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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"

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"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

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"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

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  • #46
    Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

    Originally posted by esabyrn333 View Post
    If we where to land a guy like Thabeet would it be crazy to think we could run our O with Thabeet and Hibbert as our to low post guys?

    If Bird drafts a center, it says Hibbert isn't what he thought he was as a player with all his "NBA Readiness", Hibbert isn't going to be the Pacers center of the future, or both.

    Why would Bird draft a center, and then have 2 projects trying to play the same position since neither is a PF? How do you develop 2 centers at a time? My 1st thought is Seattle, oops OC, with Swift, Petro, and Sene. They still haven't figured it out yet. What wasted 1st round picks!

    Comment


    • #47
      Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

      Another power forward prospect to watch this year is Georgetown's Greg Monroe. He is only a freshman and might not come out this year but if he does he might be within our range. In a recent interview Lefty Driesell said he looks like the next Bill Russell. That might be a little ridiculous but its pretty high praise coming from a hall of fame coach...

      Comment


      • #48
        Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

        I haven't even watched a college game this year, but it seems it is just too soon to thinking of who to draft. Just too many varibles that can come into play to even think of what the Pacers needs will be come June. We don't know what the Pacers needs will be until towards the end of the season.

        At the present time, my vote would be for a POWER FORWARD, but a player like Blake Griffin is not in the realm of possibility. Hopefully, there will be a Dale Davis type PF available when the Pacers draft.

        Comment


        • #49
          Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

          Originally posted by croz24 View Post
          , but what scares me is this me-first attitude of his by choosing europe over college. they say he wasn't even going to qualify for arizona though.
          There is your answer. He went to Europe because he couldn't get into AZ, even on exception status. What else was he going to do? Sit out a year?

          I have no comment on him as an actual player, except the PG should be the brain of the team and if you can't even get into college on an exception status, then I don't think I want you leading my team to Dairy Queen let alone giving you the keys to the franchise.


          Originally posted by mellifluous View Post
          I think my current infatuation with Griffen is that he appears to fit every need that the Pacers currently have. He's a super-athletic PF that has a low post game yet will still beat 95% of NBA bigs down the court on a fast break. He's a good shot blocker and plays hard on defense. He's also an amazing rebounder. He grabs rebounds while the ball's 11 feet off the ground.
          Do you sometimes confuse him with his brother? From what I've seen of his defense, he stands straight up with his hands in the air on defense.

          He is amazing with the ball, I'll give him that, but the whole offense all he did was post up on one side and call for the ball. He literally did on move off of the block for two solid games this week in NY. He didn't catch the ball 15ft out and create something off the dribble, he didn't come out and set a screen for a P&R. He sat his butt on the block and called for it. To be honest, I thought it was a bit pathetic to watch.

          He is an amazing athlete. He has some of the best hands I think I've ever saw. Anything near him and he caught it with people hanging on his arms. He's super big and super athletic so he has all the tools, but he didn't play with passion or emotion. He should have taken over the game against PU and just didn't do it.

          I came away being very disappointed in him. Caple seems like he would be a good coach considering he played and coached under Coach K. But his offensive schemes made Rick's look inventive. Blake is on Amare level of athleticism, but he needs to show he has more offensive skill than being able to sit on the block and out jump/over power people to score.
          Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” ― Ricky Gervais.

          Comment


          • #50
            Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

            Originally posted by Since86 View Post
            Do you sometimes confuse him with his brother? From what I've seen of his defense, he stands straight up with his hands in the air on defense.

            He didn't catch the ball 15ft out and create something off the dribble,
            I think maybe I do confuse him with his brother on defense.

            He did, at least a couple times in the Purdue game, catch the ball away from the basket and create off the dribble. He handles the ball very well for a 6'10" player. Also, at least against Purdue, the gameplan had to be for him to go inside against Purdue's soft big men. He was being guarded by Calasan, Johnson, and Hummel, all of whom are pretty soft on the inside and not too shabby as perimeter defenders. The one thing I didn't see in the Purdue game was a jumpshot. I'd really like to know if he has one.
            "A man with no belly has no appetite for life."

            - Salman Rushdie

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            • #51
              Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

              ok another guy to keep an eye on is Cole Aldrich PF/C from Kansas

              Comment


              • #52
                Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                Here's an article from Chad Ford people reading this thread should enjoy.

                http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ftWatch-081204
                Draft Watch: Curry's driving up charts

                By Chad Ford
                ESPN.com





                Updated: December 4, 2008

                AP Photo/Chuck Burton
                Though not strong on athleticism, Stephen Curry's ability to play the point has helped his draft stock.


                We're two full weeks into the college basketball season, and NBA scouts are out in force, filling their databases with every detail about every top player in the country.

                Early on, the sentiment remains the same as it was all summer -- much like the U.S. economy, the overall quality of NBA draft prospects is in a recession this year.

                Part of the blame lies with the inordinate number of young players who bolted for the NBA last season. Another big part has to do with an incoming freshman class that is just so-so. Finally, there are only a few international hotshots who warrant much attention this year. Put that all together, and very few teams are expressing much excitement about the draft class of 2009.

                Still, some bright spots are beginning to emerge.

                Here's the first of what will be a weekly look at the top prospects in the draft. For a more complete picture of the draft, check out our updated 2009 Top 100.
                The Good




                Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma
                We began our 2009 Top 100 in July with Griffin atop the list. From the look of things, he's staying there the rest of the year. He has absolutely dominated on both ends of the court -- putting up a Michael Beasley-esque performance in the pre-Big 12 schedule this season. Griffin's combination of size, strength and athleticism, along with his growing offensive prowess, makes him the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Right now, there isn't a close second.



                Stephen Curry, G, Davidson
                Although Blake Griffin is the best big-man prospect in the country, Curry is quickly emerging as the best guard prospect. Everyone knew he was one of the top scorers in the country. But since being moved to point guard, he has shown he can be an excellent passer and floor leader while still dropping 30 a night on an opponent. And when teams double-team him the whole game (as Loyola, Md., did), he's content to stay out of the way and let the rest of his team play 4-on-3.
                His lack of size and athleticism is the only thing keeping him from being mentioned as a possible No. 1 pick. As it stands right now, Curry looks like a lock for the top 10 and could even crack the top 5.



                James Harden, SG, Arizona State
                Stephen Curry's biggest competition for the title of best guard prospect comes from Harden. Harden had as good a freshman season as Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo, but he didn't get any of the hype. With Love and Mayo plying their wares in the NBA, the stage was set for Harden, and he has delivered.
                We all knew Harden was an amazing scorer, but his improvements at rebounding, playing tough defense and dishing out assists have scouts calling him the most complete guard in the country. Think the second coming of Brandon Roy.



                Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn
                I've been among Thabeet's biggest skeptics, but I'm quickly running out of allies. More and more scouts appear convinced that the big man from UConn is finally able to deliver. We always knew Thabeet could block shots and run the floor. But his improved rebounding and confidence on the offensive end have more scouts calling him a top-5 lock.
                In fact, with a few more supporters, he could become the consensus No. 2 pick in the draft. I'm still skeptical of the Dikembe Mutombo comparisons, but there's no doubt he made the right move skipping the draft the past two years. Thabeet finally is learning how to play basketball, and at 7-foot-3, he has a chance to make a real impact now.



                Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona
                Hill dropped a double-double in five of his first six games. He finally seems to be living up to the potential we saw in him as a freshman. NBA scouts still worry about his lack of strength, but his intensity around the basket, his improved shot-blocking and his bigger role in the offense are giving him a great shot at landing somewhere in the lottery this coming summer.



                Greg Monroe, F/C, Georgetown
                The freshman class has largely been a disappointment out of the gate, but Monroe hasn't. Knocked by scouts coming into the season because of his lack of fire, Monroe has played a critical role for Georgetown in the early going. More importantly, he has shown an excellent motor and passion for the game. If he continues to improve, he has a chance to be the first freshman off the board on draft night.


                Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina
                Lawson already has his fair share of fans in the NBA. But the consensus last season was that his game just wouldn't translate well to the league. However, after he had a series of good workouts for NBA teams leading up to the draft, scouts are giving him a second look, and they like what they see.
                Lawson was the MVP of the Maui Classic, and he deserved it. He has cut down on turnovers (sporting a ridiculous 6-1 assist-to-turnover ratio), and he has improved his outside jumper. If he can lead UNC to an NCAA title, he'll have a shot at getting back into the lottery.



                Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas
                There's nothing sexy about Aldrich's game. But he's big, skilled and a better athlete than you might think. He has gotten better with every game he has played for Kansas. Given his size and skill set, he looks like a lock to be off the board in the first round, and he has a real shot at the lottery if he keeps improving throughout the season.


                Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech
                Lawal had a lackluster freshman year at Georgia Tech. This year, however, the sophomore is starting to play up to his potential. His long arms, uber-athleticism and motor have always made him a favorite of scouts. But it has been his surprising success on the offensive end that has scouts talking about him as a potential lottery pick in June.


                Victor Claver, F, Spain
                Not all the news out of the international camp is bad right now. Claver has been on the radar for a couple of years after a standout performance in the Reebok Eurocamp in 2007. But a so-so 2008 year saw him fall out of the picture. He's back this season, putting up impressive numbers for a 20-year-old at Parmesa Valencia. Given his athleticism and versatility, he has the chance to be the second international player taken in the draft next year.


                The Bad




                Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain
                Rubio turned a lot of heads in the Olympics, but he has begun the season with a whimper. A wrist injury kept him out the first month of the season in Spain. In the long run, the injury is not a big deal, but with players such as Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry and James Harden dominating in the U.S., his position as a potential No. 1 pick in the draft seems to be slipping by the day. In the long run, that might be a good thing for Rubio. But in the short term, his draft stock is taking a hit.


                B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State
                On potential, Mullens might have been the most intriguing name in the draft coming into the season. However, after his first three games at Ohio State, you wonder whether he has what it takes to deliver in a big way as a freshman. Mullens has great athletic ability, but it's clear he's still learning the game and not ready to be playing 30-40 minutes a night.
                Thad Motta seems to be willing to be patient with Mullens. It looks as though NBA scouts will have to be, too. By September, some scouts were projecting him as a potential No. 1 pick. Right now, it looks as though the best-case scenario would be his returning for his sophomore season.



                Brandon Jennings, PG, Lottomatica Roma
                Jennings isn't exactly lighting it up in Europe. He's averaging 4.9 ppg and 3 apg with 28 percent shooting in 17.3 mpg in his first eight games for Lottomatica Roma. It's too early to be harsh. When you factor in all the difficulties he faces (new environment, new system, intense scrutiny), he has held up fairly well. But he hasn't helped his stock much by making the move. While plenty of his college counterparts are dominating, we're still stuck talking about potential with Jennings.
                Rest of the Best

                Chase Budinger from Arizona hasn't reached lottery status yet, but has a chance to if he keeps up his hot start. Check out the rest of the players who are on the verge of making the top list. Insider


                Demar DeRozan, G/F, USC
                It's tough to find a young player more disappointing in the early going. On paper, he has all the tools to be a breakout star. He has an NBA body, is an explosive scorer and landed on a team in desperate need of a star. But through the first six games of the year, DeRozan has looked very ordinary, as have the Trojans.

                Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke
                Henderson has been on the radar since he was a high school senior. But why hasn't he taken his game to the next level? Although a few scouts blame Duke's system, most are beginning to write him off.

                Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
                ------------------------------------------


                http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...Insider-081204

                Draft Watch: The rest of the best

                By Chad Ford
                ESPN.com





                Updated: December 4, 2008, 2:40 PM ET




                Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA
                Holiday is quietly putting together a very strong first season for the Bruins. Expect him to get better and better as the season goes on, and to stay in the top-10 pick conversation all year. Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga
                Daye is the best talent on one of the best teams in the country. He has improved his rebounding and shot-blocking significantly in the early going, but he's still not dominating the way his talent suggests he could.
                Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Wake Forest
                Among the incoming freshman class, Aminu has been one of the best, and clearly one of the most steady. He's not dominating yet, but he has been very solid.

                Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis
                Of all the freshmen in this year's class, Evans was the one most mentioned as a potential one-and-done candidate. He's an excellent scorer who was expected to put up big numbers at Memphis right away. Evans struggled to dominate coming out of the gate, but a huge performance against Marist this week could be a turning point for him.

                Chase Budinger, G, Arizona
                Budinger's pre-draft process didn't go well last season, but he's off to a terrific start at Arizona this season. Not only is he scoring more and taking over games, but he can't miss from deep. If he keeps this up, he'll be back in the lottery conversation.
                Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary's
                Mills was the hot name in the Olympics this year, but his season has been a mixed bag at St. Mary's in the early going. His scoring average is up, but so are his turnovers.
                Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa
                Jordan isn't wowing anyone yet, but don't be deceived. In a league desperate for big men, the fact that he's averaging nearly a double-double in 24 mpg has scouts still interested.
                Michael Dunigan, C, Oregon
                This might be premature, but there was a lot of buzz coming out of the Maui Classic about Dunigan's performance for Oregon. He's big and athletic and he put up great numbers as a freshman. As his body improves, he could be a guy to watch.
                Jarvis Varnado, F, Mississippi State
                The guy might not be a scoring machine, but he's averaging six blocks a game. That keeps him on the radar -- especially after garnering excellent reviews this summer at LeBron's camp.Lee Cummard, G/F, BYU
                Cummard is the most versatile guy in the country you've never heard of. If he could add some muscle to that bony frame of his, he'd be getting a lot more attention right now.

                Luke Harangody, F, Notre Dame
                After dominating in the first few games of the Maui Classic, Harangody fizzled in the final against UNC's Tyler Hansbrough. He looked slow and unathletic when he faced Hansbrough -- a guy who has been knocked as not a great athlete by scouts. In fairness, Harangody was sick, and is now out indefinitely with pneumonia.
                Ed Davis, F, UNC
                As far as freshmen with a future go, Davis won a lot of fans in Maui among NBA scouts by crashing the boards and doing the dirty work. He can't be a star on a loaded UNC team, but his willingness to play a role has helped his stock tremendously.
                Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

                Comment


                • #53
                  Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                  sorry but the fact that curry is one of the best guard prospects shows just how bad this year's draft class is. the pacers needed to make their move in last year's draft. there's only a handful of kids this year who can be anything special. curry not one of them...

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                    Griffin, Monroe, Evans, Thabeet, Mills, Singler, and possibly Harden and Hansborough are my targets at the moment. I'm really feeling a Monroe pick by the P's in particular if we don't get the #1, in which case our pick would be obvious.

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                      Picking on need Greg Monroe or Jordan Hill would be realistic, but picking on talent I would go with Tyreke Evans or James Harden if still available. There is still a lot of college ball to be played for draft stocks to rise and fall for these players.

                      "I've got an idea--an idea so smart that my head would explode if I even began to know what I'm talking about." - Peter Griffin

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                      • #56
                        Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                        Originally posted by DanGrangerPwrRanger View Post
                        Picking on need Greg Monroe or Jordan Hill would be realistic, but picking on talent I would go with Tyreke Evans or James Harden if still available.
                        Bird likes players that have multiple years of college experience. He also likes players that can shoot. He likes players with good basketball IQ's.

                        Tyler Hansbrough is one PF that seems like Birds type of player.

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                        • #57
                          Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                          Jarvis Varnado, F, Mississippi State
                          The guy might not be a scoring machine, but he's averaging six blocks a game. That keeps him on the radar -- especially after garnering excellent reviews this summer at LeBron's camp

                          I am looking at this kid for the next two months.

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                          • #58
                            Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                            I watched my 1st college game yesterday... OK and USC. I only got to see the 2nd half of the game, but Blake Griffin wasn't impressive to me. BUT he reminded me of Hibbert in that he can't hit FT's.

                            Oh yeah, I saw the USC player's dirty hit of Griffin in the ba........ and then argue he did nothing wrong when ejected from the game.

                            Never saw anything impressive fronm DeRozen either. Maybe I was expecting too much or this wasn't a good game for either.

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                            • #59
                              Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                              Originally posted by Will Galen View Post
                              Bird likes players that have multiple years of college experience. He also likes players that can shoot. He likes players with good basketball IQ's.

                              Tyler Hansbrough is one PF that seems like Birds type of player.
                              which is a fairly dumb philosophy seeing as the %s of finding great players are far greater when drafting a freshman or sophomore as opposed to a junior or senior. as we've seen this year even, just because you came out as a senior with a supposed high basketball iq, doesn't mean you'll produce right away. the freshmen and sophomores are clearly outperforming their junior and senior couterparts.

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                              • #60
                                Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

                                Originally posted by Will Galen View Post
                                Bird likes players that have multiple years of college experience. He also likes players that can shoot. He likes players with good basketball IQ's.

                                Tyler Hansbrough is one PF that seems like Birds type of player.
                                I will personally burn down Conseco if he was selected by the Ps. He will not translate to the professional game, at all.

                                There's a reason why he didn't opt for the draft. I mean how many national players of the year are talked about being a mid first round pick?

                                He just doesn't have any skill, footwork, etc. He is an effective player because he literally works twice as hard as everyone else on the floor. The article is wrong, IMHO. He is very athletic, but completely uncoordinated, which is weird. He moves like a kid in puberty that just grew 7inches.
                                Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” ― Ricky Gervais.

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