Rafer is a decent player he competes on defense, he has some leadership qualities, and understands how to control the tempo of the game - while limiting turnovers. Lowry is a better player but I think Rafer is a nice backup PG.
I probably have not missed more than 20 Rockets games total since NBA League pass came out. I have missed very few Rafer games as a Rocket.
I used to love how some people would say "I told you so!" after Rafer would come out and hit 9 of 12 shoots with four treys. Completely ignoring the fact that he just went 1 - 12, 3 - 15 and 0 - 8 the previous three nights. Certain people at the Chronicle were notorious in saying things like that.
Thread fails. Rafer didn't even shoot airballs. He certainly didn't shoot more airballs than most other players. If you're going to unnecessarily bash an ex-player who gave this Rockets organization his best for 3 plus years, at least get your facts straight. He was a bricklayer, not an airballer. Ugh.
why do people think it's cool to call people these, i guess "creative" names...honestly it's annoying i hate rafer, but cmon airballston? isnt it just easier to say alston? mclady? mclazy? it's not creative, cool, or funny. just kinda stupid really. be normal. i'd rather you say alston sucks or mcgrady is a wuss, than call them by some stupid unfunny name.
I get a chuckle out of it. I guess every thread is not for every poster. To the OP... I thought it was funny, keep it up.
I can be funny when those names are used on a messageboard. What annoys me is when media types use it. This new guy on 610 -- Barry Warner? -- refers to McGrady as "She-Mac". To me, that's just unprofessional.
Rafer is still living up to that nickname when you consider the fact that he's shooting 35.7 percent overall thru his first 21 games played so far this season (37.3 2-pt fg%, 31.7 3-pt fg%). Another thing, Rafer did not play in the Nets' first win due to him nursing a sore left knee.
Rafer would have been closer to tolerable in a different set with a different shooting guard, but there was never a question (as there is now) about Tracy McGrady's status with the team. He was the two, and when you had a guy at the shooting guard position who could pass like that (and finished the plays quite often) and was creating open shots for his teammates, it was mandatory to have an efficient shooting point. I think Jason Terry was the prototype for what they needed. I was big on Mike James, but he played like he had been dropped in the ocean with a kryptonite chain around his neck.
there are some points in games where brooks and lowry are playing awful and causing bad turnovers that i wish we had rafer alston come in and control the tempo. we all know rafer built the toyota center with the many bricks he layed every night and the many floaters that he never could finish, but one thing he trumps both brooks and lowry is his IQ, ability to control the game and make the correct pass. Rafer never picked up his dribble before deciding what to do with it, while Lowry will often pick up his dribble and then think about who to pass to, or Brooks who sometimes never passes at all. Both our small guards have very suspect IQ but they play hard and their scoring punch makes up for it.
KL is the replace of Rafer, not AB. KL is younger and future, but last year Rafer definitely would make a larger contributuion than KL in playoff. To be honestly, nobody (fans, management, owner and media) thought Rockets this good. I said Rockets could win WC without Tmac last year when they traded Rafer, I got a lots laugh here. Before this season started, I said Rockets would make the playoff, win around 45 games. I got a lots laugh here. The fans here are disbelievers. They always underestimated the heart of Champion. They always did. Trade Scola +fillers to Gogart or whatever? Where does this kind of idea come from? Rafer is a role player, but he has the HofC and he could be critical for Rockets last year if Yao hadn't been down. Morey is very lucky at rafer's trade. He expected rockets would not win it all last year for wrong reason (TMac down), but his expectation became true because Yao was injuered too.
the same people that supported rafer are the ones that support battier right now.They are scared of change, just like fox news. I always hated rafer , since he turn the ball over in the playoffs game 7 vs utah at home. Tmac had got us back in the game and this douche trying to act like he runs the team slips and falls.
you may see 2 vs 5. Three was Chuck out there as start PF. But they managed to win many games anyway.
