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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

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

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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 articles from out of town

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  • Pacers articles from out of town

    This is all we are left with today.

    Ira Winderman I find is one of the best NBA Writers around


    http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/b...la-sports-heat


    Ira Winderman




    Pacers will have to make changes
    Published June 6, 2004


    The team that seemingly had all the answers when it came to facing the Heat in the second round of the playoffs exited the conference finals with nothing but questions.

    Too tall to tame for the Heat, Indiana now is talking about the need for additional height after coming up short against the Pistons. Too deep for Stan Van Gundy's rotation to match, the Pacers are weighing the merits of dealing forward Al Harrington, the runner-up for this year's Sixth Man Award.

    "I don't think this team will be back in its exact form next year," coach Rick Carlisle said in his season-ending comments. "There will be some changes, either through free agency, the draft or the possibility of trades. There's going to be some things that are going to be different, without question."

    Because of roster redundancy -- when factoring in Ron Artest, Jonathan Bender and even former University of Miami forward James Jones -- Harrington sets up as the odd man out.

    "This is an unbalanced roster," Carlisle said, left with a dilemma that mirrors the Heat's perimeter conundrums with Dwyane Wade, Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones, Caron Butler and Rasual Butler. "There are a glut of guys at the small forward spot and there haven't been enough minutes."

    Over the years, the Pacers have recognized the dangers of keeping starting-quality talent on the bench. It is among the reasons Antonio Davis was shipped to Toronto for the draft rights to Bender.

    "If there is the opportunity for him to be a starter here, that would be great," Carlisle said of Harrington. "And if there isn't, then it may be time for him to move on to another team."

    Such a move might not be nearly as costly as the dealing of Davis to the Raptors a year before the Pacers made it to the 2000 Finals.

    Harrington entered this postseason with a career 2.6 playoff scoring average on .196 shooting.

    While the numbers were up to 9.5 points on .429 shooting this year, big-game issues remain.

    With center Jeff Foster fading in the postseason (after a requisite big game against the Heat), another big body could have been crucial against the Pistons. The Pacers had such a presence in center Brad Miller -- until loyalty got in the way last summer.

    Instead, the Pacers opted to re-sign Reggie Miller and dump Brad Miller in a trade with Sacramento to avoid the luxury tax. What the Pacers were left with was a 38-year-old non-shooter caught in a lopsided mismatch with Pistons guard Richard Hamilton. In four of the six games in the Eastern Conference finals, Miller scored six or fewer points (after, of course, a requisite big game against the Heat a round earlier).

    Miller has not announced his intentions for next season.

    "After he makes that decision, then I can talk about it a little bit," said Carlisle, whose glut at small forward could then be alleviated with the shift of Artest to shooting guard. "If he returns for an 18th year, my feeling would be he'd probably be a starter next year."

    With a little less Reggie, a little more Scot Pollard in the middle and something substantial in return for Harrington, the Pacers should have the continued look of a contender.

    This time, though, sentiment can't get in the way.

    NO DESK JOB

    Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he could not envision the type of full-time move into the front office that Pat Riley made this season with the Heat. "I never have had that yen to be a maneuverer behind the scenes, manipulator of players, builder of franchises, so to speak," he said, with retirement a possibility after the Finals. ...

    When Commissioner David Stern offers his state-of-the-NBA comments during the Finals, there likely will be additional discussion about getting Michael Jordan back into the league in an ownership role. Question: Why? Why would any franchise want to install in its front office the man who traded Hamilton to Detroit for Jerry Stackhouse, drafted Kwame Brown over Pau Gasol and hired Leonard Hamilton as coach? Even more appalling than having a Michael Jordan jersey hung at the top of your arena would be seeing him in the executive suite. ...

    Pistons coach Larry Brown has fired an early salvo regarding the curious way Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant have gotten into foul trouble this postseason, but have a grand total of only one disqualification (by O'Neal) in 17 games. "If four is the limit of fouls for them, I hope four is the limit of fouls for us, too," Brown said.

    THE WADE WAY

    Like the Heat's Wade, UConn guard Ben Gordon appreciates that his NBA chances revolve around versatility.

    "In college, I was asked to score a lot. And when I was asked to play point guard, I excelled," he said after a tryout with the Cavaliers. "My situation has been compared to Dwyane Wade. We both can play two positions, but I'll be a point in the NBA, and I'll have to prove that I can play that position."

    HOWARD SURGING

    Interestingly, the majority of teams that have contact the Magic about the No. 1 overall draft choice have expressed more interest in Georgia prep forward Dwight Howard than UConn center Emeka Okafor. That could leave agent Aaron Goodwin with the top pick for a second straight year, now representing Howard after locking up LeBron James before last year's draft. ...

    When contemplating mock drafts, contemplate another team exercising the Clippers' No. 2 pick. It's a tradition. Since the advent of the lottery in 1985, the Clippers three previous times have exited at No. 2. In 1989, they drafted Duke forward Danny Ferry, who rebuffed their advances, bided his time in Italy, and then forced a trade to the Cavaliers. In 1995, the Clippers immediately dealt No. 2 pick Antonio McDyess to Denver for a package including Rodney Rogers and Brent Barry. And in 2001, No. 2 pick Tyson Chandler was dealt to Chicago for Elton Brand.

    JONES CONSIDERED

    At the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pistons' Brown mentioned that the Heat's Jones is among the possibilities for the roster he will coach at the Athens Olympics.

    "I think they're waiting to find out what positions are needed to be filled, how many big guys we have, how many small forwards we have, how many guards," Brown said. "I think we've got some good players, some good alternatives, so we'll see."

    Brown previously had mentioned going with a young roster that could include Wade, while selection chairman Stu Jackson has spoken of Odom as an option. Such decisions could drag on for a while.

    "We don't have a cutoff date," Jackson said. "Olympic rules say you have to have a roster 72 hours prior to competition. If we have to use every bit of that time to fill and put our team together, we will."

    Basketball competition at the Athens Games begins Aug. 15.

    ROSTER MANAGEMENT

    Guard Kenny Anderson spoke at the conclusion of the Pacers' season of possibly ending his career where it started, in New Jersey. "Rod Thorn would have to be interested in me," he said of the Nets executive. Now, granted, New Jersey did a poor job in covering itself at point guard this season behind Jason Kidd, but Anderson? To refresh: The 33-year-old appeared in only four of the Pacers' playoff games, for a grand total of 19 minutes, closing with four points and five turnovers. ...

    The New York Post has reported discussions between the Nets and Heat regarding Jones. One package that would work would be guard Kerry Kittles and forward Aaron Williams, players whose contracts could come off the books after next season and provide Riley with salary-cap flexibility for the '05 offseason.

    The prime targets of the halfcourt-challenged Nets, though, appear to be Seattle guard Ray Allen and Portland forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim. ...

    Due $19 million over the next four seasons, 7-foot-4 Shawn Bradley is expected to be exposed by the Mavericks in the June 22 expansion draft. With $5 million the going rate for backup centers on some teams, Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff figures he just might find a market. "I think Shawn Bradley could help some team for 20 minutes" a game, Bickerstaff said.

    MISSING THE POINT

    Confusing to the end was the Timberwolves' failure to bolster their rotation at point guard while aware of Sam Cassell's fragile back and Troy Hudson's ankle woes. Then again, this is a team that has parted with Chauncey Billups and Bobby Jackson over the years for nothing in return. With Hudson now to test free agency, the 'Wolves could before forced to decide between spending their mid-level salary-cap exception on free-agent forward Trenton Hassell or a backup to Cassell. ...

    Figure on Game 6 of the Western Conference finals mercifully being the NBA's last sighting of Minnesota's Oliver Miller, with four fouls in five minutes being his legacy. During one sequence, the NBA's widest body, was part of a double foul with the Lakers' Devean George, called for an offensive foul, beaten for an alley-oop dunk, and then called for another offensive foul -- all in a span of 54 seconds. ...

    The latest from Tracy McGrady is that if Orlando is looking to rebuild, he wouldn't mind being dealt to Houston, Indiana or Detroit, teams he views as needing his scoring. The last time we checked, McGrady was under contract and could be dealt anywhere the Magic darn well pleases.

  • #2
    Re: Pacers articles from out of town

    Nothing really new here.

    http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index...0682652660.xml

    Miller's time could be up
    Sunday, June 06, 2004
    Jimmy Smith
    Is the dinosaur having a change of heart?

    Earlier this season, ageless, or aging, depending upon your perspective, Pacers guard Reggie Miller said he'd retire if Indiana won the NBA championship.



    Now that Miller will be in Los Angeles -- at his offseason home instead of playing against the Lakers in the NBA Finals that begin tonight -- there are unanswered questions about his future in the league.

    And Miller is the one who left the questions unanswered.

    Miller wouldn't respond to queries about his plans after Indiana's Game 6 elimination at the hands of the Detroit Pistons last week, leading to some speculation that the 39-year-old Miller might retire.

    Miller has two years remaining on his contract with the Pacers but has said he doesn't want to play past the age of 40.

    The Indianapolis Star tracked down Miller's father, Saul, who told the newspaper he didn't think his son's retirement was imminent, saying "a decision like that wouldn't be made for another 30 days at least."

    The Pacers would like Miller to return for another season, though he averaged just 10 points this season and 10.1 in the playoffs.

    "He's been one of the best teammates I've ever had," said Austin Croshere. "We live close to each other in Los Angeles in the summer and I'll be over at his house every day to talk him out of (retirement) if that's what he decides."


    ANOTHER ROLLS ON: Not yet ready for the scrap heap is another relic from the prehistoric age, Kings center Vlade Divac.

    Divac, 36, told The Sacramento Bee he'd like to continue his NBA career and eventually retire as a member of the Kings.

    Divac is a free agent.

    "I'm going to play one more season," Divac told The Bee. "At the end of next year, I'll see how I feel. My first choice, like I've always said, is to play with the Kings. I want to retire here if possible. I love the town and the fans.

    "I just don't want to be stupid about it. If there is a perfect situation somewhere else, I could do that, but I don't see that happening."

    What might that "perfect situation" be?

    "A winning team and a whole lot more money," Divac said.

    Divac just completed a six-year, $60 million contract that he signed with Sacramento in 1999.

    Lakers forward Karl Malone might tell Divac money isn't everything, but a winning team is. Malone, who made $18 million in his last season with Utah, signed for $1.5 million with Los Angeles.


    BACK AGAIN? Former New Jersey Nets guard Kenny Anderson, who played this year with the Pacers after spending half a season with the Hornets the previous year, says he'd like to return to New Jersey.

    Anderson told the New York Post that he'd be willing to head back to Jersey to relieve Jason Kidd.

    The Nets are said to be interested in Anderson.

    "I've thought about it," Anderson, a New York City native, told the Post. "Friends, family, they saw Jason Kidd, how he plays big minutes, was hurt. They said, 'You could finish your career back home.' I've thought about it."

    Anderson is a free agent July 1.

    "Rod Thorn (the Nets' CEO) would have to be interested in me," Anderson said. "I would definitely like that, sure. I'm fine. I can play three to five years. I've got my speed. I can run a team. I'm healthy.

    "I just need the opportunity to play some minutes. That looks good. I don't want to deal with this next year."

    Anderson was referring to his lack of playing time on the Indiana Pacers' bench.


    KIDD UPDATE: Speaking of Kidd, he underwent another MRI test this week on his ailing left knee.

    Thorn told the Post that the tests showed the same result as in the past and that the team would consult with doctors on whether Kidd would require offseason surgery.

    "He's had his MRI, and now the doctors will make the determination of where to go from here," Thorn said. "Now we want to get all the opinions, and we'll take whatever action needs to be taken."

    Kidd initially was diagnosed with a bone bruise in the knee, but there was a feeling that there was damaged cartilage that might require surgery.


    MORE KNEES: Sixers guard Allen Iverson was troubled this season by a sore knee.

    But Philadelphia airport police didn't think the injury was serious enough to allow Iverson to park his $320,000 Rolls Royce in a handicapped spot there this week.

    Iverson, who has gotten into trouble previously for parking in handicapped spaces, was ticketed after police said he parked the vehicle in a handicapped spot at the Philadelphia International Airport.

    Iverson, who earned $13.5 million this season, could easily afford the $300 fine.

    An airport police officer saw Iverson return to the car and leave.

    "I saw him walk up to the car and drive away," the policeman told The Philadelphia Daily News. "He had his posse with him."

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Pacers articles from out of town

      http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,...195102,00.html


      Pacers assistant expected to interview in Atlanta

      By Marc J. Spears
      Denver Post Staff Writer





      Indiana assistant coach Mike Brown expects to interview for Atlanta's head coach opening soon.

      Brown was an assistant for San Antonio during its 2003 NBA championship season and also has been a scout and video coordinator with the Nuggets.

      Other candidates for the Hawks job include former Nuggets associate head coach John MacLeod, Dallas assistant Del Harris and Seattle associate head coach Dwane Casey.

      Atlanta director of basketball operations Billy Knight isn't expected to interview any more candidates until after the upcoming NBA predraft camp.

      Once that is over, he is expected to interview Detroit assistant Mike Woodson and former Hawks coach Mike Fratello.



      "It's an honor to be up for any opportunity in this league, whether it be a head coach or assistant coach, because there aren't many jobs available," said Brown, 34, who has been in the NBA for 12 seasons. "I'm in a good situation here, so I don't have anything to lose in listening."


      Expansion draft talk
      As of today, the Nuggets have to expose four of their 12 players for the Charlotte Bobcats' expansion draft June 22.

      If center Marcus Camby opts out of his contract, as expected, before Saturday's deadline for the expansion draft list, the number of unprotected players would drop to three.

      The three Nuggets expected to be on the list are forward Ryan Bowen, forward Chris Andersen and guard Jeff Trepagnier.

      If Camby doesn't opt out, guard Voshon Lenard could be among the candidates to be added to the list.

      "I love Denver, the coaching staff and management," said Bowen, a five-year Nugget. "I'm just waiting and looking to see what happens like a lot of people."


      Deng to work out?
      Duke swingman Luol Deng denied reports that he will take part in only one individual workout for interested NBA teams.

      Deng, who is projected to be drafted as high as third, said he would work out for selected teams soon. He also is expected to hire an agent soon.

      The 6-foot-8, 220-pound freshman averaged 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds this past season. Deng, who is friends with Detroit guard Richard Hamilton, attended Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals in Detroit last Tuesday.

      "I'm going to work out for teams," the 19-year-old Deng said. "I'm just not sure which ones."


      Jazz can be picky
      The Utah Jazz and the Boston Celtics are two teams with three picks in the June 26 draft.

      Because the Jazz has picks 14, 16 and 21 and the Celtics have picks 15, 24 and 25, Utah has a better chance to move up.

      With the Jazz possibly losing center Greg Ostertag to free agency, it is considering taking either BYU center Rafael Araujo or Colorado center David Harrison.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Pacers articles from out of town

        The latest from Tracy McGrady is that if Orlando is looking to rebuild, he wouldn't mind being dealt to Houston, Indiana or Detroit, teams he views as needing his scoring
        This is news to me!
        "I'll always be a part of Donnie Walsh."
        -Ron Artest, Denver Post, 12.28.05

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Pacers articles from out of town

          This is all we are left with today.

          Ira Winderman I find is one of the best NBA Writers around


          http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/b...la-sports-heat


          Ira Winderman




          Pacers will have to make changes
          Published June 6, 2004


          The team that seemingly had all the answers when it came to facing the Heat in the second round of the playoffs exited the conference finals with nothing but questions.

          Too tall to tame for the Heat, Indiana now is talking about the need for additional height after coming up short against the Pistons. Too deep for Stan Van Gundy's rotation to match, the Pacers are weighing the merits of dealing forward Al Harrington, the runner-up for this year's Sixth Man Award.

          "I don't think this team will be back in its exact form next year," coach Rick Carlisle said in his season-ending comments. "There will be some changes, either through free agency, the draft or the possibility of trades. There's going to be some things that are going to be different, without question."

          Because of roster redundancy -- when factoring in Ron Artest, Jonathan Bender and even former University of Miami forward James Jones -- Harrington sets up as the odd man out.

          "This is an unbalanced roster," Carlisle said, left with a dilemma that mirrors the Heat's perimeter conundrums with Dwyane Wade, Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones, Caron Butler and Rasual Butler. "There are a glut of guys at the small forward spot and there haven't been enough minutes."

          Over the years, the Pacers have recognized the dangers of keeping starting-quality talent on the bench. It is among the reasons Antonio Davis was shipped to Toronto for the draft rights to Bender.

          "If there is the opportunity for him to be a starter here, that would be great," Carlisle said of Harrington. "And if there isn't, then it may be time for him to move on to another team."

          Such a move might not be nearly as costly as the dealing of Davis to the Raptors a year before the Pacers made it to the 2000 Finals.

          Harrington entered this postseason with a career 2.6 playoff scoring average on .196 shooting.

          While the numbers were up to 9.5 points on .429 shooting this year, big-game issues remain.

          With center Jeff Foster fading in the postseason (after a requisite big game against the Heat), another big body could have been crucial against the Pistons. The Pacers had such a presence in center Brad Miller -- until loyalty got in the way last summer.

          Instead, the Pacers opted to re-sign Reggie Miller and dump Brad Miller in a trade with Sacramento to avoid the luxury tax.
          What the Pacers were left with was a 38-year-old non-shooter caught in a lopsided mismatch with Pistons guard Richard Hamilton. In four of the six games in the Eastern Conference finals, Miller scored six or fewer points (after, of course, a requisite big game against the Heat a round earlier).

          Miller has not announced his intentions for next season.

          "After he makes that decision, then I can talk about it a little bit," said Carlisle, whose glut at small forward could then be alleviated with the shift of Artest to shooting guard. "If he returns for an 18th year, my feeling would be he'd probably be a starter next year."

          With a little less Reggie, a little more Scot Pollard in the middle and something substantial in return for Harrington, the Pacers should have the continued look of a contender.

          This time, though, sentiment can't get in the way.

          NO DESK JOB

          Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he could not envision the type of full-time move into the front office that Pat Riley made this season with the Heat. "I never have had that yen to be a maneuverer behind the scenes, manipulator of players, builder of franchises, so to speak," he said, with retirement a possibility after the Finals. ...

          When Commissioner David Stern offers his state-of-the-NBA comments during the Finals, there likely will be additional discussion about getting Michael Jordan back into the league in an ownership role. Question: Why? Why would any franchise want to install in its front office the man who traded Hamilton to Detroit for Jerry Stackhouse, drafted Kwame Brown over Pau Gasol and hired Leonard Hamilton as coach? Even more appalling than having a Michael Jordan jersey hung at the top of your arena would be seeing him in the executive suite. ...

          Pistons coach Larry Brown has fired an early salvo regarding the curious way Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant have gotten into foul trouble this postseason, but have a grand total of only one disqualification (by O'Neal) in 17 games. "If four is the limit of fouls for them, I hope four is the limit of fouls for us, too," Brown said.

          THE WADE WAY

          Like the Heat's Wade, UConn guard Ben Gordon appreciates that his NBA chances revolve around versatility.

          "In college, I was asked to score a lot. And when I was asked to play point guard, I excelled," he said after a tryout with the Cavaliers. "My situation has been compared to Dwyane Wade. We both can play two positions, but I'll be a point in the NBA, and I'll have to prove that I can play that position."

          HOWARD SURGING

          Interestingly, the majority of teams that have contact the Magic about the No. 1 overall draft choice have expressed more interest in Georgia prep forward Dwight Howard than UConn center Emeka Okafor. That could leave agent Aaron Goodwin with the top pick for a second straight year, now representing Howard after locking up LeBron James before last year's draft. ...

          When contemplating mock drafts, contemplate another team exercising the Clippers' No. 2 pick. It's a tradition. Since the advent of the lottery in 1985, the Clippers three previous times have exited at No. 2. In 1989, they drafted Duke forward Danny Ferry, who rebuffed their advances, bided his time in Italy, and then forced a trade to the Cavaliers. In 1995, the Clippers immediately dealt No. 2 pick Antonio McDyess to Denver for a package including Rodney Rogers and Brent Barry. And in 2001, No. 2 pick Tyson Chandler was dealt to Chicago for Elton Brand.

          JONES CONSIDERED

          At the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pistons' Brown mentioned that the Heat's Jones is among the possibilities for the roster he will coach at the Athens Olympics.

          "I think they're waiting to find out what positions are needed to be filled, how many big guys we have, how many small forwards we have, how many guards," Brown said. "I think we've got some good players, some good alternatives, so we'll see."

          Brown previously had mentioned going with a young roster that could include Wade, while selection chairman Stu Jackson has spoken of Odom as an option. Such decisions could drag on for a while.

          "We don't have a cutoff date," Jackson said. "Olympic rules say you have to have a roster 72 hours prior to competition. If we have to use every bit of that time to fill and put our team together, we will."

          Basketball competition at the Athens Games begins Aug. 15.

          ROSTER MANAGEMENT

          Guard Kenny Anderson spoke at the conclusion of the Pacers' season of possibly ending his career where it started, in New Jersey. "Rod Thorn would have to be interested in me," he said of the Nets executive. Now, granted, New Jersey did a poor job in covering itself at point guard this season behind Jason Kidd, but Anderson? To refresh: The 33-year-old appeared in only four of the Pacers' playoff games, for a grand total of 19 minutes, closing with four points and five turnovers. ...

          The New York Post has reported discussions between the Nets and Heat regarding Jones. One package that would work would be guard Kerry Kittles and forward Aaron Williams, players whose contracts could come off the books after next season and provide Riley with salary-cap flexibility for the '05 offseason.

          The prime targets of the halfcourt-challenged Nets, though, appear to be Seattle guard Ray Allen and Portland forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim. ...

          Due $19 million over the next four seasons, 7-foot-4 Shawn Bradley is expected to be exposed by the Mavericks in the June 22 expansion draft. With $5 million the going rate for backup centers on some teams, Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff figures he just might find a market. "I think Shawn Bradley could help some team for 20 minutes" a game, Bickerstaff said.

          MISSING THE POINT

          Confusing to the end was the Timberwolves' failure to bolster their rotation at point guard while aware of Sam Cassell's fragile back and Troy Hudson's ankle woes. Then again, this is a team that has parted with Chauncey Billups and Bobby Jackson over the years for nothing in return. With Hudson now to test free agency, the 'Wolves could before forced to decide between spending their mid-level salary-cap exception on free-agent forward Trenton Hassell or a backup to Cassell. ...

          Figure on Game 6 of the Western Conference finals mercifully being the NBA's last sighting of Minnesota's Oliver Miller, with four fouls in five minutes being his legacy. During one sequence, the NBA's widest body, was part of a double foul with the Lakers' Devean George, called for an offensive foul, beaten for an alley-oop dunk, and then called for another offensive foul -- all in a span of 54 seconds. ...

          The latest from Tracy McGrady is that if Orlando is looking to rebuild, he wouldn't mind being dealt to Houston, Indiana or Detroit, teams he views as needing his scoring. The last time we checked, McGrady was under contract and could be dealt anywhere the Magic darn well pleases.
          I only highlight this because.

          A. I'm an *** & won't let it go.

          B. The opinion expressed is the general concensus from around the league.

          C. Only in Indiana was this ever considered a good move.

          D. All of the above.


          Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Pacers articles from out of town

            Raise your hand if you thought swapping Miller with Pollard was a good thing.

            *sits patiently and waits*

            Oh wait, no one ever raised their hand. I wonder why?

            Any idiot knows Miller > Pollard. Reality is it was a series of circumstances that caused it to happen, but the most important thing to face now is that it did and move the hell on.

            Trust me Peck, if I can move on from it, so can you. Unless you can magically make Brad and Pollard trade places right now, there's nothing left to go over.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Pacers articles from out of town

              : :
              So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.

              If you've done 6 impossible things today?
              Then why not have Breakfast at Milliways!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                Raise your hand if you thought swapping Miller with Pollard was a good thing.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                  Raise your hand if you thought swapping Miller with Pollard was a good thing.
                  mg:

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                    Raise your hand if you thought swapping Miller with Pollard was a good thing.
                    2012 PD ABA Fantasy Keeper League Champion, sports.ws

                    2011 PD ABA Fantasy Keeper League Champion, sports.ws

                    2006 PD ABA Fantasy League runner up, sports.ws

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                    • #11
                      Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                      Duh...I thought you meant taking on Pollard so we could keep Reggie.
                      Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                        Why ioh why must this thread turn into a Brad Miller thread, there were oither things in the articles by Ira that I found interesting.

                        I did not think Foster faded in the postseason at all. In fact if he would have played in games 4,5,6, he would have played well, but because of other factors the Pacers needed scoring

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                          I'd hardly consider Ira the opinion around the league. I don't believe it was a choice between Millers. I just don't think that Donnie wanted Brad at that price. He might have been wrong we'll see.

                          After the first season after the trade it looks like he has done well with the roster. I believe that Donnie deserves the benefit of the doubt and some acknowledgement that he knows what he is doing.
                          "They could turn out to be only innocent mathematicians, I suppose," muttered Woevre's section officer, de Decker.

                          "'Only.'" Woevre was amused. "Someday you'll explain to me how that's possible. Seeing that, on the face of it, all mathematics leads, doesn't it, sooner or later, to some kind of human suffering."

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                            http://www.nypost.com/sports/22083.htm

                            ASSIGNING PLAYOFF BLAME
                            Peter Vecsey NYPOST

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                            Print Reprint

                            June 1, 2004 -- IN back-to-back games, Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle took turns kneeling at the interview altar. They couldn't wait to confess their sins. It was their fault their teams were unprepared. They were to blame, not the players, for not understanding what had to be done and what to expect. "We accept full responsibility for our team's losses," they echoed.

                            It doesn't get any more nauseating.

                            Assigning guilt trips is our job. We in the media are in charge of levying liability, not coaches conspiring to churn out misinformation. We're more than capable of deciding who's accountable. It's insulting to think they think they can work us like we're referees.

                            Then again, Carlisle is correct. He definitely has earned a demerit badge in this series, especially in Game 5. Matching your team's oldest and leakiest defender against your opponent's fastest flowing faucet is a bit baffling. Not making a switch until the 61/2 minute mark of Sunday's third quarter, after Rip Hamilton had amassed the majority of 27 points at Reggie Miller's expense, was resourcefully negligent.

                            At the most, this approach should be employed sparingly since the Pacers are blessed with Ron Artest, the league's lock-up artist and the aerodynamically acclaimed Fred Jones. It should be used explicitly, it says here, when the 38-year-old Indiana Bones is looking more like Indiana Osteoporosis. Apparently Carlisle isn't paying attention.

                            One of the most bald-faced lies perpetrated by the propaganda machines at ABC, TNT and ESPN is that Miller should be commended for deferring to Jermaine O'Neal, Artest and Co, and that the NBA's all-time offshore driller and one of its most poisonous pressure players deserves a gold star for accepting a lesser role the last couple years.

                            What a crock! Miller embraced a diminished function, fewer shots and half the payday simply because he can't manufacture points in bunches on a remotely consistent basis (only an occasional game-winner) as he once could.

                            Not only that, he's frequently not even looking for his shot. Worse yet, he's passing up wide-open 3-pointers in must-shoot situations, resulting in forever-botched opportunities to gain ground. Worst of all, the referees have turned on him, an instantly recognizable sign a consecrated career is crashing.

                            Nearing the half in Game 5, Miller lofted up one of his patented kick-out springers from the corner in an attempt to fake the official into putting him on the welfare line. What he got was an offensive foul.

                            Considering the game's significance and the fact the Pacers were trailing at the time the 17-year veteran of domestic and international competition should've been cagey enough to restrain his emotions. Instead he picked up a technical. Shortly thereafter O'Neal also lost his composure, getting T-ed up over a non-call by Steve Javie.

                            The Pacers quickly followed their leaders down the drain.

                            Miller failed to pinpoint the roots of the unraveling, noting a lack of ball movement and individualistic urges as the cause for Indy's decline. The fast fading luminary, who scored all five of his points in the first quarter, took no responsibility for leading his team astray or failing to do anything to re-direct its course.

                            Naturally, no one dared ask Miller or Carlisle why Reggie was guarding Hamilton at all or so long, and why he was even out there if he refused to shoot unmolested 3-pointers.

                            If anything, in an often-heartless business, the Simon brothers, CEO Donnie Walsh and president Larry Bird have rewarded Miller, even to the team's detriment, with unusual loyalty and gift giving. Don't forget, they choose to pay Reggie an average of $5.5 million over three seasons rather than invest in Brad Miller over seven seasons; think the Pacers could've used his perimeter and passing repertoire against Detroit?

                            If anything, Isiah Thomas (planning to bring Reggie off the bench this season had he stayed) and now Carlisle (playing him more in the playoffs than the regular season) deferred to Miller as opposed to the other way around.

                            Reality bites, hard.

                            *

                            Can't think of a more appropriate time to hear Michael Jordan's reason for trading Richard Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse not long after he'd volunteered to caving under the playoff pressure of having to be the Pistons' go-to guy.

                            From what I'm told, Jordan copped an attitude when informed how much money Hamilton wanted to extend, so he dumped him.

                            ----
                            This article was posted earlier (I think) but IMO fits in with the theme of this thread as a companion piece (especially for those that might've missed it earlier).

                            Is Peter going off on his own here or did DW give him any of this stuff for a 'message'?

                            -Bball
                            Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                            ------

                            "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                            -John Wooden

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Pacers articles from out of town

                              Is Peter going off on his own here or did DW give him any of this stuff for a 'message'?
                              That's what I'm wondering too. Maybe Vescey's source is also sending a message to Carlisle as well about what should happen when/if Reggie returns.
                              Mickael Pietrus Le site officiel

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