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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

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  • The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

    Love this read

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...pace-the-floor

    After the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-91 on Saturday night, improving to 7-0 on the season, David West was pleased that his team was picking up right from its success in 2012-13—and this time with an added punch: more efficient scoring.

    "Last year, we struggled offensively, and we were able to win games—79 points, whatever it was—because our defense was strong," West told Bleacher Report.

    While the Pacers are still depending on their defense—90.7 points per game allowed last season; 84.5 now through the NBA's only undefeated start at 8-0—they've improved in a few key tactical ways offensively, which is going to help them separate further from the deeper Eastern Conference.

    At the core of that progression is the versatility of West, Roy Hibbert and Luis Scola, the Pacers' newest addition, who can all not only post up, but also pick-and-pop and knock down mid-range jump shots. Their shared special skill set has had a big effect on the team, both in terms of their own improved shooting and how it's helped their teammates.


    "Having three bigs with the skills they have is a luxury," an NBA scout said. "I don't think any other team can say they have what Indiana has going for them. These days, finding quality bigs is hard, but they have three. It makes the decision-makers (in Indiana) look like geniuses. Also, Indy got a steal in Scola, and it could very well pay dividends in the playoffs."

    First, here's a look at West, Scola and Hibbert's individual impact: When they've been utilized as pick-and-roll roll men, which also accounts for jumpers out of screens, they're each averaging 1.067 or more points per play, according to Synergy Sports.

    No other team this season comes close to having three big men in that scoring category.

    "(Coach Frank) Vogel, as well as the players, understand their strengths, so he gets them the ball where they can have the most success," the scout said. "It's a simple game when you do that. West and Scola are great pick-and-pop bigs. Hibbert is primarily a deep roll man but can make the 15-footer. Pick your poison."

    After a season in which the Pacers shot 37.2 percent from 10 to 24 feet, according to NBA.com, they're now at a whopping 46.7 percent. Scola is the best of the bigs at 20-for-32 (62.5 percent), West is 20-for-41 (48.8) and Hibbert is 8-for-16 (50) from 10 to 24 feet. While West and Scola have always been solid mid-range shooters, Hibbert is continuing to improve in that area from last season, in which he shot his best mark of his career from 10 to 15 feet (42.4 percent), according to Hoopdata.com.

    Now with Scola in the mix, Vogel runs more plays for the three of them to get open in the mid-range area. While West, Scola and Hibbert haven't shared the court yet at the same time, according to NBA.com, as Scola usually subs in for West and Ian Mahinmi for Hibbert, the effectiveness of Hibbert alongside West or Scola is evident. West and Hibbert have a plus-20.6 plus-minus rating in 167 minutes together, and Scola and Hibbert have a plus-14.4 rating in 66 minutes together.

    Being around the team on and off the court, there is a strong sense that West, Scola and Hibbert have another important quality, which the media and analysts don't always account for: their chemistry. They talk about having no egos, not worrying about minutes and a willingness to share the basketball. Each one of them is just as selfless as the next, and that shows in their compatibility on the court.

    Based on the shooting accuracy of West, Scola and Hibbert, Vogel makes it a point in practice and film sessions of going over different strategies and formations that bring a second defender to the Pacers' ball-handler. That way, the big men can get more outside looks.

    "It's just all reads," West said. "We talk about bringing two guys to the ball, and then it's time to move it. More often than not, guys make the right reads and guys make the right plays."


    West, Scola and Hibbert's ability to stretch the defense also comes with a benefit to the other Pacers players on the court. The big men "increase the driving lanes," as Vogel told Bleacher Report from Indianapolis on Monday. West also said when he or Scola are on the court outside of the paint, their presence sometimes saves Hibbert from a double-team on the block.

    "Spacing is always the oil to the offensive engine," Vogel said. "To have big guys who can space the floor is a luxury, but their ability to pass the ball and make plays is important as well."

    That spacing has given, for starters, extra room for Paul George to operate one-on-one and sometimes encounter fewer bodies around the basket. That helps even for the talented rising star, who's faced with more difficult tasks now being front and center on every team's scouting report.

    So far this season, he's the second-best isolation scorer in the league (1.217 points per play), behind Kevin Durant (1.321) based on a minimum of 20 plays in that setup, according to Synergy Sports.

    Second, the spacing has helped the Pacers make a higher percentage from beyond the arc. After finishing at 34.7 percent last season, they're now at 38.5 percent, while hitting about one more three-pointer per game (from 6.9 to 7.8). The team's three main gunners, George, George Hill and Lance Stephenson, are shooting 40.4 percent, 46.7 percent and 51.4 percent from long range, respectively.

    "That's something that we worked on this offseason—coming back better shooters, learning spacing," Hill said. "Adding Luis Scola (along with West) gives us two of the best power forwards in the NBA as far as mid-range shooters. They can also post it up and know how to play."

    George agreed with Hill, saying recently that West and Scola are the "best tandem in the league, hands down," among power forwards.

    "They have the same style of game," he said. "They're aggressive defensively and they do their job down low. They bruise defenders on the block and they're able to make the mid-range shot. That's a luxury to have."

    West and Scola, along with Hibbert and Mahinmi, have applied that physical nature to the defensive end, where opponents have had very little daylight to get shots off inside. While Hibbert is averaging an NBA-best 4.4 blocks per game, West (1.5), Mahinmi (1.3) and Scola (0.6) are also enforcers, and the team is holding opponents to 32.3 points in the paint and 11.1 second-chance points per game—both near the top of the league.


    "They have defensive knowledge and a will to play defense," Vogel said. "I've always said, 'David West is the quarterback of our defense, Roy is the anchor at the rim and Paul is the anchor on the perimeter.'"

    West added, "Our defense is our staple. We feel like we can guard anybody well enough to win any game. We're just going to continue to grow. We're not going to overreact to the start that we've had. We're proud of it."

    While the Pacers players are aware of the X's and O's behind their team's success, especially the value of the "Big Three," they believe they wouldn't be able to execute as we all they do without the bond they have on and off the court. Hill said the guys are "so close of a group" that they don't let too many things get in their way.

    Hill didn't credit one player for taking the lead with establishing camaraderie. He said the players put in the effort to get to know one another in their personal and professional lives, and the personalities just meshed together. This week, with two days off before their next game on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, as they look to improve to 9-0, Hill said the guys will get together to play the new Call of Duty video game, "Ghosts." Hill said they're "like brothers off the court."

    "You don't see that in teams that often," he said. "When you have a team that loves to play with each other and a team that holds each other accountable, you cannot do anything but shoot for success. We might get eight or nine of us out just to go eat breakfast on a day off. Sometimes when we're on the road, like 12 out of our 15 players will go out to dinner together. We do family functions over each other's house, like game nights, movie nights or date nights. We all went to a haunted house (this Halloween) and we all went to go play paintball. We're not just a basketball team."

    So how does a squad who's the only undefeated one left prepare next and stay focused?

    "It's easy to get comfortable when you have success," Hill said, "so we're just trying to keep everybody humble and make sure that we're still crossing our T's and dotting our I's, and not taking steps back. I think we have a great opportunity this season."

    With West, Scola and Hibbert manning the middle, the Pacers will have a unique edge keeping defenses honest all season—and into the playoffs.

  • #2
    Re: The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

    Originally posted by DJVendetta View Post
    Really good analysis.

    Scola is like West-Lite

    and

    Mahinmi is like Hibbert-Lite with no Offense

    I think that Bosh is the only Big Man that has a comprable Mid-range jumpshot....it's Scola and West who can hit that shot.
    Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

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    • #3
      Re: The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

      Originally posted by CableKC View Post
      Really good analysis.

      Scola is like West-Lite

      and

      Mahinmi is like Hibbert-Lite with no Offense

      I think that Bosh is the only Big Man that has a comprable Mid-range jumpshot....it's Scola and West who can hit that shot.
      Bosh is still going to be really tough for Scola to handle when he's in the game, main difference is Bosh will have to play some D, unless he's on Ian or something.

      Probably the most underrated part of the Pacers start so far is how much Ian has improved his defense, and he's at least caught a few passes for easy scores. If the refs give him 25% of the reputation Roy has, it'll be even scarier.
      "It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

      ----------------- Reggie Miller

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      • #4
        Re: The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

        Man, a BR article with actual quotes and good analysis. Who'd have thought.

        I guess spending money on actual NBA writers instead of counting on user contributions is paying off. Yahoo Contributor Network, on the other hand, is going in the other direction.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

          Yahoo has been losing quality on reporting for a while. They're just a classier TMZ I feel like with half the bullcrap that ends up on the front of their homepage. Seriously though this season has got me excited for every game and most of it has to do with the quality of our big men. I don't think I've seen a more dominating starting/bench Big Man rotation, not that I can think of?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Overlooked Core of the Pacers Offense: 3 Bigs Who Can Space The Floor

            I'm rather taken aback that a modern NBA story about spacing the floor with your bigs, isn't about them jacking up 3pt attempts. Who knew 17ft jump shots could open up the middle?
            Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” ― Ricky Gervais.

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