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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.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

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

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

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

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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THE OFFICIAL 2019 OFF SEASON/TRADE RUMORS THREAD

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  • I wish we could get Bradley Beal
    Sittin on top of the world!

    Comment


    • Barnes and Bogie would be a decent combination.
      {o,o}
      |)__)
      -"-"-

      Comment


      • Harrison Barnes? Really? The future will not be bright.
        I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

        -Emiliano Zapata

        Comment


        • Kyrie's choosing between Nets or Lakers according to Bucher. I hope he’s right..

          https://www.google.com/amp/s/thebigl...kers-nets/amp/

          Comment


          • Originally posted by owl View Post
            Barnes and Bogie would be a decent combination.
            Add Brogdon, and your really cookin!

            Brogdon, Vic, Bogey, Barnes, Turner

            5 shooters

            Domas, Holiday, Tj, and Doug as the bench mob

            Comment


            • I liked the initial post on the 2nd or 3rd page about Barnes, and I would like to say that I wouldn't mind him. Him, Bogey, and Turner would be a great shooting frontcourt.. But we would have zero physicality or inside presence except for Turner D. Also, who hits the boards? I would go with it anyway, because him or Bogey would be easy to move, but I can't say it's my ideal starting 5.

              Comment


              • Harrison Barnes is fine as long as he doesn’t miss 20 straight wide open jump shots in a row again

                Comment


                • Originally posted by Motion Offense View Post
                  Harrison Barnes is fine as long as he doesn’t miss 20 straight wide open jump shots in a row again
                  He'll be right at home for our 3rd quarters....


                  Remember when we could have gotten 1-2 solid players and a possible Top 3 draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by trading away Paul George?

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by D-BONE View Post
                    Harrison Barnes? Really? The future will not be bright.
                    For what it's worth, I don't think the Pacers are going to get any of the top free agents, so Harrison Barnes (among other players) is probably the most realistic acquisition. Players like him are just happy to get a descent contract. We just have to hope that the Pacers don't overpay him.


                    Remember when we could have gotten 1-2 solid players and a possible Top 3 draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by trading away Paul George?

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by CJ Jones View Post
                      Kyrie's choosing between Nets or Lakers according to Bucher. I hope he’s right..

                      https://www.google.com/amp/s/thebigl...kers-nets/amp/
                      I hope he goes to the Nets. I don't want to see LeBron have any good players on his team.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by ksuttonjr76 View Post

                        Look at you! You're taking over for Grimp, lol.
                        Not quite. V pays attention to the cap rules and some semblance of reality.
                        BillS

                        A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
                        Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by BillS View Post

                          Not quite. V pays attention to the cap rules and some semblance of reality.
                          Was that a compliment, lol?


                          Remember when we could have gotten 1-2 solid players and a possible Top 3 draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by trading away Paul George?

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by ksuttonjr76 View Post

                            Was that a compliment, lol?
                            I give credit where it is due. I never questioned V's knowledge of the league or awareness of the players, just his manner, conclusions, cherry-picking and stubbornness.
                            BillS

                            A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
                            Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...

                            Comment


                            • Pacers 12-1 odds to get Klay Thompson




                              https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...ns/1261437001/

                              How about a reigning NBA champion coming to the Indiana Pacers? That would be pretty sweet, right?
                              May 20, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shots over Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard (11) in the first half of game four of the Western conference finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. (Photo: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports)
                              Klay Thompson is among the high-profile free agents this summer and, of course, you can bet on his destination.

                              The Golden State Warriors wing -- who once torched the Pacers for 60 points -- has 12/1 odds of signing with Indiana, according to BetOnline.AG. There are six teams more likely to get Thompson, led heavily by the Warriors.

                              The Pacers are not listed as a possibility for Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis

                              {o,o}
                              |)__)
                              -"-"-

                              Comment


                              • Article on Pacer free agents


                                https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...ph/1164998001/



                                The 2019-20 Indiana Pacers will almost certainly have a significantly different look than last season.

                                Star Victor Oladipo is expected to return from a serious knee injury but the team has not put a timetable on it. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are under contract, as is Doug McDermott. Aaron Holiday will be back for his second season but those are the only players who played more than 10 minutes per game. That leave approximately $45 million under the salary cap if the Pacers don't re-sign any of their free agents.

                                Here is a look at those six players — Tyreke Evans was dismissed from the league for two years due to a violation of the NBA's drug policy — and the case for them to return or let walk away.
                                Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) and Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris (13) fight for a rebound in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 21, 2019. The Boston Celtics defeated the Pacers 110-106. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Thaddeus Young

                                2018-19 season: 12.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 52.7% FG, 35% 3pt

                                Beyond the numbers: Even before Oladipo went down with a season-ending knee injury Jan. 23, Young was the stabilizing voice in the locker room. He’s a defense-first starting power forward who can switch onto smaller players and typically is the one to right the ship on the bench when things go wrong. Going into his 13th season, he’ll be 31.

                                ADVERTISING


                                The case for re-signing: He’s the culture. Whatever his offensive limitations, Young makes up for it with grit and hustle. He’s their No. 1 post-up option among the starters, an underrated passer, can hit occasional 3s and is a Swiss Army knife on defense. When he’s in sync with Myles Turner, their interior defense is among the league’s best. The Pacers had the top scoring defense in the NBA.

                                The case for letting him walk: It’s time to diversify the 4 spot with a stretch shooter. Defenses simply ignore Young when he’s spreading to the corners because his long ball is unreliable. While the Pacers have exploited his size advantage for easy buckets against switching defenses, the league adjusted to it and negated it as the season came to a close by passing the switches to bigger defenders on the weak side before the ball gets to him. The Pacers must open the floor. Young’s presence allows the defense to pack the paint or load towards the best scorer.

                                He said it: “You always need playmakers and guys who attract a lot of attention in the playoffs going down the stretch. We just didn’t have that extra umph (without Oladipo) that pushes us over the top of the hill.” -- Young
                                Cory Joseph of the Indiana Pacers defends Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics, Boston at Indiana, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Friday, April 5, 2019. Boston won 117-97. (Photo: RobertScheer, Robert Scheer/IndyStar)Cory Joseph

                                2018-19 season: 6.5 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 spg, 41.2% FG, 32.2% 3pt

                                Beyond the numbers: After a fantastic start, he bottomed out after the All-Star break when he couldn’t buy a bucket. His efficiency plummeted. Joseph flourished off the bench because of his pace and putting pressure on the defense with his dribble in the half-court. When the Pacers needed a stop, Joseph was on the floor because of his on-ball defense.

                                The case for re-signing: Pace, toughness, defense and he won’t cost much. Joseph didn’t require much help when defending elite players such as Kyrie Irving, Trae Young and Jamal Murray in fourth quarters. There’s always a spot for someone like him on NBA rosters because stopping the ball will never go out of style. He fits the culture and can fill in as a starter in small doses and be effective. Doesn’t have to score to impact the outcome of games.

                                The case for letting him walk: Shooting has always been a weakness and his inability to hit open ones led to the offense bogging down. Joseph is the player defenses will gamble off to load the defense against Oladipo or Bojan Bogdanovic. The Pacers must have better shooting and if it’s a question of Joseph’s grit vs. another guard on the market who is a good shooter, they should tilt towards offense. Team defense can compensate for weaker individual defense.

                                He said it: “Continue to work on my game. Keep continuing to shoot that 3. A lot of reps. The game is changing. I’m going to change up my game some as well.” -- Joseph
                                Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison (2) shoots around Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, April 19, 2019. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Darren Collison

                                2018-19 season: 11.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.1 rpg, 1.4 spg, 46.7% FG, 40.7% 3pt

                                Beyond the numbers: He was hit-and-miss on both ends. Collison had long stretches when he was invisible as he bypassed open looks and didn’t apply consistent ball pressure. When he hunted for his looks, he was always better. He’ll be 32 when next season starts and could be facing a shift to a backup role pending where he lands.

                                The case for re-signing: If the Pacers can’t find a competent replacement in free agency, Collison could be a placeholder for another season until Aaron Holiday, or if another young player ends up in the pipeline, is ready. He’s unlikely to score a long-term deal at his age so that shouldn’t be a hindrance. If Holiday or another point guard rises to claim the starting role, Collison wouldn’t be a bad backup either. Before being a starter for the last three years, Collison has spent time as a reserve. He’s willing to mentor younger players even if they could take his spot.

                                The case for letting him walk: He’s undersized, which makes switching more challenging, and has trouble finishing over size. Provided Oladipo returns to full-strength, he’s the one with the ball late in games anyway. The Pacers can get by with inexperience at point guard if he can create tempo, shoot 3s and jam the ball on the defensive end. Holiday, for instance, has shown glimpses of all three, though tempo is where he was most consistent. He’s undersized, too, but he’s a better athlete than Collison. The Pacers need to get bigger, longer and more athletic. And younger wouldn’t hurt.

                                He said it: “(Assistant coach) Dan Burke got on myself and some other guys about having better transition defensive effort. That’s a key for us, getting back on defense.” -- Collison
                                Apr 10, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) is blocked by Indiana Pacers center Kyle O'Quinn (10) in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. (Photo: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)Kyle O’Quinn

                                2018-19 season: 3.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.2 apg, 50.7% FG

                                Beyond the numbers: A third center, O’Quinn didn’t get consistent time but did come in handy with injuries to Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. A mid-range shooter and solid passer from the high post, O’Quinn was especially effective as a screener to get shooters free. Given who he was playing behind, there wasn’t room in the rotation.

                                The case for re-signing: Unless there’s an imminent move with Turner or Sabonis, there’s not a strong one beyond he’d be affordable after playing for $4.5 million. He didn’t shy away from taking shots immediately when stepping on the floor and was key to a few crucial wins with one of the two centers in the rotation ahead of him out.

                                The case for letting him walk: To have three centers on the roster requires them to be different. Turner, for instance, is a 3-point shooting big who can play the 4. Sabonis and O’Quinn, however, occupy the same space, only can play the 5 and don’t have a 3 ball. It’s difficult in today’s NBA to justify having too many one-dimensional bigs on the 15-man roster.

                                He said it: “I love the way he plays. He practices hard. He plays hard. He’s gotten really limited minutes for us but I loved what he brought to our team.’’ – coach Nate McMillan on O’Quinn
                                Indiana Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic figures to be a highly-sought after free agent this offseason. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Bojan Bogdanovic

                                2018-19 season: 18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 49.7% FG, 42.5% 3pt

                                Beyond the numbers: The forward was put in a role that he’d never had previously as the No. 1 guy after Oladipo went out for the season Jan. 23. Bogdanvoic was the late-game closer and commanded more attention by defenses. The Pacers weren’t as good in the clutch with him, especially when he was used in isolations against smart defensive teams that forced him right and played him for the shot. Being a creator for others is an area he’ll have to get better as well as with rebounding where he can fall asleep instead of boxing out his man.

                                The case for re-signing: Teams can’t have enough shooters. A guard or wing who can’t shoot is problematic no matter his other skill set in today’s NBA. Bogdanovic can log time at the 3 or 4 and sometimes the 2 pending the matchup. Let him leave in free agency and there must be as good of an option to replace him immediately or it’s an immediate step backwards. And he’s 6-8.

                                The case for letting him walk: The market is deep at his position and Bogdanovic is expected to get a significant raise above his $10.5 million salary in each of his last two seasons. His skill set is crucial but replaceable with the likes of Terrence Ross and Marcus Morris entering unrestricted free agency and they’re slightly younger than the 30-year-old.

                                He said it: “I don’t know what’s going to happen this offseason with free agency but I really like it here. Two great years here. We didn’t make it to the second round but there’s lot of potential with Myles (Turner), Domas (Sabonis) and those players. I really enjoyed being around this organization.” -- Bogdanovic
                                Indiana Pacers guard Wesley Matthews (23) defend Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, April 19, 2019. The Pacers lost to the Celtics 104-96. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Wesley Matthews

                                2018-19 season: 12.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 40% FG, 37.2% 3pt

                                Beyond the numbers: Appeared in 23 games after being bought out by the N.Y. Knicks and acquired as a free agent. He was the best fit on the market after Oladipo’s Jan. 23 knee injury ended his season. Matthews began strong but faded quickly. Defensively, he allowed the Pacers to maintained their high-caliber play. Offensively, however, Matthews was limited and fizzled quickly. He’ll be 33.

                                The case for re-signing: If he’s willing to come off the bench, he’s still a strong defender who can hit catch-and-shoot-3s. With potentially other experienced players leaving, keeping Matthews around at what likely would be a favorable number contract-wise is worth it.

                                The case for letting him walk: Isn’t a starter for a good team anymore. He’s limited as he doesn’t finish off the dribble well, isn't good at changing direction or completing shots in traffic. Matthews can be an occasional starter who can be good for a few games, but if he requires a starting job for 82 games that makes this an easy decision. He’s more helpful off the bench for a championship team. Not a starter for an aspiring team such as the Pacers.

                                He said it: “Doesn't hold back any challenges. He wants to pick up the best player every time. He can shoot 3s. Good post up. This guy wants to win.” – former teammate Nic Batum on Matthews.
                                {o,o}
                                |)__)
                                -"-"-

                                Comment

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