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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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The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

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  • The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

    1. Chicago ----- Michael Beasley - 51.67% 31 of 60 votes - defeated Derrick Rose 31-27
    2. Miami ------- Derrick Rose ----- 94.12% 48 of 51 votes
    3. Minnesota --- Brook Lopez ----- 46.67% 21 of 45 votes - defeated OJ Mayo 21-19
    4. Seattle ------ Jerryd Bayless --- 55.56% 20 of 36 votes - defeated OJ Mayo 20-14
    5. Memphis ----- OJ Mayo -------- 61.70% 29 of 47 votes
    6. New York ---- Eric Gordon ----- 30.77% 16 of 52 votes
    7. L.A. Clippers
    8. Milwaukee
    9. Charlotte
    10. New Jersey
    11. Indiana

    Point Guards

    1. D.J. Augustin
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42326
    College: Texas
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PG
    Height: 6’0”
    Weight: 180lbs
     
    Accolades: Wooden Award All-American (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), All-Big 12 First Team (08), Bob Cousy Award Winner (08), First Team All-American - AP (08), NCAA Tournament South Regional Team (08), Big 12 All-Tournament Team (08), First Team All-American – CHN (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), Freshman All-American (07), All-Big 12 Second Team (07), Big 12 All-Rookie Team (07), First Team All-Freshman Team – CHN (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (06), Fourth-Team All-American – Parade – high school (06).

    Scouting Report: A diminutive floor general with lots of game.

    Strengths: Lightning quick. Can get into the lane with ease. Good leaper. Uncanny knack for splitting double-teams. Good ability to use the rim as a shield and hit tough lay-ups to avoid defenders. Excellent playmaker and passer. Takes great care of the ball – twice as many assists as turnovers. Solid physique. Prolific scorer – nineteen 20-plus point games his sophomore year. Good three-point shooter – hit about two a game this year. Solid free throw shooter. Used to playing heavy minutes.

    Weaknesses: Height – will be vastly undersized for the NBA - may actually be 5’11”. Bigger, stronger NBA guards will give him problems on both ends of the floor (like against Memphis in the Elite Eight). Can be a streaky scorer – went 3 for 25 from the field combined in back-to-back games. Doesn’t shoot for an extremely high percentage.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery to late first round pick.

    Consensus: If D.J. Augustin is to excel in the NBA he will have to be a trendsetter - there are currently no sub-six foot stars in the League. There is no doubt he has the speed, skill-set and intelligence to play at the next level, but to become a star he will have to be find a way to slay the NBA’s Goliaths.

    2. Russell Westbrook
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/r...-profile-42324
    College: UCLA
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PG/SG
    Height: 6’3”
    Weight: 189lbs
     
    Accolades: Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (08), Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (08), Third Team All-Pac-10 (08).

    Scouting Report: An NBA-level athlete able to play both backcourt positions.

    Strengths: Versatile – can ably play both point and shooting guard positions. Tremendous athlete. Can jump out of the gym. Great defender – had 63 steals his sophomore year. Very good assist man who takes good care of the ball. Has three-point range on his jumper. Capable scorer. Long wingspan. Big hands. Got to practice against some very good guards his two years at UCLA. Great work ethic. Game seems to vastly improve with each year – late bloomer.

    Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – didn’t play many minutes his freshman year. Will need more experience playing the point guard spot. Needs to become a more consistent outside shooter. Still quite inconsistent and streaky. Is he a dreaded “tweener” (no real position)?

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

    Consensus: Westbrook is an NBA highlight reel type of athlete that excels at both ends of the floor. His ability to play both guard positions makes him even more valuable, however, due to his size he will have to become more of a pure point guard. With his skills and athletic ability the sky is the limit.



    Shooting Guards
    1. Chris Douglas-Roberts
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/c...-profile-42322
    College: Memphis
    Class: Junior
    Position: SG
    Height: 6’7”
    Weight: 200lbs
     
    Accolades: First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), Wooden Award All-American Team (08), Conference USA Player of the Year (08), All-Conference USA First Team (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (08), NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), NCAA Tournament All-South Region Team (07), Conference USA Tournament MVP (07), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (07), All-Conference USA First Team (07), Conference USA All-Freshman Team (06).

    Scouting Report: A very unorthodox, yet deadly, wing player.

    Strengths: Great slasher. Very good floater shot he is confident shooting from deep. Long arms (6’9” wingspan). Experience playing in big games. Decent ball handler. Good rebounder. Good height/length for an NBA two guard. Used to being the go-to guy on one of the country’s best teams. Decent defender – long arms helps get steals. Accurate three-point shooter. Shot for a fantastic average for a guard – over 53% FG all three years in college. Crafty player – knows how to get the job down.

    Weaknesses: Very thin – needs to bulk up a bit for the NBA. Not an off-the-charts athlete. Didn’t play in one of the top conferences. Can he guard the NBA’s top wing players? Needs to improve his assists to turnovers to play guard in the NBA. Good three-point shooter but didn’t hit very many – just over one a game. Missed clutch free throws in the NCAA championship game.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.

    Consensus: CDR couldn’t have had a much better junior season with the Tigers (besides that loss to Kansas). It is hard to pin down how effective he will be in the NBA with his unique style, but with his good length and tricky game he should make a nice living in the NBA.



    Small Forwards
    1. Danilo Gallinari
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42315
    Team: AJ Milano
    Birth Year: 1988
    Position: SF
    Height: 6’9”
    Weight: 209lbs

    Accolades: Italian League All-Star (07), Italian U-16 National Team, Italian U-18 National Team, Italian National Team.

    Scouting Report: A strong, highly skilled Italian prospect.

    Strengths: Young but experienced – played pro since 2004. Plays in the top league outside of the NBA, the Euroleague. Despite being only 19-years-old, he is the best player on his team. Very good offensive player. Great shooting stroke. Long arms. Very good off the dribble – can go left or right and finishes strong. Great leaper. Can hit the tough shot. Shooting range extends to three-point territory. Good size and strength for a small forward. Solid defender – moves feet, blocks shots, grabs steals. Great free throw shooter and knows how to get himself to the line.

    Weaknesses: Needs to improve his three-point accuracy, and get used to the deeper NBA line. Quick and strong for Europe, but is he athletic and strong enough to guard NBA small or power forwards? Still isn’t totally consistent – had a zero point Euroleague outing. Will take time to adjust to the NBA game. Still young – won’t turn 20-years-old until August.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

    Consensus: Gallinari is a very impressive NBA prospect and should be a solid NBA pro. Whether he has as much “upside” as a prospect like Nicolas Batum is debatable, but Gallinari is definitely more NBA-ready than Batum and has the potential to be an above average NBA player.

    2. Donte Greene
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42345
    College: Syracuse
    Class: Freshman
    Position: SF/PF
    Height: 6’11”
    Weight: 226 lbs

    Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Freshman – CHN (08), Second Team All-Big East (08), Big East All-Rookie Team (08), USA Under-19 National Team (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), First Team All-American – Parade – high school (07), Second Team All-USA Today – high school (07), USA Under-18 National Team (06).

    Scouting Report: An athletic forward with great size for the wing spot.

    Strengths: Great size for the small forward position. Great shooting touch. Can hit shots over defenders. Shooting range goes out beyond the three-point arc – hit almost three three-pointers a game his freshman season. Versatile scorer – three-pointers, fast-breaks, one-on-one moves. Can get out and run the floor. Very good rebounder. Good vertical. Can be an explosive scorer – fourteen 20 plus point games his freshman year.

    Weaknesses: Doesn’t have an above-average wingspan. Can he guard NBA small forwards or power forwards? Played mostly zone defense at Syracuse. Needs to work on his ball-handling. Inexperienced – only one year of college. Needs to cut down on turnovers – had more turnovers than assists this year. Shoots way too many three-pointers – almost eight a game. Needs to get stronger and bigger. His three-point accuracy (less than 35%) needs to improve. Inconsistent.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.

    Consensus: There aren’t too many guys with Donte’ Greene’s size, athleticism and shooting range so NBA teams will be intrigued by him. But his draft stock is all over the board and he could use at least another year in college to get his body ready for the pros and to improve his consistency.

    3. Joe Alexander
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/j...-profile-42336
    College: West Virginia
    Class: Junior
    Position: SF/PF
    Height: 6’8”
    Weight: 230lbs

    Accolades: Honorable Mention All-American – AP (08), Big East All-Tournament Team (08), First Team All-Big East (08).

    Scouting Report: A perfect combination of size, skill and athleticism.

    Strengths: Very athletic. Great leaper – everything ends in a dunk. Finishes strong around the hoop. Great wingspan. Good size for a small forward. Good jump shot – gets high off the ground and has a high release. Can hit tough shots over defenders. Good body control. Ability to beat man off the dribble with either hand. Great shot-blocker for his position. Good passer. Can post up strong. Hard worker. His game increased each year in college. Good rebounder for a wing player.

    Weaknesses: Gets beat off the dribble – does he posses the foot speed to cover NBA wing players? Still inexperienced – a late bloomer – didn’t play much his sophomore year. Needs to become a better three-point shooter to play the three-spot in the NBA. Still inconsistent. Needs to improve his assist to turnover ratio.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid to late first round pick.

    Consensus: Joe Alexander had a breakout junior season at West Virginia and is primed to make some big-time NBA dough. While he is still inconsistent and a little inexperienced, his package of skills, size, athleticism and work ethic are rare. He should be a fine NBA pro.


    4. Nicolas Batum
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/s...t_profile40741
    Team: Le Mans
    Birth Year: 1988
    Position: SF
    Height: 6’8”
    Weight: 210lbs

    Accolades: French Junior National Team, LNB All-Star – France pro league (07).

    Scouting Report: A long, athletic wingman with huge upside.

    Strengths: Huge wingspan – over 7 feet. Great height/length for a small forward. Used to going up against top-notch competition – currently plays in the world’s second best pro league, the Euroleague. Held his own against the States’ top high school players in last year’s Nike Hoop Summit – 23 points. Shoots for a high percentage. Shooting range goes out beyond the three-point line. Very athletic – can get out and run and has good leaping ability. Length comes in handy on the defensive end – deflects passes and blocks shots. Very good playmaker for a wing player.

    Weaknesses: Inconsistent – doesn’t always assert himself. Needs to add strength and weight for the NBA game. Very young – won’t turn 20-years-old until December. Needs to improve his three-point accuracy. Needs to work on his shooting mechanics – needs to follow through more. More potential than finished product right now.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

    Consensus: Batum’s combination of length and athleticism has NBA scouts drooling. Whoever drafts him will have to be patient, but as his game and body matures Batum could be an excellent NBA pro. However, similar to fellow Frechman Boris Diaw, Batum can get you a triple-double one night and then bring nothing to the stat sheet the next – his consistency and aggression level have been questioned.


    Power Forwards

    1. Kevin Love
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/k...-profile-42323
    College: UCLA
    Class: Freshman
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 6’10”
    Weight: 260lbs
     
    Accolades: Wooden All-American (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-Freshman – CHN (08), Pac-10 Player of the Year (08), First Team All-Pac-10 (08), Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (08), Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (08), Honorable Mention Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (08), Male High School Player of the Year – Naismith, Wooden, USA Today, McDonald’s, Parade, National High School Coaches Association (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (07), Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (06).

    Scouting Report: A man among boys in the post his freshman collegiate season.

    Strengths: Extremely strong and solid – gets position down low and is impossible to move. Very smart player. Supremely talented passer – excels leading fast breaks with long inbounds passes. Very strong passer also – can chest pass the full length of the court. Good low post scorer. Wide body. Has range on his jumper out beyond the collegiate three-point line. Good genes – his dad was an NBA player. Has proven to be a winner at the collegiate level. Solid free throw shooter.

    Weaknesses: Not an NBA athlete – not much of a leaper, not super quick getting up and down the floor. Lacks explosiveness. Very inexperienced with only one year of college under his belt. Will be short for the post in the NBA – may only be 6’9”. Lacks foot speed to guard the athletes in the NBA. Doesn’t have the “upside” you’d hope to get with a lottery pick. Needs to get his body into better shape for the NBA.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery Pick

    Consensus: While it must be very difficult to pass up a chance to be a NBA lottery pick, Kevin Love may regret giving up his last three years of college eligibility. Love had the chance to go down as one of the best players to ever suit up for UCLA, but instead he will enter the NBA where his lack of height, athleticism and explosiveness will limit him. While he probably won’t be a star in the pros, his smarts, strength and passing ability will allow him to carve out a career in the NBA.

    2. Anthony Randolph
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/a...-profile-42327
    College: LSU
    Class: Freshman
    Position: SF/PF
    Height: 6’10”
    Weight: 205lbs
     
    Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team – CHN (08), All-SEC Honorable Mention – AP (08), SEC All-Freshman Team (08), Fourth Team Parade All-American – high school (07).

    Scouting Report: A long, lean highly skilled forward

    Strengths: Wingspan – uses long limbs to his benefit on offense and defense. Great at blocking and altering shots. Very quick/athletic for his height. Competitive spirit. Quick face up post moves. Good leaping ability. Good shooting touch for a player his size. Fast feet on defense. Good ballhandler for an almost 7-footer. Capable of playing out on the wing or in the post. Lots of potential. Good rebounder – had nine double-digit rebounding games his freshman year. Good at slashing and getting to the hoop. Gets to the free throw line a decent amount of times.

    Weaknesses: Very thin – will get abused in the post in the NBA. Very inexperienced. Turnover prone – averaged three turnovers a game. Can he guard NBA post players? Will need to improve his three-point touch if he is to play the wing in the NBA. Played mostly power forward in college.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top 10 to Lottery Pick

    Consensus: Anthony Randolph is the ultimate “potential” pick – he’s not ready for the NBA yet, but his package of skills and length make him real attractive to potential suitors. He could end up being a star, but on the flip side, his game and body needs enough work that he also could turn out to be a bust.

    3. Darrell Arthur
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42311
    College: Kansas
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PF
    Height: 6’9”
    Weight: 225lbs

    Accolades: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (07), Big 12 All-Rookie Team (07), USA U-19 Team (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (06), Third Team Parade All-American (06), co-Mr. Basketball – Texas – high school (06), 4A Player of the Year – Texas – high school (05 & 06), 4A State Title Tournament MVP – Texas – high school (05 & 06).

    Scouting Report: An ideal NBA prospect – big, strong, athletic, and skilled.

    Strengths: Very athletic for his size – can run the floor, good jumping ability. Good range on his jumper. Solid back to the basket moves. Gets good position in post and attacks. Good passer. Good shot blocker. Has the ability to take his man off the dribble. Long wingspan.

    Weaknesses: Will need to add some weight/strength to play the post in the NBA. Still inexperienced and young. Due to Kansas’ depth he never played major minutes in college – averaged less than 20 mpg his freshman year, less than 24 mpg his sophomore season. Also never put up big stats due to the Jayhawks’ depth. Foul prone.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick to mid-first round pick.

    Consensus: Watching Arthur play he just looks the part of an NBA prospect. With decent size, wingspan and offensive skills, Arthur is made for the pro game. He might not be ready right away, but within a few seasons he should be a NBA starter.

    4. Marreese Speights
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/m...-profile-42365
    College: Florida
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 6’10”
    Weight: 245lbs

     
    Accolades: N/A

    Scouting Report: A long, athletic big man who came on after being a relative unknown to start his college career.

    Strengths: Long wingspan. Shoots for a very high percentage from the field – over 60% each year. Practiced against three future NBA big men his freshman year (Horford, Noah, Richard). Nice shooting touch for a big man. Athletic for a big man. Good hands. Has good NBA size. Good shot-blocker. Very good rebounder. Got more consistent as his sophomore season progressed.

    Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – didn’t play much his freshman year. Age – will be 21-years-old in August, making him older than other sophomores. Has had conditioning issues in the past. Has to improve his low post game. Needs to get tougher. Needs work on the defensive end.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round to early second round pick.

    Consensus: No doubt Marreese Speights has a future in the NBA due to his size and skills. However, considering he doesn’t appear to be a first round lock this year he should go back to Gainesville for his junior season.



    Centers
    1. Kosta Koufos
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/k...-profile-42331
    College: Ohio State
    Class: Freshman
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 265lbs

    Accolades: NIT Championship MVP (08), Third Team All-Big Ten (08), Big Ten All-Freshman Team (08), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), Greek Under-18 National Team (07), Under-18 European Championship MVP (07), Third Team All-American – Parade – high school (07).

    Scouting Report: A highly skilled big man with high-level international experience.

    Strengths: Big, strong frame. Along with 7-foot height he has a long wingspan. Hard worker – a gym rat. Good hands. Able to put the ball on the floor to score. Uses the glass wisely on jump shots. Tough rebounder. Possesses three-point range on his jumper. Great face up shooter. Soft touch down low. Great shot blocker. Was the best player at a high-level international tournament last summer. Seems to play better in big games.

    Weaknesses: Not super fast or athletic. Tends to face-up to the hoop more than post up. Can drift out to beyond the arc too often. Still inexperienced – big guys tend to need more time to develop. Does he have the foot speed to guard mobile NBA big men?

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid first round pick.

    Consensus: Players with Kosta Koufos’ size and skill package don’t come along too often, so his decision to enter the draft shouldn’t come as a surprise. While he would probably benefit from at least another year in college, Koufos should be an early pick this year and could pan out to be an above-average pro.

    2. DeAndre Jordan
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42316
    College: Texas A&M
    Class: Freshman?
    Position: C
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 240lbs

    Accolades: Third Team Parade All-American – high school (07), USA U-19 Team (07), Two-time All-State – Texas – high school.

    Scouting Report: A big man with big “upside”

    Strengths: Long wingspan – blocks and alters shots with it. Soft hands in the post – catches difficult passes and converts. Good springs – can get off the floor. Can run the floor well for a big body. Good at getting post position. Solid rebounder. Shoots for a very high percentage from the field.

    Weaknesses: Still more prospect than NBA player right now – will need time to develop. Very inexperienced – only played one season of college ball and didn’t play huge minutes (about 20/game). Productivity declined as his freshman season went on. Still a little clumsy. Needs to add some more muscle to his frame. Horrible free throw shooter – barely above 40%. Offensive game is still a work in progress – averages less than 10 points per game.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top 10 pick.

    Consensus: Whichever NBA team drafts Jordan will have to be patient with him. As the Lakers can attest with Andrew Bynum, the wait could be well worth it as Jordan has all the makings of a quality NBA big.

    3. JaVale McGee
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/j...-profile-42335
    College: Nevada
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 237lbs

    Accolades: Second Team All-WAC (08), WAC All-Defensive Team (08).

    Scouting Report: A long, athletic 7-footer.

    Strengths: Extremely long wingspan – reportedly measuring at 7’6”. Very athletic for his size. Can run the floor. Attacks the rim and dunks often. Good hands. Makes quick moves once he gets the ball. Terrific shot-blocker. Has a good hook shot in the post. Has range on his jumper – can hit the college three-pointer. Able to put the ball on the floor and get by defenders.

    Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – only played significant minutes his sophomore year. Didn’t play in a BCS conference, so didn’t go up against top talent every game. Poor free throw shooter. Needs to get physically stronger for the NBA. Will have to learn to post up stronger for the NBA. NBA players will be able to overpower him and back him down when he is on defense. Extremely turnover prone – had four times as many turnovers than assists this past season.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to mid first round pick.

    Consensus: JaVale McGee is the ultimate “high-risk, high-reward” pick. His length and athleticism are very enticing, but with his game and body still a work in progress there is no guarantee
    35
    D.J. Augustin
    25.71%
    9
    Russell Westbrook
    34.29%
    12
    Chris Douglas-Roberts
    0.00%
    0
    Daniel Gallinari
    2.86%
    1
    Donte Greene
    0.00%
    0
    Joe Alexander
    0.00%
    0
    Nicolas Batum
    0.00%
    0
    Kevin Love
    20.00%
    7
    Anthony Randolph
    17.14%
    6
    Darrell Arthur
    0.00%
    0
    Marreese Speights
    0.00%
    0
    Kosta Koufos
    0.00%
    0
    DeAndre Jordan
    0.00%
    0
    JaVale McGee
    0.00%
    0

    The poll is expired.

    Last edited by Jose Slaughter; 06-09-2008, 12:30 AM.

  • #2
    Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

    DJ Augustin since their future HOFer is gone
    STARBURY

    08 and Beyond

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

      I think the Clips go with Westbrook.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

        I chose Love. Best available.
        This space for rent.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

          Originally posted by Anthem View Post
          I chose Love. Best available.

          me too

          I think he surprised people (me too) in the combine showing a 35 in vertical and putting his biggest negative in doubt: "Not an NBA athlete – not much of a leaper... Lacks explosiveness."

          He looked a bit plodding to me, but I guess he got in better shape for the combine. The question I guess is whether the committment to conditioning was solely for pre-draft workouts and if he will backslide.
          The poster "pacertom" since this forum began (and before!). I changed my name here to "Slick Pinkham" in honor of the imaginary player That Bobby "Slick" Leonard picked late in the 1971 ABA draft (true story!).

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

            It would be so cool if Love slid out of the top 10. I'd be absolutely thrilled.
            This space for rent.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

              Originally posted by Anthem View Post
              It would be so cool if Love slid out of the top 10. I'd be absolutely thrilled.
              ...until he slides to #12.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                Originally posted by Shade View Post
                ...until he slides to #12.
                This space for rent.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                  With all the rumors of teams trading picks.... maybe the Pacers will move up a little, & get him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                    Originally posted by Robertmto View Post
                    DJ Augustin since their future HOFer is gone
                    Huh?
                    Read my Pacers blog:
                    8points9seconds.com

                    Follow my twitter:

                    @8pts9secs

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                      Originally posted by JayRedd View Post
                      Huh?
                      Shawn Livingston was going to the Hall. I saw it in hsi game. The kid was going to be somethin special.
                      STARBURY

                      08 and Beyond

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                        I voted Love because I think he is the BPA.

                        Could open discussions of Brand for Redd...

                        Maggete might opt out but indications are that Livingston is coming back nicely...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                          Originally posted by Robertmto View Post
                          Shawn Livingston was going to the Hall. I saw it in hsi game. The kid was going to be somethin special.
                          Okay. I thought you were talkin bout ET.

                          Originally posted by iPACER View Post
                          Could open discussions of Brand for Redd...
                          I just want to go on record to say that neither me nor my agent has heard of any sort of discussions. It has always been my desire to spend my entire career at PD and, while I understand this is a business, my heart remains committed to The Digest.
                          Read my Pacers blog:
                          8points9seconds.com

                          Follow my twitter:

                          @8pts9secs

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                            I don't think the Clippers will chose based on position, but on best available talent. So, since both Galinnari, Randolph and Love are still available I think it will be one of those three. I'm chosing Randolph yet again.

                            Gives them a little more depth at the forward position aswell. Always a good thing when your starforward has just been down for about an entire year.

                            Regards,

                            Mourning
                            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

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The PD NBA Draft - Selection 7 - LA Clippers

                              Wouldn't these polls be more interesting if they included 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice votes?

                              (Not that I'm volunteering to write the code for such.)

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