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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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Game #29 Pacers vs Rockets

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  • #1

    Game #29 Pacers vs Rockets

    https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/prev...rockets-231226


    Game Preview


    The top statistical offensive team in the NBA will take on the second-best defensive unit in a post-Christmas clash.

    On Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers (14-14) return from a brief two-day holiday rest to take on the Rockets (15-12) in Houston.

    The Pacers have won seven straight games against the Rockets, but earning an eighth in a row will prove challenging.

    So far this season, the Pacers have the top offensive rating in the NBA and the Rockets rank second in defensive rating. While the Pacers are averaging a league-best 126.5 points per game, the Rockets are giving up the second-fewest points at 107.7 on average.

    One major area of concern for the Blue & Gold will be on the glass, as the Rockets are ranked fifth in the league in rebounding while the Pacers are 29th. When the Pacers get outrebounded, they’re 7-11 this season.

    Houston has a much different look this season, including the additions of new head coach Ime Udoka, former All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet, and defensive stalwart Dillon Brooks.

    VanVleet, who played his first seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors before signing with the Rockets, has played well in 2023-24 thus far, averaging 17.1 points, 8.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. Third-year guard Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, also scores 17.1 per game.

    Rockets center Aleperen Sengun is having a breakout season, averaging 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. The 6-foot-11, 21-year-old from Turkey is also shooting a career-bet 53.3 percent from the field.

    Indiana enters the game losing six of its last seven games, including two straight. Over the last seven games, the Pacers are averaging 120 points per game while giving up 128.7.

    All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has continued to lead the Pacers’ high-flying offense, averaging 24.5 points on 50 percent shooting and a league-high 12.2 assists per game this season.

    VOTE NOW: Vote for Your Favorite Pacers at Pacers.com/Vote >>

    On Saturday against the Orlando Magic (17-11), a 117-110 loss, the Pacers fell behind 73-59 at halftime, but were able to narrow the gap to 93-92 by the end of the third quarter thanks to a 15-point outburst from center Myles Turner.

    In the final frame, the Magic used an 11–3 run midway through the fourth quarter to build a buffer before holding on for the win. The Pacers scored just 18 points in the final 12 minutes.

    Haliburton led the Pacers with 29 points and 14 assists, Turner scored 24 and Buddy Hield drained five 3-pointers en route to 20 points.

    Orlando outscored Indiana 64-40 in the paint and outrebounded the Pacers 39-33.

    The Pacers were without starter Bruce Brown on Saturday, who missed his first game of the season due to a right knee bone bruise. Second-year guard Andrew Nembhard started in place of Brown, whose status will be updated closer to game time on Tuesday.

    Houston also played on Saturday, winning a second straight game by edging the New Orleans Pelicans (17-13) 106-104. Sengun led the Rockets with 37 points and 11 rebounds in the win, and Jabari Smith Jr. posted 26 points and 11 boards.
    Projected Starters


    Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Buddy Hield, F - Obi Toppin, C - Myles Turner

    Rockets: G - Jalen Green, G - Fred VanVleet, F - Jabari Smith Jr., F - Dillon Brooks, C - Alperen Sengun
    Injury Report


    Pacers: TBA

    Rockets: TBA
    Last Meeting


    March 9, 2023: In an overtime thriller, the Pacers outlasted the Rockets 134-125 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

    Tyrese Haliburton scored the team’s final 12 points in extra time en route to recording a team-high 29 points while also registering a career-high 19 assists. The 19 assists tied the fourth-most by an individual Pacer in a game in franchise history, trailing just Don Buse (20), Jalen Rose (20) and Jamaal Tinsley (23).

    Houston used a 15-2 run to take a one-point, 110-109, lead for the first time in the game with 4:10 left in regulation. With the Pacers up by three points, with four seconds remaining, Jabari Smith Jr. hit a fading 3-pointer from the right side of the arc for the Rockets to force extra minutes.

    In extra time, however, the Pacers put on the finishing touches for the win.

    After Haliburton, Turner had 21 points, five rebounds and seven blocks, Jordan Nwora scored 18 points, and Hield had 17 points and seven rebounds.

    Smith topped the Rockets with 30 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, finished with 24 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. totaled 23 points to lead the Rockets.
    Noteworthy
    • Two former Pacers are on the Rockets this season: Victor Oladipo and Aaron Holiday. Holiday has come off the bench for the Rockets this season and Oladipo hasn’t played yet due to a left patellar tendon repair.
    • The Rockets and Pacers have actually already played during 2023-24. In a preseason matchup on Oct. 10, the Rockets beat the Pacers 122-103 in Houston.
    • Pacers guard Buddy Hield needs one 3-pointer to pass Rashard Lewis (1,787 career threes) for 25th place on the NBA's all-time list.
    Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)


    TV: Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

    Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
    Tickets


    The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>

    {o,o}
    |)__)
    -"-"-
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Brown is out

    Comment

    • #3
      Another L probably

      Comment

      • #4
        Sounds like Rick might have a change in mind. Anybody listen to this?

        ​​​​​​

        Comment

        • #5
          "everything is on the table", we already know what is never on the table and that is benching our boy Softner.


          This team could pull a Detroit and that still won't happen.
          @WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!
          • 2 likes

          Comment

          • #6
            Honestly I hope Houston beats us by 50. Enough of those historically insane losses and maybe someone will finally wake up about what we're wasting.


            • 1 like

            Comment

            • #7
              I've learned not to listen very much to what Rick says (at least about plans) because it doesn't necessarily align with what he does.
              • 1 like

              Comment

              • #8
                Projected starters are Hali, Nembhard, Hield, Toppin, and Turner as they were the last game.

                Houston will likely start Fred, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, and Alperen Sengun.

                Obi will get destroyed quickly so more time for IJax and Jalen Smith, I imagine. I don’t think Nesmith would be a good choice at the 4 in this matchup. Jalen Green is our Benn in that he likes to drive and get to the free throw line, second only to Sengun for the Rockets. Green is only 32% from outside.

                Brooks has the height advantage on Buddy but interestingly Hields wingspan is longer. Brooks outside shooting dramatically increased to 41% this season so how much time we see Buddy might depend on whether he’s hitting his own shots. Too bad that the injury to Bruce Brown gives a great opportunity to start Nesmith and increase Jackson’s PT at the 4 with Nembhard or Buddy coming off the bench.

                Like Orlando, Houston has a long front court. We held our own last game for 3 quarters but then fell apart. Some bad turnovers at the end of the third put us in a hole that we couldn’t get out of. We also had trouble with Wagner on the wing. if we don’t change anything, the results may likely be similar. What’s the definition of idiocy?

                Hali could really do some damage on defense with his length on Fred but he seems allergic to that end of the court.

                supposedly Pacers, Raptors, and Hawks personnel were gathered during the G league week in Orlando. Makes one wonder the nature of the talks and if future conversations or moves are planned for the January 15 restriction date. Help on the wing has been a major talking point of late regarding need for improvement for the Pacers. The weakness at the 4 has also been a topic and the projection that Walker is viewed as talented but raw and 2 years away from contributing significantly.
                Last edited by MyFavMartin; 12-26-2023, 01:37 PM.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by 712Jefferson View Post
                  I've learned not to listen very much to what Rick says (at least about plans) because it doesn't necessarily align with what he does.
                  That's coachspeak. They all do it. The "very soon" part is what piqued my interest, but I didn't listen to the interview.
                  Last edited by CJ Jones; 12-26-2023, 07:17 PM.
                  • 1 like

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Originally posted by MyFavMartin View Post
                    Projected starters are Hali, Nembhard, Hield, Toppin, and Turner as they were the last game.

                    Houston will likely start Fred, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, and Alperen Sengun.

                    Obi will get destroyed quickly so more time for IJax and Jalen Smith, I imagine. I don’t think Nesmith would be a good choice at the 4 in this matchup. Jalen Green is our Benn in that he likes to drive and get to the free throw line, second only to Sengun for the Rockets. Green is only 32% from outside.

                    Brooks has the height advantage on Buddy but interestingly Hields wingspan is longer. Brooks outside shooting dramatically increased to 41% this season so how much time we see Buddy might depend on whether he’s hitting his own shots. Too bad that the injury to Bruce Brown gives a great opportunity to start Nesmith and increase Jackson’s PT at the 4 with Nembhard or Buddy coming off the bench.

                    Like Orlando, Houston has a long front court. We held our own last game for 3 quarters but then fell apart. Some bad turnovers at the end of the third put us in a hole that we couldn’t get out of. We also had trouble with Wagner on the wing. if we don’t change anything, the results may likely be similar. What’s the definition of idiocy?

                    Hali could really do some damage on defense with his length on Fred but he seems allergic to that end of the court.

                    supposedly Pacers, Raptors, and Hawks personnel were gathered during the G league week in Orlando. Makes one wonder the nature of the talks and if future conversations or moves are planned for the January 15 restriction date. Help on the wing has been a major talking point of late regarding need for improvement for the Pacers. The weakness at the 4 has also been a topic and the projection that Walker is viewed as talented but raw and 2 years away from contributing significantly.
                    If only I could believe that I would be so happy. It just simply means the faster we run Aaron Nesmith in there to guard the 6'11" Jabari Smith. I hate this for Nesmith. I like him as a player, in fact behind Hali he is probably my favorite Pacer. But I hate that Rick is so damned set on making him play out of position because he refuses to see Jackson as anything more than a 5.


                    Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13
                    • 2 likes

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Peck View Post

                      If only I could believe that I would be so happy. It just simply means the faster we run Aaron Nesmith in there to guard the 6'11" Jabari Smith. I hate this for Nesmith. I like him as a player, in fact behind Hali he is probably my favorite Pacer. But I hate that Rick is so damned set on making him play out of position because he refuses to see Jackson as anything more than a 5.
                      Yes I guess I was projecting my own wish for RC not to play small ball after seeing it come up short time and again.
                      • 2 likes

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Peck View Post

                        If only I could believe that I would be so happy. It just simply means the faster we run Aaron Nesmith in there to guard the 6'11" Jabari Smith. I hate this for Nesmith. I like him as a player, in fact behind Hali he is probably my favorite Pacer. But I hate that Rick is so damned set on making him play out of position because he refuses to see Jackson as anything more than a 5.
                        They did play a couple more minutes of Smith-Jackson on Saturday. And that was literally the first game in a month that the Pacers had all three centers where one wasn't on limited minutes. And then Turner got in foul trouble.

                        Do I have a lot of confidence we're going to see the 2 bigs together for 5+ minutes tonight? No, I can't say I am. But in fairness to Carlisle, he hasn't had a lot of chances to deploy it since they started trying it.
                        • 1 like

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Cubs231721 View Post

                          They did play a couple more minutes of Smith-Jackson on Saturday. And that was literally the first game in a month that the Pacers had all three centers where one wasn't on limited minutes. And then Turner got in foul trouble.

                          Do I have a lot of confidence we're going to see the 2 bigs together for 5+ minutes tonight? No, I can't say I am. But in fairness to Carlisle, he hasn't had a lot of chances to deploy it since they started trying it.
                          I mean, he's had a year and a half to try it but chose not to so.........

                          Edit: actually, I take it back (sort of) because they did try Jalen at the 4 to start the last season.
                          • 1 like

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Pacers are in a slump. The losses seem to follow a pattern. Early deficet brought on by turnovers, and poor shooting, with bit of foul trouble to boot. Then we rally; we are then beset by poor shooting and another stretch of turnovers allowing the other team to finish us off at the end. Wish I had a real good idea of how to fix this. We have not played well since the in season tournament. I believe we are mentally tired. But, this is the NBA and we need to find a way to break out of it. Let tonite be the nite!
                            Go Pacers!
                            • 1 like

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Sengun is eating tonight, triple double watch.
                              @WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!

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