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The Rules of 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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4-15-2004

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  • 4-15-2004

    Playoff coaches on the hot seat

    By Chad Ford
    NBA Insider
    Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, April 14

    Chat with NBA Insider Chad Ford at 1 p.m. EDT today!

    The coaching massacre of 2003-04 is showing no signs of letting up. In the span of less than a year, GMs have systematically wiped out a staggering 17 coaches, including 14 in the Eastern Conference.

    With the regular season behind us, several lottery coaches, including Kevin O'Neill, Eric Musselman, Terry Stotts, Chris Ford and Nate McMillan, are in big trouble. Portland's Maurice Cheeks also looks like he's getting pushed to resign and take the Sixers' job. If Stotts goes, as rumored, every coach in the Eastern Conference will have resigned or been fired in the span of a year.

    The madness knows no bounds. Even playoff coaches must sweat it. Last year, Rick Carlisle was fired despite leading the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals. Byron Scott was fired midway through this season despite leading the Nets to consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals.

    Landing in the lottery still is the quickest way to get kicked to the curb, but these days even playoff coaches have to watch their backs. In fact, of the 16 coaches who guided their teams to the playoffs last season, nine either lost their jobs or resigned.

    That's not very good odds for this year's group. While a few coaches, like Memphis' Hubie Brown, will have their jobs for as long as they want them, a number of coaches in the playoffs are under some pretty serious pressure as the postseason gets under way.

    Here's a look at who's going to be coaching on the hot seat this postseason.

    Jeff Bzdelik, Nuggets: Bzdelik is in the most trouble, despite leading Denver to one of the best improvements in NBA history. While everyone agrees Bzdelik has been a master motivator and one of the most-prepared coaches in the league, there's a reason why the Nuggets haven't signed him to an extension just yet.


    Despite Carmelo Anthony's endorsement, Jeff Bzdelik's job is in serious jeopardy.
    The front office has been concerned that Bzdelik abandoned the development stage of the team in pursuit of a playoff berth. Two top young building blocks -- Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White -- were given limited playing time this season, despite a feeling in the front office that the development of young players was a higher priority this season than a playoff berth.

    The other problem is that Bzdelik's slow-down, grind-it-out style of coaching is at odds with the team Kiki Vandeweghe is building in Denver. Vandeweghe wants the Nuggets to run and take advantage of the mile-high thin air. He's given Bzdelik a number of players perfectly suited to do just that. When the Nuggets have run, they've usually won. However, Bzdelik hasn't completely embraced the system.

    That doesn't mean he'll be fired, however. Star rookie Carmelo Anthony came out in support of Bzdelik after the team made the playoffs, and Bzdelik still has one year, at $1.5 million, left on his contract. Bzdelik's fretting in the press about an extension hasn't helped the situation, but it has had an important effect -- he has garnered enormous sympathy. Will it be enough to save his neck?

    Don Nelson, Mavericks: Mark Cuban is spending a lot of money to make the Mavs into contenders, but it seems like they've taken a major step backwards this season. Cuban is finding out, much like his billionaire friend Paul Allen did, that having the highest payroll and a slew of high-profile players doesn't guarantee success.

    Nellie faced a near impossible task this season -- trying to figure out a way to integrate the games of Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison. He has no one to blame but himself. It was Nellie who advocated the unusual lineup, and it was Nellie who failed to address the team's most glaring weakness -- a lack of toughness in the paint.

    With that said, has Cuban now painted himself into a corner? Nellie has assembled a team that only he really can coach. Bringing in a high-profile guy like Pat Riley next year would be a joke. Finley is the only one of the Mavs' Big 5 who is a Riley-type player. Trades will be tough, because four of the Big 5 are max players, and the other one, Nash, is heading into free agency.

    What's Cuban to do? The word around the league is Nellie and crew are gone if the Mavs lose to the Kings in the first round. Finding a guy able to pick up the pieces in Dallas is a different story altogether.

    Phil Jackson, Lakers: Phil Jackson is not in danger of being fired. However, his contract expires this summer, and he hasn't made major headway toward an extension. With so much turmoil in L.A., is this the last year we'll see Jackson coaching the Lakers?

    The answer could be yes, if the Lakers flounder in the first or second round. A disappointing loss could set in a motion a disastrous series of chain reactions. If a clearly troubled Kobe Bryant decides to bolt in free agency, two more free agents, Gary Payton and Karl Malone, may decide to walk with him. If that happens, look for Jackson to pack up and ride off into the sunset, leaving Mitch Kupchak and Shaq to clean up the rubble.

    John Carroll, Celtics: He's a place holder for the guy Danny Ainge wants to install this summer. The word is that guy is former Suns and Sonics head coach Paul Westphal. Carroll defied Ainge to a certain extent by continuing to play veterans like Walter McCarty over rookies like Marcus Banks and Brandon Hunter.

    Ainge thought the Celtics would wind up in the lottery with a nice, high draft pick. Instead, they're in the playoffs in what should be a losing cause against the Pacers. You can blame Carroll for much of this. He stuck with what Jim O'Brien was trying to do there, knowing his loyalty to O'Brien would be more likely to be rewarded down the road than his loyalty to Ainge. The bottom line in Boston is Ainge wants his own staff and wants his team to play an up-tempo, West Coast style of basketball next year. That's not Carroll's thing.


    Flip Saunders is under enormous pressure to take the Wolves deep into the playoffs.
    Flip Saunders, Timberwolves: I think Saunders is one of the most underrated coaches in the league. That being said, the Wolves have never won a playoff series, and the pressure on them is now enormous.

    They have the best record in the West but face a terrifying lineup of Western Conference powerhouses. They should be able to get by Denver in Round 1. But after that, a second-round matchup vs. the Kings or Mavericks looms. If the Wolves stumble, will Kevin McHale finally lose his patience? He spent an awful lot of money last summer to put the team in a position to win it all.

    Tim Floyd, Hornets: Poor Tim Floyd. After being chained to one of the worst teams in NBA history in Chicago, he finally got his big break when his hometown Hornets came calling last summer. After a sizzling start, things started to fall apart in New Orleans. Injuries and attitudes have contributed to a late-season slide that has put Floyd back into familiar territory -- the coaching hot seat.

    Now, the Hornets are facing a tough first-round matchup against the red-hot Heat. If Miami knocks the Hornets out of the first round, changes are going to be made in New Orleans. There's already talk that GM Bob Bass might be gone. Others think that this group of Hornets has been together too long and changes need to be made. However, Floyd knows his neck is on the chopping block too. Given his messy tangos with history ... he's sweating like Barry Bonds at a drug test.

    Rick Adelman, Kings: Adelman is in a situation similar to Saunders. He's done a great job in Sacramento and has never really gotten the credit he deserves. The Kings have had a major injury or two every year, and Adelman has always found a way to get the most out of his team. But is Adelman's time running out?

    For most of the season, it was the Kings, not the Lakers, that looked like the team to beat in the West. A late-season slide that just so happened to coincide with the return of Chris Webber has everyone worried. If the Kings stumble early, will the Maloof brothers try to salvage their investment by bringing in another coach with a better defensive plan?

    Lenny Wilkens, Knicks: This really has nothing to do with Wilkens and everything to do with Isiah Thomas. Wilkens hasn't done enough yet to lay a stranglehold on his job. It would take a pretty impressive playoff run to do that. A first-round exit is more likely. In which case, if Isiah wants the job ... Lenny's gone.

    Hubie Brown, Grizzlies: Hubie Brown is in zero danger of losing his job. But, he's been saying all year that he may step down at the end of the season. Age and the endless grind of coaching in the NBA have worn him down. Jerry West and Brown both have one year left on their contracts. They'd love to make a move or two in free agency or trade (a big man or a star are top priority) and make a run at it one more time. Win or lose, the job West and Brown have done in Memphis has been masterful. Will they be able to keep it up?

    Around the League

    # Playoff-tology: Stunning. That's the only way to describe the last night in the NBA regular season. How in the world did the Bucks blow the chance at a fourth seed, home-court advantage in the first round, and the chance to face the Miami Heat (41 wins)? Instead, their shocking loss to the Raptors Wednesday night pushed them to a sixth seed, took away home-court advantage and gave them the honor of playing the Detroit Pistons (54 wins) in round one. One night to blow a whole season. Though I love the Heat, the Bucks had a real shot of defeating the them, especially if they had home court. They'll be steam rolled by the Pistons.

    The Kings' loss to the Warriors was just as shocking. As it stood going into Wednesday's game, the Kings were one win away from securing the second seed in the West. They would've had to play the struggling Rockets in round one. Instead, they slip to fourth and are forced to face the Mavericks. The Mavs have been playing better, are a better rebounding team and have the fire power to knock out the Kings. While I still like the Kings in the matchup, it's going to be an entertaining seven-game series, I predict.

    Since Friday is draft day . . . here's my quick picks for the playoffs.

    Eastern Conference Round One: Pacers over Celtics in 5. Nets over Knicks in 6. Pistons over Bucks in 5. Heat over Hornets in 6.

    Western Conference Round One: Timberwolves over Nuggets in 6. Lakers over Rockets in 6. Spurs over Grizzlies in 6. Kings over Mavericks in 7.

    Eastern Conference Round Two: Pacers over Heat in 6. Pistons over Nets in 6.

    Western Conference Round Two: Kings over Timberwolves in 7. Lakers over Spurs in 7.

    Eastern Conference Finals: Pistons over Pacers in 7.

    Western Conference Finals: Lakers over Kings in 7.

    Finals: Lakers over Pistons in 7.

    I know I've been saying the Kings all season . . . but the funk that they're in is downright scary. They can't seem to figure out how to use Chris Webber. Meanwhile, I believe the Lakers, despite all of the turmoil, will focus in the playoffs. The only other thing I'll say is that I believe that either the Pistons or Pacers will have a real chance in the Finals this year. It's really a toss-up between those two. If the Pistons or Pacers get the Wolves or Kings in the Finals, I think they would have a great shot to win a championship this year.

    # Back Draft: The last day of the season also made significant impact on the other big NBA race -- the quest for more lottery balls.

    The Suns' defeat of the Jazz on Wednesday pushed them back fairly seriously in a three-way race for the fourth-most lottery balls. The Suns would've had a 9.1 percent chance at the No. 1 pick with a loss on Wednesday. Instead, they slip to 6.4 percent.

    The Hawks and Clippers both finished tied for fourth and will split 209 lottery balls. A coin flip will determine who gets 10.5 percent and who gets 10.4 percent.

    The Raptors' win over the Bucks, combined with a Sixers loss on Wednesday, also made an impact. The two now split the balls for seventh place. The league will hold a coin flip in the next week or so to determine who gets 37 balls (or 3.7 percent) and who gets 36 balls (or 3.6 percent). Had the Raptors won, they would've had a 4.4 percent chance of winning the lottery and the Sixers would've had a 2.9 percent.

    The Warriors' win on Wednesday also hurt their standing. They finished tied with the Sonics and will split 18 lottery balls (or. 9 percent).

    A few other draft situations were cleared up on Wednesday.

    # The Knicks will send the No. 16 pick in the draft (via Phoenix) to Jazz to fufill terms from the Stephon Marbury trade in December. The Suns sent the pick along to Utah as part of the Tom Gugliotta trade in February.

    # The Bucks will send the No. 17 or No. 18 pick in the draft (via Detroit) to the Hawks to fulfill terms from the Rasheed Wallace trade in February. The Bucks finished in a tie with the Hornets and draft order will be determined by a coin flip.

    # The Rockets will send the No. 21 pick in the draft to the Jazz to fulfill terms of the Glen Rice trade last summer.

    # The Grizzlies will send the No. 23 pick in the draft to the Blazers to fulfill terms of the Bonzi Wells trade last fall.

    # The Mavericks will send the No. 24 pick in the draft to the Celtics to fulfill terms of the Antoine Walker trade last fall.

    # The Pistons will send the No. 25 pick in the draft to the Celtics to fulfill terms of the Chuck Atkins trade in February.

    Here's a look at how the entire first round will play out.

    1. Orlando Magic (25 percent chance)
    2. Chicago Bulls (20 percent chance)
    3. Washington Wizards (15.7 percent chance)
    4. Charlotte Bobcats (locked in at No. 4)
    5. (tie) Atlanta Hawks (10.5 percent chance)
    5. (tie) L.A. Clippers (10.4 percent chance)
    7. Phoenix Suns (6.4 percent chance)
    8. (tie) Toronto Raptors (3.7 percent chance)
    8. (tie) Philadelphia 76ers (3.6 percent chance)
    10. Cleveland Cavaliers (1.8 percent chance)
    11. (tie) Golden State Warriors (.9 percent chance)
    11. (tie) Seattle SuperSonics (.9 percent chance)
    13. Portland Trail Blazers (.6 percent chance)
    14. Utah Jazz (.5 percent chance)
    15. Boston Celtics
    16. Utah Jazz (via Knicks)
    17. (tie) Atlanta Hawks (via Bucks)
    17. (tie) New Orleans Hornets
    19. Miami Heat
    20. Denver Nuggets
    21. Utah Jazz (via Rockets)
    22. New Jersey Nets
    23. Portland Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)
    24. Boston Celtics (via Mavericks)
    25. Boston Celtics (via Pistons)
    26. Sacramento Kings
    27. L.A. Lakers
    28. San Antonio Spurs
    29. Indiana Pacers

    Note: The Timberwolves must forfeit their pick this year as part of the punishment for the Joe Smith fiasco.

    # T-Mac on the block? New Magic GM John Weisbrod pulled a stunner on Wednesday when he issued an ultimatum to Tracy McGrady -- before talking to T-Mac about it.


    Tracy McGrady
    Shooting Guard
    Orlando Magic
    Profile


    2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
    GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
    67 28.0 6.0 5.5 .417 .796

    T-Mac has an opt out in his contract after the 2004-05 season and Weisbrod is afraid that McGrady will leave the team. If McGrady is determined to go, Weisbrod doesn't want to lose him for nothing.

    "I have no intention of starting the season with an 'I don't know' [from McGrady]. That's a fair statement," Weisbrod told the Orlando Sentinel.

    "I don't want it misinterpreted that we're looking for a way to trade him -- we're not. My only objective is to push things to a conclusion during the course of the offseason. I'm not an idiot. If he comes to me July 1 and says come hell and high water I'm opting out, I'd be sort of foolish to say. 'Let's see during the course of the year if he changes his mind.' "

    McGrady was surprised to hear the news, but after a meeting with Weisbrod later on Wednesday, he tried to put everything in perspective. McGrady said that he wants to remain a member of the Magic, but winning is important too.

    "I don't want to leave," McGrady said. "I want to be here at home, but if it doesn't happen, I'll go somewhere else. I'll tell them it's just not working out, so let's both gain something from this.

    "If we make all our moves and we improve our talent by training camp, maybe I'll go ahead and make my decision. I think they deserve to know what I'm going to do before the trade deadline. If I do decide to go, I don't want to play the entire year and them get nothing for me. They helped me get to the player I am now."

    The trade deadline may be too late for Weisbrod, however.

    "I don't think I'd be very comfortable in February," said Weisbrod. "I can't imagine putting the ball up in air to start next season with a feeling of uncertainty of where that's going. That's counterproductive to what we're trying to do."

    Look for the feeding frenzy to begin right away. A number of teams will be willing to take a chance on McGrady. With the team capped out and Weisbrod's hands tied, its only real shot of significantly improving will be if it lands Emeka Okafor in the draft, trades Juwan Howard or Drew Gooden for a starting point guard or center, lands a nice free agent with the mid-level exception and gets a healthy Grant Hill in the fall. That's a lot of ifs.

    Kobe's short memory serves him well

    By Terry Brown
    NBA Insider
    Thursday, April 15
    Updated: April 15
    2:16 PM ET

    Kobe Bryant didn't win the Lakers' final regular-season game against the Portland Trail Blazers with 1.1 seconds left in regulation when he triple-pumped that leaning 3-pointer in from beyond the top of the key.

    He didn't win the game with one second left in double-overtime on a turnaround, fall away 3-pointer with Ruben Patterson tapping him on the wrist.

    He won it seven years ago when, as an 18-year-old rookie, he stood all alone at the top of the key in a second-round elimination game against the Utah Jazz and airballed two potential game-winning shots and the Lakers lost.

    Let's not forget that with 1:40 left in regulation of Wednesday night's game, Bryant missed a jumper that would have put the Lakers ahead by a point. With 1:15 left on the clock, he was whistled for traveling after forcing his way between two defenders in the paint. With 0:55 left, he missed two free throws with the Blazers up by three. At the 0:14 mark, he missed a 3-point shot with that same Ruben Patterson crowding him into the far corner.


    With the game on the line, the Lakers are comfortable with the ball in Kobe Bryant's hands.
    But with one second left, the rest became history.

    "It was a great shot by the young fellow, Kobe," Shaquille O'Neal said in the Los Angeles Times. "He told us, 'Set me a good pick and we're going home.' This is how a great player, a great confident guy makes a shot."

    In other words, Bryant doesn't simply make game-winning shots at the buzzer. He makes two or three or strings together runs all by himself while shutting down the league's leading scorer for an entire half.

    Or he airballs a forced jumper while an unnamed teammate stands wide open on the periphery and thousands pseudo-psychologists in throwback jerseys that match their sneakers scream PASS THE BALL.

    And then calls for the rock the very next time down the court.

    So with the playoffs upon us and the league's top six teams divided by only six teams (the sixth being the one with the best record not one month ago), this more than any of his numerous attributes is what makes Bryant the best clutch player in what figures to be a playoff season that will come down to the final second.

    We've listed these clutch players below, one representative from each playoff team, from best to worst with the clock winding down and the season hinging on the flick of a wrist.

    1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
    See above.

    2. Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers
    He is 39-years-old and playing fewer minutes and taking fewer shots with those minutes than ever before. But 115 playoff games is 115 playoff games, especially when your career mark from 3-point range during the postseason is 39.9 percent. Still comes off screens with abandon, still gets bug-eyed with the shot clock shrinking, still would love to end his storied career with his right arm outstretched and left leg kicked forward for the foul. Against the Knicks would be just fine. In Madison Square Garden would be sublime.

    3. Robert Horry, San Antonio Spurs
    Career could be summed up in about 10 seconds of actual game time with the closing shot of him and five championship rings. Or will it be six with three different teams and three different MVPs in the post?

    4. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
    Playoff demigod who has single-handedly carried unworthy teams to unimagined heights. Just finished the toughest season of his career and hasn't played since April 10 as his team lost five of its last six. That should make Indiana very confident. Or very, very afraid.


    The Kings have plenty of weapons, but Mike Bibby is the player opponents fear the most.
    5. Mike Bibby, Sacramento Kings
    His stroke only seems to get better as the game wears on. So good, in fact, that he's turned his team's centers into statistical point guards and the point guard, himself, into the shooter. Teammate Peja Stojakovic can win all the 3-point shooting contest he wants. Bibby after one rhythm dribble is still the guy opponents fear most on the Kings with the game on the line and I have yet to see him visibly sweat.

    6. Sam Cassell, Minnesota Timberwolves
    Kevin Garnett can have the first three quarters, but Sam gets the last one. That's the deal. Funny how all these years, critics keep claiming that KG doesn't have a go-to shot or the willingness the take the last shot or shots. Then Cassell comes along and all of a sudden KG is the MVP when, in fact, it's the same KG with a guy willing to take the last shot as a sidekick.

    7. Stephon Marbury, New York Knicks
    Last year, he hit a bank shot against the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs that proved to be the best shot that anyone had to beat Tim Duncan in the postseason and made it looked like he called it. Arguably quicker dribbling the ball than in track shoes, can get his shot off against anyone, anywhere which, when you think about, is just as important as a willingness or ability to shoot it.

    8. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
    Very similar to Cassell in this respect, just 67 playoff games and two NBA titles his junior. But don't think he isn't using that as motivation after playing for five different teams in seven seasons after being the No. 3 overall pick in 1997.

    9. Baron Davis, New Orleans Hornets
    Prior to this season, Baron Davis averaged 13.3 points per game over his career during the regular season and 18.1 points per game in the playoffs. Not only is he getting better. He's getter better at the right times. One month into this season, we were calling him the MVP. And, now, after this regular season, we can only hope he's healthy enough to see how good he's really gotten.

    10. Steve Nash, Dallas Mavericks
    Over the head, fall away leaners, I swear I've seen a hook. There are instances I don't think he even knows what he's going to do when he leaves his feet in the key. But the only time his coach complains is when he doesn't shoot it. This uncanny ability to just get the shot off coupled with his skills as a shooter and passer make him very dangerous at the top of the key with the ball going from his right to left hand and his head tilted forward.

    11. Cuttino Mobley, Houston Rockets
    With Yao Ming in center and Steve Francis running the point, this guy may never get the credit he deserves for scoring 18 a game over the last five years while shooting 37 percent from long range, which is just fine with him so long as he doesn't get the defensive attention, either.

    12. James Posey, Memphis Grizzlies
    He is big for a shooting guard. He is strong for a swingman. He has somehow found a way to shine in a 10-man rotation in which no one scores more than 18 a game but eight of them average 8.5 points or more. Hubie Brown calls him his most valuable player. And we're not going to argue with 20.6 points per game in April on 50 percent shooting. But we are going to wait and see.

    13. Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks
    Once made eight 3-pointers in a single fourth quarter against the Rockets a couple years ago and has earned every bit of the praise put upon him and his southpaw stroke since. But this is his first playoff run in charge and almost winning last year's Sixthman of the Year award doesn't count when you've gone 3-for-14 in the last three games from distance as your team falls from fourth to sixth in the seedings.

    14. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
    Getting here is one thing. Getting higher on this list will take a lot more of that one thing.

    15. Rafer Alston, Miami Heat
    This made-for-video point guard is the wildest card on a team of wild cards. He will take the last shot. He will even make the last shot. And he will audibly wonder why the only people who appreciate his game are those in baggy pants.

    16. Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets
    The reason that a guy with a career scoring average of 14.8 at 40 percent shooting is always open for the last-second shot is because the other team wants him to shoot it. Duh. May very well be one of the finest point guards to ever play the game, but that has everything to do with his 6,738 assists in the regular season and nothing to do with his 27 percent 3-point shooting in the playoffs.

    Peep Show

    NBA Insider
    Thursday, April 15
    Updated: April 15
    9:28 AM ET


    Houston
    New York Knicks: Allan Houston's mind is willing to play in the postseason, but the body is weak. "It's not really healthy, it's not to the point where it's healed," Houston said in the New York Post of sore left knee. "It's not where it should be or I want it to be. I don't want to miss out in the opportunity to play in the playoffs. I've been waiting for this for a long time. I just don't want to rule out anything. But if I had to play today, I definitely couldn't. But if the team needs me to do something, I'll do whatever I can to help." He just hopes his teammates believe him. "There's a difference between not being where you'd like to be and not being able to play period," Houston said. "Right now I just can't play. It would almost be better if I had a cast on my leg. It would be a visible sign. But at the same time, I'm not going to rule out Game 1. If coach sees that I can help and wants me, too, I'll definitely consider it. We may get to a certain round where it may feel a lot better."

    Minnesota Timberwolves: Troy Hudson found something he didn't like during his latest trip to the doctor's office. "It really showed up on the X-rays," Hudson said in the Star Tribune. "I don't know how long the calcium's been there, but that's what's been causing a lot of the inflammation and pain. . . . It's not going anywhere, so I think this is the best thing to do." In other words, he's out of the playoffs for good and will have surgery. "It's been like that the whole year," said Sam Cassell. "He'll be sorely missed. But it's that time of year you can't worry about that. We'd love to have Huddy back, but he's not here. So the only thing we can do is move on."


    Camby
    Denver Nuggets: Marcus Camby got more than 21 rebounds Monday night. He also got a $750,000 bonus after his season average in rebounding jumped to 10.1 per game. "I reached a big bonus," the free agent-to-be said in the Rocky Mountain News before turning his attention to even bigger money. "(The Nuggets) better get something done with the way I've been playing. I know a lot of teams will have a lot of interest." Camby's camp has mentioned that the power forward would prefer to stay in Denver and would do so with a six-year, $60 million deal. "We really would like him to stay in Denver and I think he's found a home here," general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. "He played so hard at the end of the season. I'm happy he ended up averaging 10 rebounds."

    Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller will play one more season, but only if the Pacers fail to win the championship. But if they win . . . "I would seriously contemplate it," he said in the Indianapolis Star. "At my age, you want to think about going out on top." Miller is 39-years-old. "I do love to play," Miller said. "And I love playing on this team. There's not as much pressure. My minutes are great at 27 to 30. I know exactly when I'm coming out and exactly how hard to play and what to do. It would be tough, but I'd have to assess that situation when I get to that point if we do win it."

    New Orleans Hornets: Jamal Mashburn has just one demand and he'll play in the first round. "If I could play basketball on a bike, I would be fine," Mashburn said in the Times Picayune. "This is one of the injuries I've had that I can't diagnose. I don't how it's going to feel in a couple of weeks." If not, he's out. "It's disappointing in a lot of ways, but I'm not only concerned about this year but also years to come," Mashburn said in the . "I'm having pain, and I'm feeling bone hitting on bone. I'm not able to run. As far as the first (round) part of the playoffs, I'm not going to be able to play."


    Bowen
    San Antonio Spurs: Let the trash talking begin. "I look forward to it," Bruce Bowen said in the San Antonio Express of guarding James Posey. "It's something I'm really, really looking forward to." Especially since the Grizzlies beat the Spurs three times this year. "They were very satisfied with their victories against us," Bowen said. "We weren't at full strength. There's nothing we can say or do about that. It happened, and we understand that. Now, it will be a chance, hopefully, to have our team healthy, and we'll see what goes on if we're healthy."

    Golden State Warriors: Even if head coach Eric Musselman knew if he was going to coach the Warriors next season, he wouldn't tell us. "The only thing I'm concerned with is tonight's basketball game," he said in the Contra Costa Times yesterday. "Again, there's really no use talking about that. It's not my decision right now. I love to coach basketball ... so."

    Seattle SuperSonics: Ray Allen wishes the Sonics would just do something about their terrible locker rooms. "There are a lot of organizations that do more for their players, just in terms of locker-room amenities," he said in the Seattle Times. "Our locker room could be better in both places (the practice facility and KeyArena). This is just based on what we've seen around the league." He's even willing to lower his salary demands, he's due for an extension in July, to help lure other players if the Sonics will do their part. "At the end of the day we play basketball, so that's your chief concern," Allen said. "The basketball is what's most important. ... The other stuff, well, you just want everything in place. You want to be treated like you're valued."

    * Houston Iffy For Playoffs
    Marc Berman / New York Post
    * Notebook: Hudson's season is done
    Steve Aschburner / Minneapolis Star Tribune
    * Camby's game nets more than playoffs
    Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News
    * Mashburn likely to miss series
    John Reid / New Orleans Times-Picayune
    * Bowen ready to take on Posey
    Mike Monroe / San Antonio Express-News
    * Musselman mum on return
    Matt Steinmetz / Contra Costa Times
    * Allen wants to stay, but wants better amenities
    Percy Allen / Seattle Times
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