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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

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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"

"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.

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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:

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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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Rule #10

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It's probably way to early for a post like this....

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  • #1

    It's probably way to early for a post like this....

    & as a rule you should never get to up after a win or to down after a loss & for all I know the Bulls will kick our @sses tonight but I want to say this now.

    There is something differant & dare I say it, special about this team.

    The way they act on the floor, the way they act on the bench, the way they play, the way they carry themselves.

    This isn't last years team, this isn't even the last 6 years team.

    Let's get this out of the way right up front. I wish to God Jackson, Tinsley, Daniels & Hunter had never had club rio happen. Honestly if it wasn't for that I would tell you right now that the fans would be 100% on board with this team. As it is I think the fans have done, for the most part, a fantastic job of letting the whole Jackson thing go. He is not boo'ed like I would have thought he would have been nor is he criticized for every bad shot he takes outside of the normal groaning fans make when any player takes a bad shot.

    But past that I can say that the fans seem to really like this team so far.

    The atmosphere last night for a very early season game against a very mediocre opponet was almost electric. Not playoff atmosphere per say but the game seemed more important than it was.

    Those $4.00 tix were a really good idea I think.

    I have spent the last few years stating that the Brad Miller for Scot Pollard trade (yes this again) was the worst trade in the history of the franchise & while I still believe it was a God awful trade I came to the conclusion last season that Al for Jax was the worst trade. Not from a talent standpoint but from a team glue standpoint.

    After seeing Al back now for 6 games I am convinced that I was right. Is Al the black hole? I don't think so, I never did, but I know some of you do & you will never see otherwise & that is fine.

    But there is no doubt who is the leader both on & off the court with this team. This is Jermaine's team but Al is his man & by Al leading the team it makes Jermaine that much stronger.

    The fans love Al, for the most part. I think, & you'll have to open you imagination with me for a min., a lot of the fans cling to Al because he is the last legacy of those great 90's teams.

    He was baby Al to all of us & to some of us he still is & always will be. But he was never fake, what you saw with Al was what you got. He wouldn't back down from anybody & he would always step up & try & help lead.

    He got that from the Davis's. He lived with Tony but he trained with Dale, a lot of people don't remember that.

    He is passionate on the court & like his game or hate his game nobody really ever questions if he is giving his all.

    I think the fans here in Indiana see that & man do they react to him when he calls for the crowd to cheer.

    Al does something that is so important but it really can't be documented other than just saying it is there.

    ************************************************** ****

    Uncle Buck you will want to skip this next part.

    Don't look, I'm giveing you fair warning.

    ************************************************** *****

    Al has washed the stink of Ron Artest off of this team & he's done it in a mere 6 games.

    He is everything that Ron is not. By just being himself & not trying to compete with Jermaine for top dog he has quietly established himself as co-top dog & J.O. has no problem with it at all.

    He doesn't bog the offense down by holding onto the ball forever & he is in there every time helping with the boards.

    ************************************************** ******
    Ok U.B. it's safe to come back in the water.

    Oh who am I kidding I know you read that so you can now just pick yourself up off of the floor from the seizure you just had.
    ************************************************** ******

    But don't let me say that it's all Al because it's not. I think he is a huge piece of the pie but to me, & this is where I think the team is starting to look like something special, this is a big pie once again. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... pie

    This is the first time since the 00 team where I don't get the feeling that there are individual goals at play here.

    Call me stupid or just call me Mary Sunshine but I honestly get the feeling that these guys want to win & actually like one another & are happy when the other player is doing well.

    To me this starts at the top.

    I am going to give credit to Jermaine O'Neal. I'll be honest with you I have always thought that he wanted to make sure he got his. If the team wins great but he wanted to make sure he got his points & to be sure he was an all-star.

    Now believe me this is all just my opinion but that's just the way I have always felt about him.

    But this year I get the feeling that he seems ok with spreading the love, so to speak, & seems like he genuinely wants to make sure the middle is no place that players want to go to without fearing a big block is coming.

    None of this works without him. He gets greedy it's all over, he starts resenting others getting more touches it's all over.

    But so far we've seen none of that, so it's important to point out when we see good & right now I've seen some real good with this guy.

    Don't get me wrong, he still is getting plenty of touches but the offense doesn't always flow through him anymore & so far I haven't seen even a hint of rebellion on his part.

    Let's talk about a player who was demoted but has played bigger than he's ever played in his life.

    Jeff Foster has been the starter for a couple of years now & was demoted so that a guy who used to be a small forward could start over him. Did he demand a trade? Does he pout? Nope, he comes in & busts his @ss every single night.

    He blocked three shots last night, one so bad I had to ask the diamond one if that really was him or did Granger come over & get it. It was Jeff.

    I have not changed my mind one bit on one thing. I cannot stand Foster when he is in with O'Neal. But when he is in with Al, Danny or even Harrison I just love to see him play.

    Also a little aknowledged fact about Jeff. He is always one of the guys on the bench cheering on the team & always has been.

    He still can't shoot, but in this faster up tempo offense we run I think he is a better player because the style suites him.

    Darrel Armstrong & Saras have both been the leaders of the bench cheering squad. In fact it's almost a contest between the two of them to see who can get up off the bench the fastest to cheer a good play by someone on the floor.

    Also when both of them come onto the floor there is a real enthusiasm that is there & you can tell they want to be there.

    Hell even Tinsley has smiled once or twice while he was on the floor.

    I'm telling you though out of everything I have talked about there is one thing that is more important than anything & that thing is a person by the name of Rick Carlisle.

    Look I was ready for Rick to move on, I though the team had grown tired of him & by Birds admission he lost the team last year.

    But he has done something that has changed the entire face of our team but it's not what some of you would think.

    Rik has opened up the offense & that is no small thing but the single biggest thing he has done is start playing zone defense.

    Why is that important? Because not only is it working on the floor but it is doing something that is paying dividends elswhere. The zone defense is causing the players to play a more team oriented style & thus making it a chain & as we all know a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Right now there is no real weak link in that chain unless Harrison is in there (sadly David has really not only not progressed he is actually regressing but we'll talk about him later).

    This is also being done of the offensive side. By taking away the whole isolation one on five mentallity every player on the floor is active on the offensive end & that makes them more active on the defensive end as well & vice a versa.

    Everybody is getting a touch & everybody is making a pass (see Jackson as an example as he had 6 dimes last night).

    That is why I am oh so glad that the nutball is not here anymore. We are finally once again playing like a team & IMO that sells in Indiana better than anything else ever will.

    Ok, that's as close to a Rah-Rah post as I can muster.

    I'm sure now that I've come out and said this they will go & stink it up vs. the bulls & I will look like this. But what the heck, you gotta go out on a limb every now & then.

    So here goes.

    I like this team. In fact I really like this team. I don't love it yet but I really like what I've seen so far.


    Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

    We welcome you back, brother Peck, to the sunshine brigade. It's been a long, bumpy road..but you've managed to find your way back to the bandwagon.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

      but I honestly get the feeling that these guys want to win & actually like one another & are happy when the other player is doing well.
      I agree. They've played some ugly ball so far, but I've never doubted their desire to do well as a team.

      I credit Armstrong and Harrington with a lot of it, but also desire from guys like Tinsley and even Jack to make it a better situation. And I think another big factor is that there are just so many new faces, most of which are trying to find a way to contribute somehow and to be a part of the team.

      Guys like Rawle, Josh and Shawne are much more open to following the lead of Daryl when he gets into his standing cheerleadeer mode. Then the starters see a bench doing that and it makes them feel good about what is going on and their teammates, which then makes them want to behave the same way.


      The fact is that any serious fan probably saw chemistry, especially the whole "having fun" angle on it, as the MAJOR problem with the team. Injuries, shooting, and other talent questions were there, but none should have been a priority over the chemistry issue.


      Right now TPTB sure look golden on fixing that most pressing need. Hopefully it will snowball into some really great play by the end of the year, though I'll be satisfied if they just keep smiling and supporting each other.


      PS - they probably will get run out of the building by Chicago, but then that's what happens when you face a title contender on the road.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

        That post makes me more optimistic than I've been in a while.
        This space for rent.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

          If things go south I will now forever blame Peck for jinxing the team and angering the basketball gods.

          -Bball
          Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

          ------

          "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

          -John Wooden

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

            Originally posted by Peck View Post
            The fans love Al, for the most part. I think, & you'll have to open you imagination with me for a min., a lot of the fans cling to Al because he is the last legacy of those great 90's teams.
            Your observation about fan attachment for Al having to do with the fact he's our last legacy to those favored team's of the 90's was on target and a very smart take. Enjoyable read, especially for this fan who couldn't be at the game or see it on TV.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

              Show of hands of who would have thought 3 years ago that I would fall to the darkside and Peck would go all sunshiny on us?
              Come to the Dark Side -- There's cookies!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                Peck is onto something. I had been thinking over the last week on the comparison to the 93-94 team, and it would certainly feel to me that it has more validity now. Even though it's early they do just seem to have "it".
                A connection that goes further than just being a good teammate on the court.
                Almost more of a college team feel.

                The way the crowd and team fed off each other, reminded me of the mid to late 90's teams. I certainly think this team at least has a chance at some point to do something special, in the not too distant future.

                Why Not Us ?

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                  Originally posted by Bball View Post
                  If things go south I will now forever blame Peck for jinxing the team and angering the basketball gods.

                  -Bball
                  :1oscar:
                  You Got The Tony!!!!!!

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                    Brad Miller is injured.

                    “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

                    “If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                      Originally posted by Moses View Post
                      We welcome you back, brother Peck, to the sunshine brigade. It's been a long, bumpy road..but you've managed to find your way back to the bandwagon.


                      Awesome!!!

                      Good post peck!!!

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                        Too early for this talk? My heart says yes but my head says no. Of course, a win tonight v. chicago would go a long way to tipping the scales toward my heart. In trying to restrain myself, it almost seems like at least half a season would be required before I get really juiced. However, just as a start I'm quite satisfied. And I'll hope Peck's toast turns out to be and I told you so down the road a piece.
                        I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

                        -Emiliano Zapata

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                          Originally posted by Peck View Post
                          & as a rule you should never get to up after a win or to down after a loss & for all I know the Bulls will kick our @sses tonight but I want to say this now.

                          There is something differant & dare I say it, special about this team.

                          The way they act on the floor, the way they act on the bench, the way they play, the way they carry themselves.

                          This isn't last years team, this isn't even the last 6 years team.

                          Let's get this out of the way right up front. I wish to God Jackson, Tinsley, Daniels & Hunter had never had club rio happen. Honestly if it wasn't for that I would tell you right now that the fans would be 100% on board with this team. As it is I think the fans have done, for the most part, a fantastic job of letting the whole Jackson thing go. He is not boo'ed like I would have thought he would have been nor is he criticized for every bad shot he takes outside of the normal groaning fans make when any player takes a bad shot.

                          But past that I can say that the fans seem to really like this team so far.

                          The atmosphere last night for a very early season game against a very mediocre opponet was almost electric. Not playoff atmosphere per say but the game seemed more important than it was.

                          Those $4.00 tix were a really good idea I think.

                          I have spent the last few years stating that the Brad Miller for Scot Pollard trade (yes this again) was the worst trade in the history of the franchise & while I still believe it was a God awful trade I came to the conclusion last season that Al for Jax was the worst trade. Not from a talent standpoint but from a team glue standpoint.

                          After seeing Al back now for 6 games I am convinced that I was right. Is Al the black hole? I don't think so, I never did, but I know some of you do & you will never see otherwise & that is fine.

                          But there is no doubt who is the leader both on & off the court with this team. This is Jermaine's team but Al is his man & by Al leading the team it makes Jermaine that much stronger.

                          The fans love Al, for the most part. I think, & you'll have to open you imagination with me for a min., a lot of the fans cling to Al because he is the last legacy of those great 90's teams.

                          He was baby Al to all of us & to some of us he still is & always will be. But he was never fake, what you saw with Al was what you got. He wouldn't back down from anybody & he would always step up & try & help lead.

                          He got that from the Davis's. He lived with Tony but he trained with Dale, a lot of people don't remember that.

                          He is passionate on the court & like his game or hate his game nobody really ever questions if he is giving his all.

                          I think the fans here in Indiana see that & man do they react to him when he calls for the crowd to cheer.

                          Al does something that is so important but it really can't be documented other than just saying it is there.

                          ************************************************** ****

                          Uncle Buck you will want to skip this next part.

                          Don't look, I'm giveing you fair warning.

                          ************************************************** *****

                          Al has washed the stink of Ron Artest off of this team & he's done it in a mere 6 games.

                          He is everything that Ron is not. By just being himself & not trying to compete with Jermaine for top dog he has quietly established himself as co-top dog & J.O. has no problem with it at all.

                          He doesn't bog the offense down by holding onto the ball forever & he is in there every time helping with the boards.

                          ************************************************** ******
                          Ok U.B. it's safe to come back in the water.

                          Oh who am I kidding I know you read that so you can now just pick yourself up off of the floor from the seizure you just had.
                          ************************************************** ******

                          But don't let me say that it's all Al because it's not. I think he is a huge piece of the pie but to me, & this is where I think the team is starting to look like something special, this is a big pie once again. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... pie

                          This is the first time since the 00 team where I don't get the feeling that there are individual goals at play here.

                          Call me stupid or just call me Mary Sunshine but I honestly get the feeling that these guys want to win & actually like one another & are happy when the other player is doing well.

                          To me this starts at the top.

                          I am going to give credit to Jermaine O'Neal. I'll be honest with you I have always thought that he wanted to make sure he got his. If the team wins great but he wanted to make sure he got his points & to be sure he was an all-star.

                          Now believe me this is all just my opinion but that's just the way I have always felt about him.

                          But this year I get the feeling that he seems ok with spreading the love, so to speak, & seems like he genuinely wants to make sure the middle is no place that players want to go to without fearing a big block is coming.

                          None of this works without him. He gets greedy it's all over, he starts resenting others getting more touches it's all over.

                          But so far we've seen none of that, so it's important to point out when we see good & right now I've seen some real good with this guy.

                          Don't get me wrong, he still is getting plenty of touches but the offense doesn't always flow through him anymore & so far I haven't seen even a hint of rebellion on his part.

                          Let's talk about a player who was demoted but has played bigger than he's ever played in his life.

                          Jeff Foster has been the starter for a couple of years now & was demoted so that a guy who used to be a small forward could start over him. Did he demand a trade? Does he pout? Nope, he comes in & busts his @ss every single night.

                          He blocked three shots last night, one so bad I had to ask the diamond one if that really was him or did Granger come over & get it. It was Jeff.

                          I have not changed my mind one bit on one thing. I cannot stand Foster when he is in with O'Neal. But when he is in with Al, Danny or even Harrison I just love to see him play.

                          Also a little aknowledged fact about Jeff. He is always one of the guys on the bench cheering on the team & always has been.

                          He still can't shoot, but in this faster up tempo offense we run I think he is a better player because the style suites him.

                          Darrel Armstrong & Saras have both been the leaders of the bench cheering squad. In fact it's almost a contest between the two of them to see who can get up off the bench the fastest to cheer a good play by someone on the floor.

                          Also when both of them come onto the floor there is a real enthusiasm that is there & you can tell they want to be there.

                          Hell even Tinsley has smiled once or twice while he was on the floor.

                          I'm telling you though out of everything I have talked about there is one thing that is more important than anything & that thing is a person by the name of Rick Carlisle.

                          Look I was ready for Rick to move on, I though the team had grown tired of him & by Birds admission he lost the team last year.

                          But he has done something that has changed the entire face of our team but it's not what some of you would think.

                          Rik has opened up the offense & that is no small thing but the single biggest thing he has done is start playing zone defense.

                          Why is that important? Because not only is it working on the floor but it is doing something that is paying dividends elswhere. The zone defense is causing the players to play a more team oriented style & thus making it a chain & as we all know a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Right now there is no real weak link in that chain unless Harrison is in there (sadly David has really not only not progressed he is actually regressing but we'll talk about him later).

                          This is also being done of the offensive side. By taking away the whole isolation one on five mentallity every player on the floor is active on the offensive end & that makes them more active on the defensive end as well & vice a versa.

                          Everybody is getting a touch & everybody is making a pass (see Jackson as an example as he had 6 dimes last night).

                          That is why I am oh so glad that the nutball is not here anymore. We are finally once again playing like a team & IMO that sells in Indiana better than anything else ever will.

                          Ok, that's as close to a Rah-Rah post as I can muster.

                          I'm sure now that I've come out and said this they will go & stink it up vs. the bulls & I will look like this. But what the heck, you gotta go out on a limb every now & then.

                          So here goes.

                          I like this team. In fact I really like this team. I don't love it yet but I really like what I've seen so far.
                          No foot in the mouth so far Peck.


                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                            I am starting to like this team, they finally have some fire.
                            No matter how much success Larry Bird attains in Indiana he'll never top that first command to fire Thomas. -Peter Vecsey. NY Post 12/4/07

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: It's probably way to early for a post like this....

                              Originally posted by indy0731 View Post
                              No foot in the mouth so far Peck.
                              Don't jinx it.
                              This space for rent.

                              Comment

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