's one of the best players on this team," said assistant coach Donn Nelson. "And without him playing well, plain and simple, we're not going to be able to go as far as we want to. So it's in everyone's best interest, especially the Mavericks, that he get his game back together. This is a 'we' thing. We will work through this together. But we will not drop games in the process. That's the same as with any of our other guys."

    New York Knicks: Vin Baker wants to be a Knick. And, apparently, the Knicks wants Vin Baker."This is a person who's battling a disease," Isiah Thomas told the New York Post. "You're not talking about, quote, a bad person. If you're going to take a risk on anyone, this is the kind of guy you take a risk on. There's nothing in his family or background that would say he's a bad risk in terms of his person. If given the opportunity, we'll take the risk and try to support him and try to help him."

    Detroit Pistons: Richard Hamilton wants to play basketball. But to do so , he has to wear a plastic mask to protect his surgically repaired nose. "Who knows? It could be for a couple of minutes and I'll throw it off or maybe it will stay on," Hamilton said in the Detroit News. "I'll be fine . . . It's still clogged up, but I'm OK. (Tuesday) was the first time running. I felt a little light-headed at times, just minor things." His coach just wants him back any way he can. "I don't know what kind of shape he's in, but he looks fine," Larry Brown said. "We'll see. Fortunately, the guys who have come in and played for the injured guys are good teammates -- we'll figure it out."


    Sprewell
    Minnesota Timberwolves: Silence was the best medicine for a slumping Latrell Sprewell, who broke out for 31 points Tuesday night. "I didn't think anybody wanted to talk to me. I'm there if people want to talk," Sprewell said in the Pioneer Press. "You go through periods where you're really not playing well, and your scoring may go down. It's part of the season, but with a team like ours we have a lot of different guys that can score." But that doesn't mean he wants less attention. "If anything, I'm not getting enough attempts and minutes," he said. "But I'm not pressing. I love to play. I'd rather be out on the court staying loose and being in the game."

    Philadelphia 76ers: Glenn Robinson is stuck between a bone chip and a hard place. He can either play through some pain to help his team reach the playoffs and risk missing the postseason. Or he could undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove the bone chips in his right elbow and sit out five weeks, which could eliminate his team from the playoffs before they even start. "It's the player's decision," head coach Chris Ford said in the Philadelphia Daily News. "I talked to Glenn [yesterday morning], and as he told you, he's still weighing his options. Concerning injuries, I always leave it to the player and the medical people. He's been bothered most of the year [by the elbow]. He's been complaining, and visually you could see it; the arm was not straight. He couldn't get it straight; he played through it." Robinson has already missed 20 games this season. "The bottom line is, I'm probably going to end up having to get [the elbow] scoped," he said. "But that's a difficult situation, because I hate to have surgery in the middle of the season. At the same time, I don't want to keep being in and out, out and in. If I do it, I think about the playoffs - it would take about 3 to 5 weeks to heal. I definitely would like to be around for the playoffs. We still have a shot at being there. I don't want to waste too much time, either. I don't want to wait, and we get in the playoffs and I'm not around, either. It's a difficult decision for me...I want to play. I hate to be in and out the way I've been. We've been broken up all year. I've missed plenty of games already."

    * Skiles' battles continue with Robinson, Curry
    Mike McGraw / Arlington Heights Daily Herald
    * Time not on his side, but Walker says he's happy
    Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News
    * Isiah: Baker's Worth Risk
    Marc Berman / New York Post
    * Masked Hamilton plans to face Bulls
    Joanne C. Gerstner / Detroit News
    * Sprewell breaks out of his slump
    Mike Wells / St. Paul Pioneer Press
    * Robinson has bone chips in elbow, mulls surgery
    Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News
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