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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:

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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.

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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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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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http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

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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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5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

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  • #1

    5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat


    ROCK OUT
    WITH YOUR GOLD OUT


    -VS-


    Game Time Start: 8:30 PM ET
    Where: The Fieldhouse, IN
    Officials: J. Crawford, R. Mott, D. Stafford, B. Spooner

    Television:
    Radio: WFNI 1070 AM / WAXY 790 AM, WRTO 98.3 FM / ESPN Radio
    Media Notes: Indiana Notes, Miami Notes
    NBA Feeds: NBA Audio League Pass (available free to NBA All-Access members)


    REMINDER: Per PD policy, please do not share a link to, describe how to search for, request a link to, or request a PM about streaming video of a NBA game that is not coming directly through the NBA. Not even in a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean" round-about sort of way. Thank you


    1
    58-38
    Home: 36-12
    2
    76-18
    Away: 34-12
    May 30
    June 1
    June 3
    8:30 PM
    8:30 PM
    8:30 PM
    HIBBERT
    WEST
    GEORGE
    STEPHENSON
    HILL
    BOSH
    DJANGO
    JAMES
    WADE
    CHALMERS


    PACERS
    Danny Granger - left knee surgery (out)



    HEAT
    None to report




    Team Rebound: Heat Completely Shut Down the Pacers’ Pick and Roll

    It did not take long for Miami to adjust on the Pacers pick and roll. In Game 2, the Pacers
    gashed the Heat to the tune of 1.33 points per possession on 12 plays where the roll man
    finished the play. This included Roy Hibbert either scoring or getting fouled on all 7 of the
    plays where he took a shot as the roll man    . In Game 3 the Heat completely shut down the
    Pacers roll man, allowing only 0.6 points per possession, according to My Synergy Sports.*
    Even more importantly, the Heat only allowed the roll man to finish 5 plays. Four of these
    occurred in what was, as Marv Albert would put it, gar-bage time.
    *It should be noted that the Pacers did draw 3 shooting fouls on those 5
    possessions, so the PPP numbers are skewed downward by the fact they
    did not hit their free throws. The important thing is the number of
    attempts rather than the points, however.

    Oftentimes if a defense adjusts to take away the roll man, the ball handler is able to
    exploit the fact that the man defending the screener stays close to his man or lurks in the
    paint. Not so with the Heat’s system, in which they regularly trap the pick and roll.* It is
    on the other three players to rotate off their man to take away the roll man, and they did
    so expertly in Game 3.
    *The Heat gave up only 0.63 points per possession to the ball handler on
    8 finished plays, according to Synergy.

    When looking at Indiana’s Game 2 success with the pick and roll, I predicted that Miami
    would be more fastidious about taking away the roll man, at the potential expense of
    giving up open looks to the Pacer 3-point shooters.

    That happened some.






    In all three of these clips, a Heat player crashes in from the 3-point line to stop the roll
    man, leaving an open shooter. Here is the point at which I would normally tell you that
    these three clips are emblematic of the larger trend that allowed the Pacers to shoot 8-
    for-14 on threes for the night.*

    The only problem: These three were the only 3-point attempts the Pacers got from pick
    and rolls all night. In Game 3, the Heat managed to stop the ball handler, the roll man,
    and 3-pointers out of the pick and roll.

    It was a remarkable defensive performance.
    * The Pacers shot 8-for-14 on 3s, but I would posit that this performance
    was significantly over their heads. Four of the makes by George,
    Stephenson, Hill, and D.J. Augustin were very difficult shots that would
    normally be classified as wins for the Miami defense.

    Instead, the result was more often of this ilk.


    The Heat rotated onto the roll man...


    ...while still getting out to open shooters.

    As the clips show...CONTINUE READING AT 8p9s

    Brian Windhorst: Can Indiana beat Miami when it matters?

    Every year we are reminded of the reductive nature of the NBA playoffs. The fizz of
    the regular season just blows right off when teams are put to the test repeatedly
    against top competition.

    It’s been one year full of roster moves, player development, strategy changes,
    dozens of practices and about 90 preseason, regular-season and playoff games.
    Through all that, it’s back to the exact same question of a year ago: Can the Indiana
    Pacers beat the Miami Heat when it really matters?

    Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals will provide a simple yes or no. All that
    time, money and work comes down to it.

    If the Heat win, it’s 3-1 going back to Miami and it’s probably curtains for the Pacers
    as everyone can set their schedules for a Heat-San Antonio Spurs Finals to start in
    Miami on June 6.

    If the Pacers win, the circumstances shift significantly and it morphs into a three-
    game series in which each team has proved it can win on the other’s court.

    Furthermore, the Pacers would have proved they can beat the Heat under duress,
    something they were unable to do last season. They couldn’t handle it when the
    Heat went chest-to-chest with them after they achieved a 2-1 series lead.

    The indications after Sunday night weren’t great for Indiana. The Heat clearly went
    into the game playing at their highest level, as they did last season for Games 4-6,
    when they knocked the Pacers to their heels, and it was the same result. The Pacers
    had no answer for the rotating punches of the Heat’s waves of talent, and Indiana’s
    once-strong spirits...CONTINUE READING AT HEAT INDEX

    Diego Quezada: LeBron's post work triggers Heat offense

    Spoelstra's strategy to get LeBron James the ball in the post and send all his other
    players to the other side of the court allowed the four-time MVP to exploit the slender
    Paul George.

    At one point during Miami's 2011-12 championship run, Erik Spoelstra told LeBron
    James, "We need you to play like a big man. Forget everything you know; you're a 4
    now." In Miami's second-round match-up with the Indiana Pacers last spring, James
    played as an extremely effective nominal power forward with Chris Bosh out. And last
    night, it wasn't Miami's 3-point shooting that proved vital to the Heat's dominant win
    over the Pacers. In fact, Miami scored an incredible 70 points in the first half of Game
    3 while only making three 3-pointers. It was James punishing the slender Paul George
    in the post time and again.

    Now, this assertion isn't meant to discount Miami's shooting. James attempted his first
    shot more than six minutes into last night's game. Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem
    combined for 18 points in the first quarter alone, and all of their field goals were
    jumpers with the exception of one Haslem hook shot. But James' work in the post was
    another vital element to Miami's offense and a key reason why Miami scored 52 points
    in the paint last night. The Pacers' combination of Roy Hibbert and David West allowed
    Indiana to become the paint power team in the first two games of the Eastern
    Conference Finals. But Miami turned the tables on Indiana last night. Let's look at a few
    plays James used to score.


    Miami uses the first play of the second quarter to get James a post-up opportunity. As
    one can see, all other Heat players have gone to the other side of the floor to clear the
    lane for the game's best player. Hibbert tentatively cheats off Chris Andersen to offer
    help, but that doesn't work. After backing George down, James spins away from
    Hibbert's help defense and makes a bank shot with his left hand. The same thing
    happens on James' next basket, as the Heat again load up the weak side to offer James
    a whole side of the court to himself. Just like the previous possession, James spins away
    from the help defender to score with his left hand. A screenshot of the four-time MVP's
    next field goal is below.


    The next basket...CONTINUE READING AT HOT HOT HOOPS

    Ken Berger: Playoffs flop-tastic as ever, NBA doing little to curb problem

    David West leaned against the basket stanchion on Monday and paused for a long time
    after I asked my question. His eyes gazed toward the roof, and he smiled.

    My question: How well has the NBA's anti-flopping policy worked this season?

    His answer: Not as bad as the answer from LeBron James.

    First, West's answer: "I know fining a guy doesn't really take away a foul at a crucial
    moment of a game. It's so hard. It's a judgment call by the refs, and sometimes guys
    get rewarded for it."

    Sometimes? The NBA during the postseason has been as flop-tastic as ever. Next, I'm
    half expecting to read that Tony Parker actually did leave his hotel room that night in
    Memphis, but never made it to the fancy restaurant in question because someone
    brushed against him on the sidewalk and he landed in a sewer drain 3 blocks away.

    Now for the disturbing part: LeBron James' answer to my question about flopping on
    the practice day between Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. Get a load
    of this.

    "It hasn't been a problem for many guys at all," James said. "I don't really pay too
    much attention to it. I think it's been good, I guess."

    And since we're guessing here, I guess LeBron was talking about the policy itself, not
    the fact that it has proved to be woefully ineffective at stopping the bane of
    basketball, the trickery and foolishness that are ruining the games.

    "It's year one, so you're not just going to go cold turkey," James said. "Guys have
    been accustomed to doing it for years, and it's not even a bad thing. You're just trying
    to get the advantage. Any way you can get the advantage over an opponent to help
    your team win, then so be it."

    Here, I was floored. You would've thought LeBron had grazed my shoulder, because I
    almost went flailing 30 feet across the Pacers' practice court when he said that. If I'd
    done that while wearing a Manu Ginobili jersey, of course, nobody would've given a
    second thought.

    The biggest star, the most recognizable face of the NBA, says flopping is "not even a
    bad thing?" He says that "any way you can get the advantage over an opponent ...
    then so be it?"

    Well then, that says everything we need to know -- everything we already understood
    -- about the ineffectiveness of the NBA's steps to eradicate flopping.

    "It's sad to say, but it's not just against the Heat but throughout the whole season,"
    Pacers center Roy Hibbert said. "We all make a substantial amount of money and
    people still do it."

    "Who's the worst?" I asked.

    "I'm not going to answer that," Hibbert said.

    My colleague, Gregg Doyel, says Dwyane Wade is the worst. Doyel says Wade is the
    dirtiest player in the NBA    , and provides some pretty irrefutable video evidence to
    back up his claim -- including the infamous forearm to Lance Stephenson's head in
    Game 2 of this very series. No foul was called on the play, because the referees
    didn't see it. But Stu Jackson & Co. saw it at the league office in New York and
    assessed Wade a flagrant foul.

    After dodging a suspension, Wade said, "I have no history of that kind of stuff." Read
    Doyel's column, watch the accompanying videos and judge for yourself.

    But I'm not talking about dirty here; I'm talking about cheating. I'm talking about
    flopping. And Wade has been guilty of that, too, in this series. On this play, Wade
    was trapped along the baseline when he literally just threw himself out of bounds --
    hoping to get a whistle for a foul that didn't happen. The referees didn't buy it,
    awarding the ball to the Pacers. But it's still a flop, and Wade should be fined.

    I asked Wade on Monday what he thinks about the league's anti-flopping policy and
    how well it's worked. His reaction was telling.

    "Um, I don't know, I don't want to get into all that," Wade said, before pausing for a
    couple of seconds. "I don't want to get into it."

    When I pointed out that flopping still happens in the games, he agreed.

    "It happens," Wade said. "But we would have no NBA possibly if they got rid of all
    the flopping."

    Hardy-har-har.

    Problem is it isn't funny anymore...CONTINUE READING AT EYE ON BASKETBALL

    Lang Whitaker: Evolution of Birdman

    The Miami Heat have received an unexpected boost this season from Chris Andersen,
    aka The Birdman, aka Birdman Birdman. For a team that won a title last year while
    constantly shuffling their center rotation, Andersen has given them a stable option off
    the bench, always energetic and frenetic and moving and contesting. He may not be
    the most skilled player in the paint, but he always plays hard and comes to play,
    which is more than you can say for a lot of NBA bigs.

    Of course, a large part of the Birdman package is his look — Birdman is The
    Illustrated Man, covered with colorful tattoos, right up his arms and up to his chin,
    like a turtleneck of ink. This is topped off by an aggressive mohawk that somehow
    stays vertical throughout an entire NBA game.

    But it wasn’t always this way. When Birdman broke into the NBA’s professional
    ranks, playing in the NBA D-League in the 2001-02 season, his skin was relatively
    undoctored, his head shaved. But since then, as this tweet from Nicki Jhabvala shows,
    Birdman has undergone quite an evolution...




    PACERS
    Mike Wells @MikeWellsNBA
    Jared Wade @8pts9secs
    Tim Donahue @TimDonahue8p9s
    Tom Lewis @indycornrows
    Ian Levy @HickoryHigh
    Miss Bumptious @missbumptious


    HEAT
    Brian Windhorst @windhorstESPN
    Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
    Ira Winderman @iraheatbeat
    Ethan J. Skolnick @EthanJSkolnick
    Surya Fernandez @SuryaHeatNBA
    Joseph Goodman @JoeGoodmanJr
    This is the darkest timeline.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

    Man I need some encouragement for this game, being around all these Heat fans got me down some. Need George to come back strong and really prove all this "King George has arrived" talk!

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

      This Pacers game number 16 of these playoffs, and I must admit they are exhausting me.

      Also, I am one that usually says that losing by 1 or 2 points is much more damaging than losing by 25 points. After Sunday I hope I am correct, but it sure doesn't feel like I am. Took me a full 24 hours to even want to see another game after Sunday's.
      Last edited by Unclebuck; 05-28-2013, 03:59 PM.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

        We getting the W
        Smothered Chicken!

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

          Must win game for us tonight.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

            I will be there screaming my head off.....ICE THE HEAT!!!! We need this one.
            Go Pacers!

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

              We really need this one. Win this for your crowd. Let's goooooooo!!!

              Originally posted by IrishPacer
              Empty vessels make the most noise.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                Just found out I am going and sitting lower level! GO PACERS!!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                  I'm feeling strangely confident...

                  Either way this is basically the season right here. Give it 110% Pacers, (and Pacers fans!).

                  Mr. Lance Stephenson we need you to be better!
                  //

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                    Game 4 fixes for Paul George (ESPN Insider)

                    He was celebrated, even anointed, as perhaps the second-best wing in the NBA.

                    This season, Indiana Pacers fans couldn't wait to shout over everyone that Paul George had arrived. At just 23, George's youth and athleticism had them certain George was approaching superstar status. Indeed, with his clutch 3-pointer to force overtime and his three clutch free throws in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals George looked like a superstar. He is a terrific wing defender, with the potential to be possibly the league's best after LeBron James.

                    Well, not so fast.

                    Despite all of the heroics, the fact is George hasn't "arrived." He's an exceptional player who had a good -- even great -- playoff game. But after his equally poor Game 3, George now is the guy who must make some adjustments if Indiana is going to survive. Here's the problem, and the correction I would make.

                    The Problem: George doesn't assert himself

                    The biggest issue with George -- and it has been this way throughout his pro career -- is his inconsistency in asserting himself on offense. George is a very long and very skilled player who can rack up assists, rebounds, and points ... when he applies himself. But the Pacers don't see that side of George enough, and that can be problematic when Miami's league-best offense is performing in high gear, as it was in Game 3. His lack of assertiveness in Game 3 didn't only cause him to have a subpar game scoring points, it also directly led to Pacers turnovers, and Miami exploited every opportunity.

                    Consider his five turnovers:

                    • With about 44 seconds left in the first quarter and Miami having already scored 32 points, George lazily dribbled off a ball screen to his right without challenging his defender (Ray Allen) or the hedger (Chris Andersen). George quickly threw a weak pass to Roy Hibbert 20 feet in front of the rim. James had slowly drifted off his man in the opposite corner to cover the middle of the floor. Then, seeing the slow pass, he jumped into the lane for the easy steal and subsequent dunk. That play gave Miami a four-point lead, and Indiana never got any closer.

                    • On the very next possession, George ran the same ball screen to the left instead of dribbling right. He slowly probed near the free throw line, extended before jumping and tossed a pass to ... nobody. Norris Cole made the easy interception.

                    • On the first possession of the third quarter, the Pacers were down 14 and looking for some life. George made a wing catch against James, who played him on the top side and forced George toward the baseline and Chris Bosh. George took the bait, dribbled slowly to the area of the floor, then forced his way back to the middle, hoping to split Bosh and James before laying off a slick pass to Hibbert (guarded by Bosh). Bosh slid to contest George, James slid to help Bosh, and George ended up forcing a pass that resulted in a turnover (Chalmers saved the ball before it rolled out of bounds off Hibbert's head).

                    • With the Pacers down 13, on their last full possession of the third quarter and still in line to make it a competitive game, George turned down a high ball screen at the top of the key, then tried to take James with a fast right-hand dribble. He didn't beat James and saw help was coming, so he slowed down, shoved James and was called for the offensive foul. Miami scores on its final possession, and Indiana never gets closer than 14 the rest of the game.

                    • It's a 20-point deficit for Indiana in the fourth quarter. George uses a ball screen without any pace, stops and fires a risky pass to a rolling Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough drops what was a catchable ball, probably because Andersen was there to defend his shot.

                    The Adjustment: Be decisive

                    Of course, George is not the only Pacers player to commit turnovers (though the rest of the team combined for just five). Coach Frank Vogel has said limiting turnovers is the biggest key for his team to have success in this series. The good news for Indy fans, and George, is that these types of turnovers are preventable.

                    The key for George to have success in ball-screen action is decisiveness and consistency, both issues that have kept him from reaching the elite level most fans assume he already has reached. What he did wrong in committing those five turnovers, and in many other instances, is that he "probed" instead of attacked.

                    There are times to probe in the ball-screen game, but they usually come before the screen is used. Probing, or "flirting" with the screener's defender, is a good way to see if the screener's defender will show too early, thus allowing for the screener to roll to the rim. Sometimes the screener's defender does not move enough to be able to show when the screen is used. But against the kind of disciplined defense Miami has, getting the Heat to err on something that simple is rare. However, George has found some success against James with his dribble-attack game, without a screener.

                    In ball-screen action, George needs to hit his accelerator button and attack at a perfect angle to put pressure on helpers. Either the defenders will commit to help and leave their man open, or they won't, which gives George the finishing lane he needs. It's hard to forget his two-handed dunk in Game 1. The dunk is easy to remember, but it was the speed and angle he took to the rim that earned him that play.

                    If he wants to probe, that's fine to a degree. This approach allows him to read the other four defenders not guarding him. Once he feels or senses the best play, he must execute it at top speed. That does not mean he can't slow down. In fact, slowing down, or even stopping and popping a jumper, is a great counter to a speed attack. George has used those moves plenty in this series alone.

                    What George can't do, though, is slow down and probe on the fly. Miami's speed on defense, its excellent starting positions and rotations, and James' presence force Indiana and especially its top offensive player to play at a higher speed. That speed comes with risks if George or a teammate misreads what is going to happen. Playing it slowly and hoping something develops is not the answer.

                    Miami made a clear adjustment for Game 3. It empowered all of its role players, especially Udonis Haslem, to take the fight to the Pacers and force them to move the ball fast before deciding on the best shot or drive. It worked spectacularly, as we saw all too well in the first half. Thus, it's time for the Pacers to make the adjustment in Game 4. They need their star player to play like one, and that means to be in attack mode with real speed against James, who only happens to be the world's best player and the NBA's top wing defender.

                    The matchup will be a glimpse into a true elite talent, to be sure. And if George succeeds, he might have finally arrived.

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                    • #11
                      Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                      If the Pacers lose, it's the last home game of the season. If the Pacers win, there's still a chance that this series isn't over. Go Pacers!

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                      • #12
                        Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                        Wish I could feel confident. One thing I am confident of, though, is that Wade won't get away with any of his petty, flopping ******** tonight. Just try it, Wade. Please.

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                        • #13
                          Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                          Flock the Fuppers.
                          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!).

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                          • #14
                            Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                            Originally posted by A-Train View Post
                            Wish I could feel confident. One thing I am confident of, though, is that Wade won't get away with any of his petty, flopping ******** tonight. Just try it, Wade. Please.
                            I wish I felt confident about that.....I almost feel like at this point the Heat will do it just **** off fans lol

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                            • #15
                              Re: 5/28/2013 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals - Game Thread #4: Pacers Vs. Heat

                              I expect us to compete better than game 3, but whether that is enough to chalk up the victory given the caliber of opponent is uncertain. I'll have no qualms if we leave everything out there on the floor because, if we do, we should be in the game in the fourth. In other words, not on the receiving end of another blowout.
                              I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

                              -Emiliano Zapata

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