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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.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

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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Pacers insider

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  • Pacers insider

    Hey...there is an article on the pacers...can someone post that?

    http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/playoff...ory?id=1795904
    Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.

  • #2
    Re: Pacers insider

    Here's 05-06, can't help with the Pacers article:

    Is 2005 the year of the Kwame?

    By Chad Ford
    NBA Insider
    Send an Email to Chad Ford Thursday, May 6

    Will the real Kwame Brown please stand up?

    After three years of watching and hand wringing, the Wizards would like to know who the kid they drafted with the No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft really is.

    Is he the Kwame Brown who dropped 30 and 19 on the Kings' Chris Webber? The Kwame who scored 25 points and grabbed nine boards against the Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal. That's the Brown the Wizards thought they were getting when Brown told Michael Jordan that he never would regret taking him.

    Summer Blueprints
    What will your team be up to this summer? NBA Insider Chad Ford breaks it down

    # Phoenix Suns
    # Cleveland Cavaliers
    # Seattle Supersonics
    # Chicago Bulls
    # Golden State Warriors
    # Los Angeles Clippers
    # Orlando Magic
    # Boston Celtics
    # Portland Trail Blazers
    # Charlotte Bobcats
    # 2004 Free agents

    Or maybe Kwame is the kid who had zero points and three boards against the Jazz in 29 minutes of play. Or perhaps he's the kid who managed just three points and three boards against the Suns. If that's the Kwame the Wizards are stuck with . . . things are going to get ugly.

    The problem in Washington -- and it's a big one -- is that the Wizards, three years into Brown's career, still aren't sure who their cornerstone really is. The Bulls, who drafted two high school kids in 2001, are going through the same growing pains.

    How long do you wait before you give up? How much patience can a struggling franchise have? If Grunfeld trades Brown now, and he turns into Jermaine O'Neal next year . . . he loses his job. If he hangs onto Brown for another two years, only to find out that he's fool's gold . . . he loses his job.

    Ah, the joys of being in charge of young, teenage millionaires.


    Kwame Brown
    Power Forward
    Washington Wizards
    Profile


    2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
    GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
    74 10.9 7.4 1.5 .489 .683

    All of the pressure, ideally, shouldn't be on Kwame's shoulders, but it is. The Wizards have a stocked backcourt filled with scorers and defenders. It's the frontcourt that keeps coming up short. The Wizards need to improve it, but nothing they can do this summer will help as much as getting Brown to play up to his billing on a consistent basis.

    There are no free agents out there with his upside. No one in the draft ready to come in and do what he's capable of doing. The mantle of the Wizards once rested firmly on Michael Jordan's back. Now it's on Kwame's. There's no escaping it now. If he fails, the Wizards do too. If he develops, the Wizards will be a force to be reckoned with.

    Can the Wizards' front office do anything to determine his path? Here's a look at what to expect as Insider continues its summer blueprint series.

    Wizards Summer Blueprint

    DRAFT: The Wizards currently hold the third pick in the draft and have a 15.7 percent overall of landing No. 1. They need the help. Despite years in the lottery, the Wizards still need help in the frontcourt. A player like Emeka Okafor or Luol Deng would be another good fit in Washington.

    Okafor would give the Wizards the type of blue collar work ethic in the paint that Brendan Haywood and Brown haven't been able to provide. The Wizards have drafted two small forwards the past two drafts -- Jared Jeffries and Jarvis Hayes -- but Deng is on a different level from either player.

    The Wizards will also consider trading this pick. The team has plenty of young players and really needs another star in the frontcourt to anchor some pretty solid backcourt play. The team, especially if it doesn't land one of the top three picks, may try to package it along with Christian Laettner to the Bobcats. Laettner has just one year left on his deal and the Bobcats could use the extra talent. The extra cap room they would get could come in handy in free agency.

    FREE AGENCY: The team has only one significant free agent, Etan Thomas. Thomas is a restricted free agent who had the best year of his career in Washington last season. He can be tough around the basket, but injuries have limited his progress throughout his career. The Wizards would like to re-sign him, but won't break the bank to do it.


    Etan Thomas
    Forward-Center
    Washington Wizards
    Profile


    2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
    GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
    79 8.9 6.7 0.9 .489 .647

    As far as cap room goes, the team will be a few million under the cap once you figure in the cap hold for their first-round pick. However, if the Wizards can find a way to move a big salary off the books (along with their first-round pick) in the expansion draft (Laettner, Jerry Stackhouse and even Larry Hughes are possibilities), they could get around $10 million under the cap. That would give them plenty of room to make a run at a veteran big man to play alongside Brown.

    The problem for Washington is that there aren't a lot of great ones available. Erick Dampier, Mehmet Okur, Vlade Divac, Marcus Camby and Mark Blount top the list. All could make a difference in Washington, but none is a perfect fit. Coach Eddie Jordan could also talk GM Ernie Grunfeld into making a run a Kenyon Martin this summer. The Nets have been balking at Martin's asking price, and his familiarity and devotion to Jordan could make for an interesting fit. If the Wizards really do have $10 million to work with . . . they could afford it and then use Brown as bait to land a center or small forward in return.

    TRADES: Look for the Wizards to try to move Stackhouse this summer. He was injured most of the season and the Wizards were happy with how Hughes and Hayes played in his absence.


    Jerry Stackhouse
    Guard-Forward
    Washington Wizards
    Profile


    2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
    GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
    26 13.9 3.6 4.0 .399 .806

    Is Stackhouse tradable? He has three years, $25 million left on his contract. That's not an unreasonable amount. If the Wizards were willing to swallow a big contract in return, they might find a taker.

    Brown remains their most tradeable commodity. He showed enough flashes of greatness last season to keep teams very interested in him. While Brown still appears to lack the fire to be a go-to guy on any team, his skills at his size are undeniable. The Wizards won't give him away, but if they can get significantly better in the process, they have to consider it.

    The team may also make a decision between Jeffries and Hayes. They don't need both players. Hayes is a better fit in Washington's system, meaning that Jeffries should keep his bags packed.

    COACHING: Jordan is the man. He was the brains behind the Nets' free-flowing offense and eventually, with the right players, you'll see the Wizards flowing too. He just needs more time and few changes to get things in place. The Wizards are committed to him. How weird does that sound given that we are talking about the Eastern Conference here.

    FRONT OFFICE: Ernie Grunfeld is one of the best GMs in the league. He spent the past year sitting back, assessing what the team had. Don't be surprised if he now rolls up his sleeves and starts making changes. The team has too many guards and too many young players. He needs to swap some of that for some veteran low-post players to surround Kwame with. Grunfeld has a knack for finding talent and he'll do something to address the issue this year.

    Despite the mounting losses, the future in Washington should be bright. Brown still has the potential to be a star. Arenas too. The rest of the supporting cast are assets that can be moved for the right pieces. There's still a lot of work to be done in Washington, but a 35-win season for the Wizards next season should be possible.

    Heat will rest when season ends

    By Terry Brown
    NBA Insider
    Thursday, May 6
    Updated: May 6
    1:47 PM ET

    If the Miami Heat thought Game 7 of the first round was tough, they're about to find out how hard their 90th game of the season can be when facing an Indiana Pacers team that's had 11 days of rest.

    "They're dealing with their dilemma and we're dealing with ours," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said in the Palm Beach Post. "The challenge for us right now is to make sure we do enough to make sure we're prepared without overwhelming guys."

    Here's why.

    Lamar Odom has already played the fourth-most minutes in the playoffs of all participants thus far. Caron Butler has played the fifth-most. Eddie Jones has played the sixth-most and Dwyane Wade has played the seventh-most.

    And they're all Miami Heat.

    Less than 46 hours after defeating the New Orleans Hornets in the seventh game of their first-round series, the Heat are in Indiana for their first game of the second round. This may be just another game for a group of seasoned veterans accustomed to the rigors of NBA playoff basketball, but for Wade, it's the eighth playoff game of his life.

    "Dwyane thinks this is life in the NBA," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "You come in, you get into the playoffs, you move on."

    It what may seem like yesterday, he was guarding Baron Davis. Tonight, he is guarding Jamaal Tinsley. Tomorrow, he'll be wondering what to do when he gets rubbed off on a Ron Artest screen after running into Jermaine O'Neal on the other end of the court.

    After two years in Marquette, this rookie sensation started his NBA season by losing his first seven games as a professional. The Heat were the last team in the entire league to win a game.


    Lamar Odom is tired, but you won't hear him or any Heat player complain about the playoff grind.
    They lost at Philly. They lost at Boston. They lost to Detroit. They lost at Dallas. They lost at San Antonio. They lost to Minnesota. They lost at Houston.

    It took 16 days from the beginning of the regular season before the Heat won their first game and they had to go into overtime to win their second.

    It took until April 7 and 78 games just to get to .500 for the first time all year.

    Forty-two wins later, the Heat finished the regular season as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. But not before Wade sat out 13 games due to a bruised right wrist, small forward Butler struggled to recover from offseason surgery to his left knee, newly signed Odom pushed on to more minutes than he played the previous two seasons combined and Jones suffered the worst shooting season of his career.

    Wade scored just over 1,200 points in two seasons at Marquette. His next basket tonight will give him 1,101 this year alone.

    And how do you think Odom feels?

    He played in only 49 games last year. He played in only 29 the year before that. He injured this wrist, that ankle and was suspended for violating terms of the league's drug policy.

    The point is, he's about to play his 88th game of the season after playing only 78 in the last two years.

    He's never been to the playoffs, much less the second round. Neither has Butler, who took until Jan. 2 to score back-to-back double-digit games this year and that was 10 against the Knicks and 12 against the Magic. Back-up forward Udonis Haslem is a rookie like Wade. This year, his Florida Gators team played 31 games while he is about to play in his 83rd.

    Sixthman Rafer Alston never played in more than 50 games before this year and never more than 980 minutes in a season. This year alone, he played in 82 regular-season games and 2,581 minutes.

    About the only Heat player with any postseason experience averaging more than nine points a game is Jones, and he may have already played too many. The 10-year veteran is coming off a season in which he shot only 40.9 percent and sinking.

    Jones started the season averaging 21 points per game in November. By April, he was down to 12.7. In January, he shot 43.5 percent from the field. In February, he was down to 42.1 percent. In March, it was 41.4 percent. By April, he had fallen to 35.4 percent.

    So far in the playoffs, Jones is averaging 15 points per game on 37.6 percent shooting.

    Needless to say, this has been a long season for Jones. It has been a long season for the Heat. And while the Pacers haven't played a game decided by fewer than 10 points since April 7, this Miami squad, nonetheless, seems to only thrive the harder it gets and can only hope the season gets even longer.

    "This is my favorite team I have ever played for," said Brian Grant in the Miami Herald. "We started 0-7 . . . and people were telling us it was going to be the worst year ever."

    Now, it only hurts when they celebrate.

    * Series pits wired-but-weary vs. rested-but-rusty
    Tom D'Angelo / Palm Beach Post
    * Staying relaxed
    Barry Jackson / Miami Herald
    * Wade a rookie no longer
    Dave George / Palm Beach Post

    Peep Show

    NBA Insider
    Thursday, May 6
    Updated: May 6
    9:30 AM ET


    Miller
    Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller is glad he stuck around Indiana. "I could have been a reluctant superstar and fought the transition," Miller said in the Indianapolis Star. "But for this franchise to remain at the top, and it will once I'm gone, someone had to defer and step back. It happens in every walk of life." But that's a lot easier to say than do. "Well, that's true," he said. "But I knew if I didn't step back and nurture and teach -- if I cried that I wanted the ball and demanded my shots -- we weren't going anywhere. I could have butted heads with Jermaine once he got here, or Jonathan (Bender) and Al (Harrington). But change is inevitable in life, and it's what you do with change and how you accept it. I know my window of opportunity is closing, but I felt like if they learned quickly, it would preserve me in the long run and give us a shot at a title. And that's what's happened."

    New Jersey Nets: The Nets are as the Nets do. "What we've been doing for the last three years has been very good for us," the rookie interim coach Frank Lawrence said in the New York Daily News. "You have to have trust, conviction and belief in what we do. And we do. We're not going to throw in a new offense and run it in Game 2. Adjustments are the tweaks and little modifications you make." Richard Jefferson agreed. "It's nearly impossible to have that kind of futility two games in a row. History kind of works in our favor there." Kenyon Martin made it even simpler. "We got better today," Kenyon Martin said. "We just need to work on the things we need to work on."

    Detroit Pistons: The Pistons welcomed back two familiar faces to practice: Rasheed Wallace and his plantar fasciitis. "Rasheed practiced a little bit," said coach Larry Brown in the Detroit Free Press. "I didn't recognize him. I hadn't seen him out there. He did all right. He was OK. He's getting closer. We have some days off. The mornings are the real problem."

    Boston Celtics: New coach Doc Rivers isn't wasting any time with his new staff, identifying Raptors assistant Tony Brown and Grizzlies assistant Lionel Hollins as his favorites. "I've talked to both guys [Brown and Hollins] about the job," said Rivers in the Boston Globe. "I've also talked to about five other guys. Tony Brown is the only guy I've given a financial offer to. I think he would be a terrific addition to our staff. Verbally, if Lionel and I can come to an agreement, he would be a terrific addition, too." Other people contacted are Magic assistants Dave Wohl, Paul Pressey and Mark Hughes, former assistant Jim Brewer, former Sixers coach Randy Ayers and Celtics assistant Paul Cormier, who could be the only returning coach.


    Chandler
    Chicago Bulls: Tyson Chandler crosses his heart. "This is going to be my hardest-working summer ever," he said in the Chicago Tribune. The big man returned to Chicago's Berto Center after a brief vacation in California and is said to be joining Eddy Curry in escalated workouts.

    Minnesota Timberwolves: The St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that the Timberwolves' payroll will jump up another $2 million with the announcement that Kevin Garnett had become the league's MVP. A clause in his contract says Garnett gets paid an additional $1 million bonus because of the award, and because Minnesota is already over the luxury cap, it will be fined dollar for dollar.

    Los Angeles Lakers: Is Phil Jackson losing control of his team? "We had some miscommunications tonight, and some of that was my fault," Jackson said in the Los Angles Times after fans witnessed a heated argument between him and Karl Malone during Wednesday night's game. "This has been typical of the year, this miscommunication as a team," Malone said. "Maybe all of us are stubborn."

    * Miller's demand: another shot at title
    Bob Kravitz / Indianapolis Star
    * Call for a Frank answer
    Ohm Youngmisuk / New York Daily News
    * R. Wallace finally able to practice
    Perry A. Farrell / Detroit Free Press
    * Brown, Hollins extended offers
    Shira Springer / Boston Globe
    * Hard work in Chandler's summer plans
    K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune
    * Garnett's MVP award has price tag
    Charley Walters / St. Paul Pioneer Press
    * This Time, Jackson Can't Find Way to Bring Out the Greatness
    Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times
    Mickael Pietrus Le site officiel

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Pacers insider

      Is Stackhouse tradable? He has three years, $25 million left on his contract. That's not an unreasonable amount. If the Wizards were willing to swallow a big contract in return, they might find a taker.

      Brown remains their most tradeable commodity. He showed enough flashes of greatness last season to keep teams very interested in him. While Brown still appears to lack the fire to be a go-to guy on any team, his skills at his size are undeniable. The Wizards won't give him away, but if they can get significantly better in the process, they have to consider it.

      The team may also make a decision between Jeffries and Hayes. They don't need both players. Hayes is a better fit in Washington's system, meaning that Jeffries should keep his bags packed.


      I tell you what I would take Stackhouse/Brown and Jeffries if they would take Cro or Pollard. We would need to throw in Harrington who will now be a hot commodity. But if he is going to want to start then we can bring in Jeffries off the bench and bring Kwame along slowley if need be.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Pacers insider

        Hey...there is an article on the pacers...can someone post that?

        http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/playoff...ory?id=1795904
        This is actually really good... worth a read:

        [hr]

        Brian James, a former assistant coach with the Pistons, Raptors and Wizards,
        spent the 2003-04 season scouting for the SuperSonics. Insider tapped his NBA
        expertise to break down each playoff series.

        After 11 days of practicing against each other, Indiana finally gets back to
        competing with someone else. The Heat will arrive at Conseco Fieldhouse on an
        incredible high after winning Game 7 over New Orleans.

        It could take the Pacers as much as a half of basketball to regain the form that
        carried them to a sweep over Boston in Round 1. With Miami playing regularly
        over the past two weeks, could there be an upset in Game 1? For what it's worth,
        the Pacers won all three meetings between the two teams this season, but Miami's
        Dwyane Wade was healthy in only the last contest, an 87-80 victory at Indiana.

        The contrast in styles with these two teams will be quite evident. Indiana loves
        to pound the ball inside to a variety of quality post-up scorers -- Jermaine
        O'Neal, Ron Artest and Al Harrington, among others. The Pacers have the best
        road record in the NBA, so it's evident that hostile crowds don't bother them
        much. Even with their still youthful exuberance, this team has a tremendous
        amount of playoff experience.

        Offensively, the Pacers will run a handful of pro sets that get their best
        scorers the ball in specific areas of the floor. This way each player's
        strengths are brought out. Whether it's the inside attack or kicking back out
        and swinging the ball to open shooters, everyone knows exactly where his
        teammates will be. There is less freelancing on this team than most others.

        Defensively, Indiana has players capable of guarding multiple positions and who
        are aggressive in screen-roll action. You won't out-tough them or beat them with
        intimidation. So execution will have to be at a premium. The Indiana bench might
        be the best in all of basketball. It dominated the series against Boston.

        Miami will attack relentlessly in transition with Wade, Rafer Alston, Lamar
        Odom, Eddie Jones and Caron Butler. They are young and are having fun. Miami had
        success against New Orleans by spreading the floor and letting Wade and Odom
        take turns penetrating into scoring areas in the paint. Indiana must build a
        wall in front of these two and keep them outside at all costs. It won't be easy,
        but the Pacers also must make Wade a jump-shooter in this series. If he
        penetrates and you give help with the closest defender or another interior
        defender, someone will be open on the kick-out pass. That is why Butler had so
        many open shots in Game 7.

        The Heat had great execution in set plays coming out of timeouts, usually
        involving some type of wing screen-roll and swinging the ball to the weak side
        with some type of misdirection action.

        Defensively, Miami wore New Orleans down. They were extremely aggressive in
        trapping every screen-roll, forcing 21 turnovers in Game 7 and creating
        opportunities in the open court. They used their speed and quickness in doubling
        the post, then recovering to shooters. They just had a smothering D in the
        halfcourt. Miami did not let the Hornets get an open shot, taking away the sets
        for David Wesley and Jamaal Magloire with intense preparation of players and
        coaches alike. The Heat have been playing at a different quickness level in
        these two areas of defense and transition.

        Strengths: Indiana is possibly the toughest team I've watched this season. Their
        top seven or eight players fought through this season without any major injuries
        except Artest's thumb surgery, and even Ron missed only a couple of weeks. Their
        bench goes 11 deep, giving coach Rick Carlisle plenty of flexibility.

        The Pacers, under Carlisle, take much better care of the ball, getting extra
        possessions by turning the ball over only 13.5 times a game. That's one reason
        Indiana won so many close games in the regular season.

        When things get tough, or when a coach is searching for a set to run, it's easy
        when you have so many good post-up players who will take the ball strong to the
        rim. Then you have the shooting outside of Reggie Miller. There has been no
        better clutch shooter from beyond the 3-point line in the last 15 years.

        Defensively, no one had a better year than Artest. With some help, he completely
        took Paul Pierce out of the first round, mentally and physically. Look for him
        to guard three different Heat players, depending on who has the hot hand --
        Eddie Jones, Butler or even Odom.

        Weaknesses: Indiana has not played a close game in three weeks. Hopefully for
        the Pacers, that won't cause them to start slow and ultimately cost them
        home-court advantage. I'm sure Miami will double the post and be in full
        rotation out to close out shooters. This means Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Johnson,
        Kenny Anderson and Fred Jones will have to prove they can consistently knock
        down the perimeter shot.

        Miami Heat

        Strengths: I can't remember a Heat team that was so athletic and young in so
        many key spots. Young legs definitely recover more quickly, so they will have
        the edge in speed in the backcourt. This team wins the old fashioned way, with
        hard work and an unselfish and enthusiastic chemistry.

        As good as Indiana was at taking care of the ball in the regular season, Miami
        was better, turning it over only 13.1 times. The Heat also shot very well from
        the 3-point line (.357, seventh in the league). Despite not playing with a true
        center, they are very active on the boards.

        Pat Riley's defensive philosophy is to play aggressively, talk constantly and
        know where to rotate to help teammates in mismatches or in closing out shooters.

        They still front the post if possible, although not as much as in past seasons.

        Weaknesses: Miami plays no true shot-blocker or center in their starting lineup.

        New Orleans exposed this and was attacking the offensive glass to gain extra
        possessions. With Indiana's size and strength, look for the Pacers to have a big
        advantage on the boards, as well. Wade, still learning to play the point, was
        pressured into some mistakes this season, and the Heat finished 28th in assists
        (19.1 per game) as a result.

        Coach Stan Van Gundy's rotation really only consists of seven players, and that
        lack of depth may get fully exposed the longer the Heat keeps playing. Miami
        wears you down defensively. Will they wear down themselves with such a thin
        bench?

        Miami also fouled too much, and too soon in quarters, against New Orleans,
        putting the Hornets in the penalty with 5-7 minutes to play in each period.
        Indiana will make you pay if you put them to the line that early.
        Can the Heat win on the road in the playoffs? Miami didn't win a game in New
        Orleans and only finished 13-28 on the road in the regular season. A 13-31
        overall road record does not bode well.

        Head-to-head matchups

        Point guard: By now, the entire league knows how good Wade is and can become. If
        his perimeter shot keeps developing, the sky is the limit. He is a student of
        the game and a relentless worker at both ends who is not afraid to take the
        game-winning shot. Wade made two of them in Round 1. He didn't shoot a high
        percentage against New Orleans, but he made the clutch ones.

        You can tell he has been well taught, because fundamentally he is very sound. He
        wants to use his quickness, get by his man and get to the rim, playing to his
        strengths not his weaknesses.

        Wade often moves over to off guard when backup point Rafer Alston comes in.

        Alston keeps improving and will make big 3-point shots, drive and kick to
        shooters, is lightning quick and is becoming a true NBA point guard.

        Indiana's trio of Tinsley, Johnson and Anderson has done a very good job
        handling the offense through 65 total victories this season. Tinsley's play has
        been tempered under coach Carlisle. He is not making the unsafe pass and he has
        been very good as a starter. Johnson is the finisher many times and has made big
        shots when his defender leaves to go double the post. AJ also has NBA Finals
        experience as Jason Kidd's understudy. Kenny Anderson has had a solid season
        when healthy but will be tested to make the outside shot.

        Edge: Miami. Wade has gotten very good in a hurry, and his athleticism will hurt
        Indiana.

        Off guard: Indiana's Miller will be rested and chomping at the bit to get the
        series off to a good start. Boston gave Reggie too many quality looks at the
        basket, and he shot 42 percent from 3-point land. Miami must know where he is at
        all times, especially in the last five minutes of games, when you practically
        have to guard him with a box-and-one or he'll make the killer shots to beat you.

        Miller likes to start the game getting some break-out layups, and he loves to
        flop to draw the foul when his team is in the penalty. He's famous for running
        hard off cuts, stopping, then getting off a shot or getting fouled. And you
        can't foul him, because he's automatic from the line.

        Fred Jones. Surprisingly, Jones made a few perimeter shots against Boston. He'll
        have to prove he can do it again. He is a tremendous leaper and wants to get the
        ball to the rim.

        Miami starts Eddie Jones, who shot only 3 for 13 in Game 7, but he can get 25 on
        you in a hurry. He loves to drive the baselines from either wing or shoot the 3.
        Many sets are designed to hit him coming off single- or double-screens by the
        big men. Wade and Alston rotate with him at the guard spots.

        Edge: Indiana gets a slight advantage because of Reggie's successful experience
        in the playoffs.

        Small forward: Ron Artest , the league's Defensive Player of the Year, was
        disappointed he didn't win the MVP as well. That spells trouble for whomever he
        is matched up against. He will not pass up many shots if left open, and he
        really has improved his scoring touch. He loves to drive to his left. Ron's work
        ethic will not be outdone in games or practice and gets everyone's respect.
        Sixth Man of the Year Al Harrington can hurt you outside, but his specialty is
        posting up smaller players. He and Artest will play together at times at 3 and
        4. Harrington would be a starter on almost every other team in the NBA.

        Miami starts second-year player Caron Butler, who had an incredible Game 7 with
        23 points (10-for-18 shooting) and 9 rebounds. He got 18 shots because New
        Orleans was leaving him to help stop the penetration of Wade and Odom. His
        numbers are down this season simply because the team added more talent and thus
        had more scoring options. He loves to take the ball strong to the rack and can
        really score inside. This will be a heated, physical match up I promise.
        Rasual Butler (no relation) backs up Caron. Every time I watch him play, he
        knocks down shots from all over as soon as he comes in. I'm puzzled why his
        minutes are down.

        Edge: Indiana. Not this year, Caron.

        Power forward: O'Neal is the best power forward in the East. His shooting range
        has improved, and he's tough as nails inside, yet he is very unselfish. He loves
        the right block, so he can shoot over his left shoulder going towards the
        baseline. Miami will body him, be physical with him and take away his post-ups
        and encourage him to shoot jumpers.

        His backup is Harrington or Jonathan Bender. Bender loves to score in transition
        but can shoot the deep 3 as well. He played extremely well in Round 1 against
        Boston, though he has been susceptible to injury because of his slender frame.
        Austin Croshere may play as well, and he is a capable shooter who is not afraid
        to put his head down and drive.

        Miami has relished having Odom as a starter. Lamar is playing better than at any
        time in his career. He had 16 and 9 in Game 7 and averages almost a
        double-double. He can shoot, deep isolate and drive left, or post up on the
        right block so he can go towards the middle. He is their post-up threat in
        crunch time. Odom can run, score in transition, post and is improving
        defensively.

        His backup is rookie Udonis Haslem,an undrafted player who has been a pleasant
        surprise. He is a hard worker, rebounds very well and proved against the Hornets
        he can make shots. Udonis also will back up at center. Malik Allen can make the
        long jump shot if needed.

        Edge: Indiana. As good as Odom is, he is not as ready as O'Neal is for this
        series.

        Center: Indiana will start Jeff Foster, a great leaper and relentless offensive
        rebounder who continues to get the Pacers extra possessions. He is the trailer
        on offense and can swing the ball to the weak side or knock down the mid range
        jump shot. Foster shot 54 percent this season and is a nice piece for the
        Pacers, because he doesn't need the ball to succeed.

        Foster plays about half the game, with Indiana moving O'Neal to center and
        Harrington to the four as a finishing lineup. Scot Pollard may get a chance
        early. He has many years of experience with Sacramento and fundamentally is very
        sound. He has not shot the ball as well this season, and that is one reason his
        minutes are down.

        Miami counters with one of my favorite players in Brian Grant. I can't believe
        how many times he comes up with the ball inside or makes big plays at either
        end. He does everything possible to put his team in position to win games. A
        natural power forward, he plays center out of need. Brian is a great position
        rebounder and can make shots when needed, but he also has a knack for making the
        extra pass. Coaches love it when they get a better shot out of the possession.
        Grant wants to finish at the rim after driving to his right. He has been very
        good in big games for many years.

        Haslem or Samaki Walker will back him up. Walker can block shots and may be
        needed in series. Loren Woods won't play much. Wang Zhi Zhi may get in to extend
        the Pacers' defense, because he can make the long perimeter shots.

        Edge: Miami.

        Bench: Indiana plays theirs almost as many minutes as the starters, because they
        are very good at what they do. Miami doesn't have much trust in any player after
        the top 7.

        Edge: Indiana.

        Prediction: After the rust wears off, which will happen quickly, the Pacers will
        play like they are capable and win this series in five games, six at the most.
        Miami already has exceeded expectations. The benches will be a big factor, and
        Indiana has the defense and toughness to move on.
        Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
        Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
        Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
        Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
        And life itself, rushing over me
        Life itself, the wind in black elms,
        Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

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