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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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4-6-04

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  • #1

    4-6-04

    Jefferson proving he can act alone

    By Terry Brown
    NBA Insider
    Tuesday, April 6
    Updated: April 6
    9:14 AM ET

    While Jason Kidd was out with a bruised left knee, Richard Jefferson posted a career high in assists on Sunday and a season high in rebounds the Wednesday before that while averaging 24.4 points per game on 52.7 percent shooting as the Nets clinched the Atlantic Division title.

    The Nets can win their last six games of the season by 50 points each night and they would still be the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Or they can lose every one of those games by 50 and still be the second seed.

    But if you listen close enough, you can hear whispers that Kidd will play tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks exactly one day after Jefferson was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

    "We haven't even talked about it," Kidd said in the New York Times after head coach Lawrence Frank told reporters that he thought the point guard could play tonight. "We're just trying to get better, and everything went well today. There hasn't been any pain or swelling. We'll take it one day at a time and hopefully, none of that will occur. You know everything has kind of worked out to what we're hoping and planning on. We're putting more time out on the court each day as we go here, as we get closer to the playoffs."

    There are even rumors that Kenyon Martin, who has played only 12 minutes since March 18 and no minutes since March 31, will return despite the tendinitis in his knee still acting up after undergoing deep massage with Kidd recently.

    "We'll see," Martin said in the New York Post. "I don't want to force anything, but it's frustrating. I can't tell yet if it worked, but I'm willing to try anything to get myself back."

    But while the Nets could certainly use Kidd and Martin back with the regular season winding down and the playoffs about to start, another question is being raised.


    Richard Jefferson
    Small Forward
    New Jersey Nets
    Profile


    2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
    GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
    76 18.6 5.8 3.9 .497 .769

    Does Jefferson need them back?

    Or, further to the point, does Kidd need Jefferson now more than Jefferson needs Kidd?

    "Richard has shown an unbelievable ability to step it up and raise his game to another level," Frank in Sunday's Newark Star Ledger. "And a pertinent point is, he's done it without Jason Kidd. Everyone thought of Richard as a high-level player already. But he has gained even more respect from his teammates because of this."

    But before going any further, perhaps we should point out a few numbers.

    In January, while all three players were in action and their 14-game win streak began, Jefferson shot 49 percent from the field. In February, while all three players were still active and the 14-game win streak had reached its peak, Jefferson shot 49 percent from the field. And in March, when both Kidd and Martin went down and the Nets struggled to a 7-9 record, Jefferson shot 49 percent from the field.

    In wins this season, he has taken 13.7 shots per game.

    In losses this season, he has taken 13.7 shots per game.

    After three years in the NBA, we know who this No. 13 pick, packaged and traded on draft day, is.

    And we like him.

    Sure, he gets more minutes and more shots as the lone star in the lineup, but that doesn't make him better or worse in terms of quality but rather just quantity.

    And even though Jefferson has become the leading scorer on the team this year, surpassing both Kidd and Martin, he has yet to catch up to either's star quality. He is still the third most recognizable player on the team. And let's not forget that amidst all of this personal praise for Jefferson, the team is still 4-5 with Jefferson going at it alone.

    But that's not going to be the problem.

    Just ask his agent.

    Jefferson is making $1.6 million this year. He makes the same amount with Kidd in the lineup as when Kidd is out of the lineup. Next year, he will make $2.3 million. Then he becomes a restricted free agent as an all-star and team's leading scorer. Then he becomes an unrestricted free agent as an all-star and a member of the U.S. National Team and the team's leading scorer.

    Here's a few more numbers.

    Kidd is making $13.1 million this year. He is making $103 million over his contract. He is also an all-star and member of the U.S. National Team and team leader in assists.

    Martin is making $5 million this year and will become a restricted free agent next year and possibly an unrestricted free agent the year after that. He, too, is an all-star.

    Now, here's the biggest number of all on the afternoon before Kidd and Martin and Jefferson are rumored to be taking the floor together.

    This season, they are 45-31, the ninth-best team in the standings so far.

    Which makes us wonder if the Nets, a team in financial flux in terms of ownership and location, are really better off with these three high-salaried players and, in the same breath, if these three players, collectively or individually, are really better off with the New Jersey Nets?

    Because Jefferson shot 50 percent last year, is shooting 50 percent this year and will most likely be shooting 50 percent next year.

    "If it's fair, we'll sign the deal," agent Todd Eley said. "Now what's fair? I don't know what that is right now. If it's less than the max but it's fair based on years and dollars? Then we'll sign that. That's something that will happen once the season is over, once everyone can step away from the wins and losses and step back and ask what makes a reasonable deal for both sides."

    * Jefferson hitting nets, raising ante
    Brad Parks / Newark Star-Ledger
    * Nets Consider Returning Kidd to Lineup Tonight
    Steve Popper / New York Times
    * Kidd, K-Mart Might Come Back Tonight
    Dan Martin / New York Post

    Peep Show

    NBA Insider
    Tuesday, April 6
    Updated: April 6
    9:28 AM ET


    Snow
    Philadelphia 76ers: Heads are about to roll in the City of Brotherly Love. "There are a lot of things right now that are very frustrating,'' President Billy King said in the Philadelphia Daily News. "There have been some things that are very distracting and very disappointing, and things that will be dealt with. I don't want to single out one guy. There have been a lot of things this year; it's not just one player that's been disappointing. A lot of people's behavior hasn't been up to par ...As I've said before, it's going to be more important about the name on the front of the jersey than the name on the back. It won't happen again. Not on my watch ...I know exactly what direction we need to go.'' And at last one player agrees. "I don't think anybody would [want another season like this],'' said point guard Eric Snow. "I don't think the organization should want to, I don't think the players should want to, I don't think the city should want to ...I just know the team needs to get better. You can take injuries out of the equation, we probably would have still made the playoffs, but the object is to compete for a championship.''

    Houston Rockets: The Rockets are on the verge of something monumental. "If we play right and we coach right, the results will start getting better," head coach Jeff Van Gundy said in the Houston Chronicle. "If not, we'll be part of a historic collapse, and once you face up to that fact ... No one wants to use that word, but it's on everybody's mind." At one time not too long ago, they were the hottest team in the West. Now, they could be the odd man out in the West. "In the middle of the season we started playing well and put ourselves in the position to be in the playoff race, and not to get there would be a travesty," Rockets forward Jim Jackson said. "The good thing about it is you have another chance to kind of right yourself in these next six games."

    Milwaukee Bucks: The injured T.J. Ford is out of sight and, therefore, out of mind to head coach Terry Porter for the playoffs. "That's the way we have to do it," said Porter in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "You can't think that you're going to have him. I'm just trying to go with the (other) guys -- Damon and Brevin. That's all you can do until you can hear otherwise. You just have to deal with the guys you have in uniform." Ford, suffering from an injured neck, was originally expected back in two to three weeks. It's now been six with no immediate signs of his return. "Every guy is different, but he hasn't been able to do any cardio whatsoever," said Porter. "So it would be at least a week to get some cardio and get some timing back. And you just can't get that in practice; you have to get that in games too."

    Seattle SuperSonics: This is a test. This is only a test. "I'm looking for him to run the team as a point guard, not as a scorer," head coach Nate McMillan said in the Post-Intelligencer of starting Flip Murray at point guard. "Just in terms of delivering the ball, defense on the ball, getting into the offense. Everything." It's not meant as a reward for Murray nor a punishment for Brent Barry. "He's going against the best," McMillan said. "He's going against some really good guards, and it's an opportunity just to look at him at that position."


    Chandler
    Chicago Bulls: Stop me if you've heard this before. "It has been the toughest season of my career because I wanted to play so well and I had such high expectations," Tyson Chandler said in the Chicago Tribune. "My injury set me back. I never really recovered from it. My body wasn't strong enough to accept the pounding. My goal is to get my body strong enough to withstand 82 games. I know I can play the way I [did] at the start of the season. It's just a matter of preparing my body for it." But saying it and doing it are two different things as you can tell by the next thing out of Chandler's mouth. "There's only a week left in the season," he said. "We'll see how things go. I'm still not feeling 100 percent. The last thing I want to do is come back and hurt myself going into the summer."

    Phoenix Suns: And then there were eight Suns after Shawn Marion went down with respiratory problems. "He was hurting Friday and Saturday," head coach Mike D'Antoni said in the Arizona Republic "Hopefully, he'll be OK. I don't know if it's allergies or bronchitis. But he was coughing up a lung a couple of times." Marion is still expected to be available for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.

    * Frustrated King addresses behavior issues
    Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News
    * `Historic collapse' on Rockets' minds
    Megan Manfull / Houston Chronicle
    * Ford might not be playoff bound
    Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
    * Murray to start alongside Allen in Sonics backcourt tonight
    Danny O'Neil / Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    * Chandler eager to get stronger, healthier
    K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune
    * Respiratory problem forces Marion to sit
    Norm Frauenheim / Arizona Republic
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: 4-6-04

    This is from Monday but I am just now including it.

    The Good, the Bad, the Kitchen Sink

    Terry Brown
    Monday, April 5
    Updated: April 5
    1:52 PM ET

    In a single game last week, Carmelo Anthony scored 41 points in 44 minutes and took only one free throw after averaging 6.3 per game on the season. I can only wonder how good this rookie is going to be when they stop treating him like one in about six games.

    The Good
    Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
    Week's work: 3-0 record, 32 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 4 apg, 1.3 spg, 1 bpg, 5 triples, 57.1% shooting

    Nowitzki
    Dirk Nowitzki is unstoppable from distance, going 8-for-14 in the Mavs' last four consecutive wins. He's unstoppable in the paint, shooting 39-for-68 in that same span of time. The 7-foot shooter from Germany is unstoppable from the line, going 19-for-21 in the last week alone. The best player on the Dallas Mavericks is unstoppable when Steve Nash hands out 54 assists in those same four games while also shooting 57 percent from the field, 54 percent from distance and 92 percent from the line. Let me start this over again. Steve Nash is unstoppable . . .

    Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
    Week's work: 4-0 record, 19.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 8 triples, 46% shooting
    Let me try to explain how potent this guy is. As a starter, he averages 19.4 points per game on a 48-minute basis, which is very good. As a sub, he averages 23.5 points per game on a 48-minute basis, which is great. As a Spur, he is averaging 21.2 points per game on a 48-minute basis for a defensive-minded team that averages only 91.7 points per game while also playing a little part-time point guard. Which is phenomenal.

    Richard Jefferson, New Jersey Nets
    Week's work: 3-1 record, 22.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 4 triples, 57.9% shooting
    Kenyon Martin has never averaged more than 17.2 points per game in his career. Jason Kidd has never averaged more than 18.7 in his career. As we speak, Richard Jefferson is at 18.6 after averaging 23.7 for the month of March.

    Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
    Week's work: 4-0 record, 22.5 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.7 spg, 2.7 bpg, 44.4% shooting
    This is the kind of year this guy is having. Statistically, no one had a better overall week than Kevin Garnett yet he still failed to reach his yearly averages in points, rebounds and shooting percentage while barely getting enough steals, blocks and assists by decimal points in games 75, 76, 77 and 78 of a possible 78.

    The Bad
    David Wesley, New Orleans Hornets

    Wesley
    Weak work: 1-3 record, 7.7 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.5 spg, 0 bpg, 20% shooting
    Could very well have been the worst 126 minutes of his career. It just doesn't seem right that they came when the Hornets, without Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn and having lost five of six, need him the most.

    Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
    Weak work: 0-4 record, 13.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 8.2 apg, 2 spg, 40.4% shooting
    It has been feast or famine for Steve Francis all season. Last week he starved. Playing essentially a playoff schedule, he recorded 20 turnovers in four games while shooting 63 percent against the Timberwolves, 41 percent against the Lakers, 33 percent against the Nuggets and 20 percent against the Kings, in that order as the week went on and the Rockets went from playoff locks to three games away from being the league's laughingstocks.

    Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers
    Weak work: 0-4 record, 16.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1 apg, 0 spg, 1.2 bpg, 57.5% shooting
    Don't believe everything you read. Especially this boxscore. In a must-win game against Golden State in Cleveland with Warrior center Erick Dampier injured, Z went 5-for-13 with only eight boards. In the must-win game before that, he scored four points against Brian Skinner and the Bucks. In the must-win game before that, he failed to get a single steal or block or fourth defensive rebound against the Mavs. On the week, he tallied 65 glorious points as his sole contribution to the playoff cause while the opposing centers scored 71.

    Donyell Marshall, Toronto Raptors
    Weak work: 0-3 record, 5.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 1 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.3 bpg, 20.6% shooting
    I thought last week's line was bad, but somebody please explain to me how this guy can grab 16 rebounds on Tuesday and another 16 rebounds on Sunday but a big, fat ZERO rebounds on Friday in 25 minutes.

    The Ugly
    The Los Angeles Clippers were awarded 82 free throws over their last two games and still have yet to win a game in their last 11 attempts.

    The Kitchen Sink
    THE PASSING OF THE KINGS
    Did anyone really think that the Sacramento Kings, averaging a league-leading 104.7 points per game before March, were really going to start scoring 126 once Chris Webber and his 22 points per game returned to the lineup on March 2?

    Didn't think so.

    But did anybody really think they'd be scoring 99.2 points per game last month, either?

    Here's why.


    Chris Webber
    Power Forward
    Sacramento Kings
    Profile


    2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
    GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
    17 18.4 8.9 5.0 .417 .693

    Going into the month, without Webber in the lineup, Vlade Divac was averaging 6.1 assists per game while Brad Miller averaged 5.1. That's 11.2 assist per game from the power forward and center on the team. They knew they couldn't score 20 a game. But they also knew that they could be worth 20 a game.

    As a direct result of their ball movement, the Kings went on to shoot 47.7 percent from the field and 43.7 percent from 3-point range to start the season in November. And it continued. In January, they shot 47.4 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from long range. In February, they shot 45.9 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from long range.

    But then came March, and Webber and his 18 points per game (down three or so from his career average while also shooting a career-low 41 percent from the field). Sure, he also contributed 4.9 assists per game but his presence in the paint stymied the games of Divac and Miller either through a decrease of minutes or decrease of time and space within the lane.

    During the month of March, Divac averaged only 3.8 assists per game and Miller averaged only 3.3. That's a decrease of 4.1 per game. That's 8.2 points. That's the team shooting only 45.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range.

    That's the Kings going from 104.7 points per game to only 99.2 and a 9-8 record since the return of Webber.

    He's hurt, I know. But he's also hurting the team.

    THE D IN SHEED
    Since leaving Portland, Rasheed Wallace has blocked 44 blocks in 20 games for an average of 2.2 per game after averaging 1.4 blocks per game prior to the departure.

    TASTES LIKE KANDI
    Officially, Michael Olowokandi returned to the Minnesota lineup on Feb. 20. But if you ask his teammates, he just showed up three games ago. Up until last week, he averaged only 4.7 rebounds per game on the season after grabbing 9.1 per game for the Clippers last year. That resulted in only 10 minutes of action on Monday against the Rockets in which he totaled one measly rebound for the game. But on Wednesday, he grabbed 11. On Friday, he grabbed 12. And on Sunday, he grabbed 14 while his minutes have gone up from 10 to 21 to 26 to 30 and the Timberwolves are on a five-game win streak.

    DEATH, TAXES AND THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS
    The Milwaukee Bucks are by no means the best free-throw shooting team in the league at 76.9 percent. In fact, that places them at No. 7. But in their last three wins, they've made 68 free throws to their opponents' 34.

    Leading the way has been Joe Smith, who is now shooting a career-high 85.5 percent from the free-throw line after shooting 87.3 percent in March (55 of 63) and is so far perfect in April (5-for-5). But it's not just making the free throws. It's getting those free throws. And in his last six games in which the Bucks have gone 4-2 while the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket crumbles around them, Smith has gotten to the line 31 times. Not so coincidently, he's also scoring 17.1 points per game in those last six games after averaging 11 on the season.

    MUST BE MAGIC
    Since Tracy McGrady, the league's leading scorer at 28 points per game, hung up his sneakers for the season on March 24, Juwan Howard has averaged 24.7 points and nine rebounds on 44 percent shooting. On the season, Howard has averaged 16.6 points and 7.2 boards per game also on 44 percent shooting.

    MIDWEST MONOPOLY
    With about six games to go for each NBA team, the Midwest Division doesn't have a single team with a losing record. Add up all seven teams' records and they're 325-212, winning 60.5 percent of their games. The rest of the league is 788-901, winning only 46.6 percent of their games.

    GUARDED OPTIMISM
    Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton after 77 team games
    2004 Season: 2568 points, 655 rebounds, 725 assists, 196 steals, 42 blocks, 115 triples

    Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton after 77 team games
    2004 Season: 2610 points, 541 rebounds, 713 assists, 178 steals, 22 blocks, 145 triples

    TIE BREAKER SPECIAL
    Minnesota Timberwolves (54-24) versus Sacramento Kings (53-23)
    Thursday, April 8, 2004 at Arco Arena at 7 p.m. PST on TNT

    If the Timberwolves win this game, then they'll both be tied for the Western Conference title. If Sacramento wins and then loses to the Lakers on Sunday, then these same two teams will, again, be tied with the same overall record (55-25) and same head-to-head record (2-2) and same conference record (30-19).

    The End
    "You don't have to talk about us. We're just vanilla, whereas the Lakers are Chunky Monkey or something like that."

    San Antonio Spur Bruce Bowen giving Los Angeles fans the cold shoulder.

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