Will someone explain to me the Rafer Alston love affair?

[redgoose]

I don't see why so many people insist on keeping him. Do people really think he's even worth starting on any team at all? Why is he considered a pure point guard to so many on this board? I'm assuming it's only because his shot stinks so bad. It seems you can't be a PG that can score and not be considered a shoot first guy. That still doesn't make Rafer's inabilities to score help him average even close to double digit assists.

Was it his awesome 2007 playoff average shooting .338% or his incredible court vision dishing out 5 assists per game getting almost all the minutes in the playoffs? Does that really make up for his godawful shooting?

I guess i just forgot how much better he was in the regular season when he averaged .375% shooting and 5.4 dimes a game, which is actually more assists per game than his career average.

He may only average around 2 turnovers a game, but at what point do you start considering his shooting a turnover in itself? Or even his lack of ability to attack the basket when the team can't hit a bucket. It's not like the defenses are focusing down on him! Shouldn't he also average a couple more assists/game playing with Yao and T-Mac since he's a real PG that doesn't shoot first? Finally, exactly how does he compliment James or SF3? Since that's as the main comment/reason for us needing to keep him that i keep seeing pop up on different threads?

[OrangeRowdy95]

I love Rafer as a player and a person, but with Steve and Mike James, there's no room for him. He actually has a lot of value. Trade him for Haslem. I'd also look to deal Luther Head and Sura, maybe Snyder as a filler.

[knote32]

I actually agree with most of this post...

[CharlieMurphy]

I just have sympathy for the man because he was asked the be the 3rd scorer and carry more of the load than he was suppose to.

[devin23]

Originally Posted by redgoose I don't see why so many people insist on keeping him. Do people really think he's even worth starting on any team at all? Why is he considered a pure point guard to so many on this board? I'm assuming it's only because his shot stinks so bad. It seems you can't be a PG that can score and not be considered a shoot first guy. That still doesn't make Rafer's inabilities to score help him average even close to double digit assists. Was it his awesome 2007 playoff average shooting .338% or his incredible court vision dishing out 5 assists per game getting almost all the minutes in the playoffs? Does that really make up for his godawful shooting? I guess i just forgot how much better he was in the regular season when he averaged .375% shooting and 5.4 dimes a game, which is actually more assists per game than his career average. He may only average around 2 turnovers a game, but at what point do you start considering his shooting a turnover in itself? Or even his lack of ability to attack the basket when the team can't hit a bucket. It's not like the defenses are focusing down on him! Shouldn't he also average a couple more assists/game playing with Yao and T-Mac since he's a real PG that doesn't shoot first? Finally, exactly how does he compliment James or SF3? Since that's as the main comment/reason for us needing to keep him that i keep seeing pop up on different threads?

I'd trade him ASAP. I'd keep luther if at all possible though, he is the best 3 point shooter in the team and clutch player after all and could be our specialist in that.

[McGradySNKT]

Originally Posted by CharlieMurphy I just have sympathy for the man because he was asked the be the 3rd scorer and carry more of the load than he was suppose to.

So did Ryan Bowen. I could care less for Assistant coach pet players. Deke helped the team win alot of games when Yao went down and Assistant coach never even gave him a shot in the playoffs when we needed inside D and rebounding, but he allwoed Rafer to jack shots up like he was Kobe.

[smoothie]

dont get confused between fear of the return of dribblemania and love of rafer alston.

rafer got the team into the offense quickly. he kept the ball moving and almost never turned it over. james waived of tmac in game 7 and steve still dribbles the ball of of his foot.

don't get me wrong, i'm definitely in favor of the moves that were made. io'm just pointing out that with all of rafers flaws he still braught us some comfort knowing that the ball will get to yao and tmac without being turned over.

[SmitingPurpleEm]

Originally Posted by McGradySNKT So did Ryan Bowen. I could care less for Assistant coach pet players. Deke helped the team win alot of games when Yao went down and Assistant coach never even gave him a shot in the playoffs when we needed inside D and rebounding, but he allwoed Rafer to jack shots up like he was Kobe.

We needed offense more than defense, and McGrady was inconsistent, in three out of seven games he did not play up to par. If we gave Deke heavy minutes we would have lost even worse. Besides, Deke's playoff +/- wasn't even very good, it was -8.3, -5.8 net.

[WNBA]

I'd keep Head.

Alston is already 31, with a 3-year contract left, never been a starting level PG, and you have a lot PGs, esp. when PG market is wide open,

you got to trade him to get value as soon as possible.



The Alston love fair is the extension of JVG love fair.
---------->"Alston is all we need at PG"<------------

[McGradySNKT]

Originally Posted by SmitingPurpleEm We needed offense more than defense, and McGrady was inconsistent, in three out of seven games he did not play up to par. If we gave Deke heavy minutes we would have lost even worse. Besides, Deke's playoff +/- wasn't even very good, it was -8.3, -5.8 net.

Again, how does this explain how bad Rafer Alston sucked as a player.

[SmitingPurpleEm]

Originally Posted by smoothie dont get confused between fear of the return of dribblemania and love of rafer alston. rafer got the team into the offense quickly. he kept the ball moving and almost never turned it over. james waived of tmac in game 7 and steve still dribbles the ball of of his foot. don't get me wrong, i'm definitely in favor of the moves that were made. io'm just pointing out that with all of rafers flaws he still braught us some comfort knowing that the ball will get to yao and tmac without being turned over.

Exactly. If the talent doesn't mesh on the court, the team will underachieve. Remember when the Lakers put together a team of 4 Hall of Famers? They didn't exactly steamroll to the championship, did they?

For all his faults, Rafer makes a fine post entry pass (watch Luther Head throw it right into his defender's hands when he tries it), and he gets it to McGrady in good spots (backdoor cuts, off curls, etc.)

[SmitingPurpleEm]

Originally Posted by McGradySNKT Again, how does this explain how bad Rafer Alston sucked as a player.

I was responding to your statement that Deke should have played more minutes.

[rhino17]

I agree with the original post. I have been saying for months that his constant 3 point misses and mised layups are as bad as turnovers. And I am sick of this "but he gets us int our offense quickly." No he doesnt. He dribbles the ball to half court and handed it to tmac. He did nothing. I think i could have done that. He is not needed, but those of you who think we can get Haslem for Skip, there is no way in Hell the Heat would do that. They can get a mediocre PF at best for rafer, like reggie evans or something.

[BrockStapper]

I like Skip but I think he has value and will be gone now.

Man, we still have some tools to get another good player. This is crazy.

*cue James Brown* I feeel good...

[redgoose]

I just don't want to see us holding on to players because of feelings and loyalty. That's what got us into cap trouble years back with handing out fat contracts to undeserving players like Mo T, Cato, etc. Fortunately, i don't see Morey doing the same, no matter how nice a guy Rafer may be.

[Hippieloser]

Originally Posted by smoothie dont get confused between fear of the return of dribblemania and love of rafer alston. rafer got the team into the offense quickly. he kept the ball moving and almost never turned it over. james waived of tmac in game 7 and steve still dribbles the ball of of his foot.

This right here. Don't get me wrong, I cringe every time Rafer shoots, like any Rockets fan. There's no way he should have been playing 40 minutes a night. But Rafer Alston gets the ball where its needed and he can run a break. Those are things that Steve Francis has never done.

I'd much, MUCH prefer to get rid of Rafer and get a real point guard. But simply ditching him and turning his job over to Francis scares the **** out of me. Francis doesn't move the ball or move without the ball. He BOUNCES the ball. I'd much rather he took over James' role, but I don't see how that's possible.

[weslinder]

Because, before Rafer, the Rockets hadn't had a real PG since, well, let me think...


Hang on...


1996 - Sam Cassell. That's right, 11 years of knowing how much talent can go to waste without a floor general. And how even a mediocre floor general makes up for that.

[DOMINATOR]

Originally Posted by weslinder Because, before Rafer, the Rockets hadn't had a real PG since, well, let me think... Hang on... 1996 - Sam Cassell. That's right, 11 years of knowing how much talent can go to waste without a floor general. And how even a mediocre floor general makes up for that.

Tmac was the floor general

[BrockStapper]

Originally Posted by rhino17 I agree with the original post. I have been saying for months that his constant 3 point misses and mised layups are as bad as turnovers. And I am sick of this "but he gets us int our offense quickly." No he doesnt. He dribbles the ball to half court and handed it to tmac. He did nothing. I think i could have done that. He is not needed, but those of you who think we can get Haslem for Skip, there is no way in Hell the Heat would do that. They can get a mediocre PF at best for rafer, like reggie evans or something.

man, people give Skip a worse wrap than he should take for his three point shooting. .363 isn't terrible. I can understand not wanting the guy for 37 minutes a game on your team but I can't see how you cannot appreciate how he handled the ball and ran the offense.

There's a reason that he has value right now. Throw in Sura and scrub change and look out.

[weslinder]

Originally Posted by DOMINATOR Tmac was the floor general

No he wasn't. Rafer brought the ball up, called the plays, started the offense. T-Mac was the creator, but Rafer ran the offense.