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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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2011 Free Agents List

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  • 2011 Free Agents List

    If necessary, please merge into a similar thread.

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...FreeAgents2011

    Group I: The "Big 10" ETO or player option candidates



    Note: These are the players with an "early termination option" (ETO) or "player option" (PO) in their contracts, meaning they can opt to forgo the final year(s) of their deals and instead become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2011. Some NBA player agents think it's highly unlikely that most of this group will actually exercise their options. Why? If the new CBA dramatically lowers the salary scale and the guaranteed years free agents can get, they'd be leaving a lot of guaranteed money on the table for the unknown. Here's the lineup:



    Key: player option (PO) | early termination option (ETO) | team option (TO)




    Anthony

    1. Carmelo Anthony, F, Nuggets (ETO)
    If LeBron was the prize in 2010, Carmelo looks to be the guy in 2011. A number of teams, including the Knicks and Wizards, are trying their best to keep or clear enough cap space to offer him a max deal next summer. Of course, the Nuggets are trying to prevent it from happening and have offered him a big extension this summer. If Carmelo plays it safe, he'll take the money and security it provides. If he refuses to re-up, you can expect the Nuggets to push hard to trade him before the February trade deadline.



    2. Tim Duncan, Spurs (ETO)
    Duncan has become such a staple in San Antonio that no one really expects him to leave. He turned 34 in April but still is one of the best big men in the league. He can't keep going like this forever, but I expect he'll get an extension from the Spurs sometime before the end of the season so he can finish his career in black and silver.




    Williams

    3. Mo Williams, Cavs (ETO)
    Williams was devastated by the news that James was leaving for South Beach. He could end up following suit next summer if the Cavs can't find a way to turn around the team in short order. After getting a taste for competing for a championship, Williams won't be too excited about a rebuilding project. If owner Dan Gilbert makes good on his vow to field a contender without LeBron, Williams may want to stick around.



    4. Nene Hilario, Nuggets (ETO)
    When he's healthy, Nene remains one of the more unique big men in the league. He's both quick and physical and can be a handful in the paint when he wants to be. It's hard to say a 27-year-old player who's spent eight seasons in the league still has upside, but Nene does. If he chooses to terminate his contract, he will leave $11.6 million on the table. But I could see a team giving him much, much more on the open market next year if he can stay on the court.




    West

    5. David West, Hornets (ETO)
    The Hornets are slashing costs and, in the process, alienating their star player, Chris Paul (who leads the group of potential 2012 free agents, by the way). West turns 30 in August, so his shelf life isn't particularly long. But if he's going to get a new, long-term contract, it would probably be wise to think about opting out next summer, especially because his contract number actually goes down next year.



    6. Leandro Barbosa, Raptors (PO)
    There's a good chance that Barbosa will pick up his player option next year. He was just reunited with the guy who drafted him, Bryan Colangelo, in Toronto and the $7.6 million he's due in 2011 is a lot more than he could probably get on the open market.




    Diaw

    7. Boris Diaw, Bobcats (PO)
    Diaw is due to make $9 million in 2011, much more than he could likely command on the open market. I doubt we'll see him exercising his player option given the money he'd be leaving on the table.



    8. Mickael Pietrus, Magic (PO)
    The 28-year-old defensive stopper has never developed into the great offensive player his talent suggested when the Warriors drafted him. Pietrus did shoot a respectable 38 percent on 3s last season, and he can be a lockdown defender. He's due $5.3 million next season and could decide that now is the time to lock into one last long-term deal.




    Turiaf

    9. Ronny Turiaf, Knicks (PO)
    Turiaf has never been much of a stat stuffer but that could change this season in New York in coach Mike D'Antoni's system. Defense and shot-blocking are where Turiaf excels. He turns 28 in January and has been one of the better bargains in the league the past few years. I could see him getting another full midlevel deal next summer once D'Antoni's offense pads his stats a bit.



    10. Goran Dragic, Suns (TO)
    Dragic turned into a bit of a folk hero with some huge playoff performances. He is due a very modest $2.1 million in 2011 and I'm sure he'll get back out into the free-agent waters to double that number, at the very least.



    Other notables: Rudy Fernandez, Blazers (TO); C.J. Miles, Jazz (TO); Ryan Hollins, Wolves (PO); Sam Young, Grizzlies (TO); Charlie Bell, Warriors (ETO)





    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------





    Group II: The restricted free agents



    So far, just one player from the 2007 first-round draft class (Kevin Durant) has signed a contract extension this summer. The rest will be restricted free agents this summer unless they agree to an extension with their teams. But don't count on extensions. With the league expecting max deals and guaranteed years to reduce under the new CBA, there isn't much motivation for owners to deal now unless players are going to offer them bargains.




    Horford

    1. Al Horford, Hawks
    Horford continues to make steady progress each season and posted an impressive 19.43 PER in 2009-10. He has quickly become the anchor of the Hawks' defense in the paint despite playing out of position most of the time at center. While he might not be a "max" player the way Durant is, but he's not far from it, either. There's virtually no chance the Hawks will let him walk.



    2. Greg Oden, Blazers
    Oden is a huge question mark. He has already had two major surgeries and has played a total of 82 games in three seasons. But when he has played, he's shown signs of becoming a dominant big man. In the 21 games he played in 2009-10 before a broken knee cap ended his season, he was sporting a whopping 23.14 PER. If Oden can get healthy -- and it's a big if at this point -- he still has time to be a dominant NBA big man (he doesn't turn 23 until January). I'd be shocked if the Blazers let him get away.




    Gasol

    3. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
    It's hard to fault GM Chris Wallace for this one. Wallace believed Gasol would have a bright future when most did not, and in Gasol's first two years with Memphis, he has made a believer out of most people. He's not going to be his brother, Pau, but Marc has become one of the steadiest big men in the game.



    4. Joakim Noah, Bulls
    Noah is coming off his best season as a pro, in which he averaged 10 points and 11 rebounds a game. Now that he's going to be paired in the frontcourt with Carlos Boozer, the Bulls expect him to take even greater strides. He's become a pivotal part of the Bulls' future and I don't think there's much of a chance that they'll part ways next summer.




    Young

    5. Thaddeus Young, Sixers
    Young continues to tantalize with his combination of versatility and athleticism. He can play both the 3 and the 4 and continues to improve his perimeter game. While it's tough to gauge whether he's a star given his limited role with the team, he'll get a big offer from someone if the Sixers don't lock him up.



    6. Rodney Stuckey, Pistons
    Stuckey continues his steady improvement in Detroit. He was a steal as the 15th pick in the 2007 draft but hasn't really reached his ceiling. He's still more comfortable as a slasher/scorer than a point guard, and he hasn't found a consistent stroke from long range. But at this point he's a big, big part of the future of the Pistons, and I doubt there's any chance they'll let him walk.




    Green

    7. Jeff Green, Thunder
    Green gets lost a little in the shadow of Kevin Durant but he's been solid in his own right in his first three years in the league. He will never be the alpha dog, especially not in Oklahoma City, but he has proved to be a valuable role player.

    Green is one of the few guys on this list who could end up wearing a new uniform next season. The Thunder like him, but they gave Durant the max this summer and likely will do the same with Russell Westbrook next summer. I don't think they'll be able or willing to give Green a big deal, too.



    8. Aaron Brooks, Rockets
    The league's reigning Most Improved Player had a breakout third season, averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 assists. Yes, he is undersized and probably better coming off the bench, but there's no question that Brooks' quickness with the ball has made him a game-changer.




    Conley

    9. Mike Conley, Grizzlies
    The Grizzlies still aren't in love with Conley, but in the second half of the season, he started to come around, averaging 16.5 points in March and April. If he could get more consistent with that jump shot, he'd be much more highly regarded. With O.J. Mayo eyeing the point guard spot this season, Conley is another restricted free agent who could be on the move.



    10. Marcus Thornton, Hornets
    Thornton exploded onto the scene in his rookie year and proved that there are gems in the second round if teams look hard enough; he averaged 14.5 points and shot 37 percent on 3s. If he can keep it up during his second year in New Orleans, he could be looking at big money next summer.



    Other notables: Corey Brewer, Wolves; Yi Jianlian, Wizards; Jonas Jerebko, Pistons; Brandan Wright, Warriors; Wilson Chandler, Knicks; Jared Dudley, Suns; Julian Wright, Hornets; Spencer Hawes, Sixers; Al Thornton, Wizards; Nick Young, Wizards; Marco Bellineli, Raptors; Daequan Cook, Thunder; Mario Chalmers, Heat; Arron Afflalo, Nuggets; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Bucks.





    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------





    Group III: The real, honest-to-goodness unrestricted free agents



    Finally, here are the guys who will be on the market with no strings attached. Although there is a lot of star power here, most of the big names are on the back end of their careers.




    Yao

    1. Yao Ming, C, Rockets
    If Yao were healthy, he would be a no-brainer as the top free agent on this entire list. But after missing the season with another foot injury, there are questions about his durability and future in the league. He also turns 30 in September, and some observers wonder whether he's older than that. If he has a big comeback year, he'll generate big-time interest. If he struggles, he'll slide down this list. Either way, most GMs find it hard to believe the Rockets won't re-sign him.



    2. Tony Parker, PG, Spurs
    After dominating the league for so long, Parker had a bit of an off year. Injuries were part of the problem, and he played fewer minutes thanks to the emergence of George Hill. The Spurs have explored potential deals for Parker but he has been pretty clear he'd prefer to stay in San Antonio for one more year and then explore his options. He, too, has been eyeing the Knicks and could be a player the Spurs lose next summer if they don't trade him now.




    Landry

    3. Carl Landry, PF, Kings
    Landry may not be a household name, but he's a very efficient power forward who produces season after season. He's been woefully underpaid for most of his career, but that should change in a big way next summer. He'll be the 2011 version of Paul Millsap.



    4. Caron Butler, G/F, Mavs
    Butler is also coming off a down year and was traded midseason from Washington to Dallas. He turned 30 in March and some teams are wondering whether he's starting to slow down a little. I don't think he'll command huge dollars in the open market, but teams are always looking for a veteran wing.




    Chandler

    5. Tyson Chandler, Mavs
    Chandler can be a beast on the boards and a game-changing presence on the defensive end. But he's struggled with injuries his entire career and continues to be a shaky offensive player. If he bounces back with a big season in Dallas, he could get lots of money thrown his direction.



    6. Tayshaun Prince, F, Pistons
    Injuries slowed the 30-year-old small forward last season, but when Prince is at his best, he's a lockdown perimeter defender who can hit open shots on the offensive end. With the Pistons in rebuilding mode, he could bolt next year if they don't trade him first.




    Richardson

    7. Jason Richardson, SG, Suns
    His numbers no longer pop out at you, but Richardson had an excellent season with the Suns and was a big reason they made it to the West finals. He has become a huge threat from behind the arc and still has some bounce. If the Suns don't want him next season, it won't take long for him to find a home.



    8. Andrei Kirilenko, F, Jazz
    Kirilenko is coming off his best season since 2005-06. While he's struggled to regain the mojo he once had, he remains a player who can fill up a stat sheet and wreak havoc on the defensive end. You can expect Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov to make a strong push to get Kirilenko, either via trade or next summer in free agency.




    Murphy

    9. Troy Murphy, PF, Pacers
    One of the most underrated and unique players in the league, Murphy has the ability to put up double-doubles every night while shooting lights-out from behind the arc. With the Pacers looking to get younger, Murphy will finally have the chance next season to land on a team with title aspirations.




    10. Zach Randolph, PF, Grizzlies
    As far as basketball talent goes, there aren't many players who have more than Randolph. He's a double-double machine who is coming off his best season as a pro. However, his baggage causes him to slide down this list. With yet another off-court problem arising this past spring, it's unclear how much money NBA owners will be willing to risk on him.



    Other notables: Jamal Crawford, Hawks; Mike Dunleavy, F, Pacers ; Shane Battier, Rockets; Samuel Dalembert, Kings; Kenyon Martin, Nuggets; Grant Hill, Suns; Nick Collison, Thunder; Nenad Krstic, Thunder; Joel Przybilla, Blazers; T.J. Ford, Pacers; Kendrick Perkins, Celtics; Glen Davis, Celtics; Chuck Hayes, Rockets; Peja Stojakovic, Hornets; Vladimir Radmanovic, Warriors; Jeff Foster, Pacers; Jason Kapono, Sixers; Sasha Vujacic, Lakers; Michael Redd, Bucks; DeShawn Stevenson, Mavericks; Nazr Mohammed, Bobcats; Kelenna Azubuike, Knicks; Morris Peterson, Thunder; Sebastian Telfair, Cavs; Anthony Parker, Cavs; Jamario Moon, Cavs; Erick Dampier, Bobcats; Willie Green, Sixers; Solomon Jones, Pacers; Josh McRoberts, Pacers; Marcus Banks, Raptors; Reggie Evans, Raptors; Dan Gadzuric, Warriors; Jared Jeffries, Rockets; Eddy Curry, Knicks.
    Last edited by Trophy; 07-19-2010, 06:42 PM.

  • #2
    Re: 2011 Free Agents List

    this article has been posted already
    "So, which one of you guys is going to come in second?" - Larry Bird before the 3 point contest. He won.


    Comment


    • #3
      Re: 2011 Free Agents List

      Originally posted by MillerTime View Post
      this article has been posted already
      Link?

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