I twust oo. Well, this is a "spilt milk" thread. Rafer may or may not be adequate at all, LJIII may or may not be both a defensive and offensive liability, V-Span may or may not have become an asset and Head's entire pg shtick just seems to me to annoy the hell out of T-Mac. So, seriously who do we blame for this predicament that everyone knew about months before the trade deadline? I can't really blame Yao or T-Mac, so I'm no fun, but if Rafer goes down we'll either resemble our '84 team and/or JVG's seriously going down. If Rafer remains healthy we're still second-round fodder. This is going to be one mean off-season.
This thread just proves that hysterical ninny brigade around here is putting their game faces on for the playoffs. When the going gets tough, whine! When the going turns rough, pout! Just pray your golden "I-told-you-so" moment comes soon because isn't that what it's all about? Screw rooting for your team until the end...just open a big can of quit and drink deep! With any luck by the time you've finished chugging it down the Rockets will be bounced from the playoffs and you can spend the next 5 months patting yourself on the back because you knew their fate all along.
I have always been suspicious of Rafer along with DD & many others on this board, even on nights when Rafer seems on fire. The problem with Rafer is when he's hot, he can't miss; then it's usually followed by a few nights of STINKING COLD. I pulled out the Feb & March stats to have a look, in a few games Rafer will have a red hot shooting night, then the board will jump up & down to applaud..
I have to admit - the reaction to this loss is way over-the-top. You'd think we'd just lost 5 in a row by double digits. The Mavs lost at home to the Suns, and now lost big on the road to them. I guess the Mavs suck too now????? It's the regular season folks - and yes, we got problems with our team, yeah, rafer is an issue, and t-mac's shooting is a concern....but whatever - it's too late now. There's 8 games left. There's nothing that can be done. All we can do is watch and cheer. And this was just one game - no one was complaing about these things before today. One loss doesn't mean much. If we win the next 6 and splite Phoenix / Utah - it won't matter. By the way, Phoenix is going to be a big game now as well as the Suns have to fight off the SPurs.
thanks for the breakdown. Rafer as everyone knows is extremely inconsistent. We need a backup PG that can play 20-24 minutes a game and limit Rafer to 24-28 mins a game. Maybe we can get one in the off-season because JL3 is not the answer and V-span is in JVG's doghouse.
Come on New Yorker....the board is only reacting this way due to the importance of the HOME game. Even the Rockets were giving lip service to how important this game was, and they laid an egg. They got it all over their own faces...... DD
This loss pretty much sealed our not getting homecourt in the playoffs against one of the best homecourt teams in the league. Maybe thats why people are "overreacting"
I can't wait until Rafer makes some kind of clutch shot in the playoffs and all of you haters will come back here and praise him.
for once, i whole-heartedly agree with Dadakota. i hate when T-mac pulls up for a 22 footer. take that **** to the rack, t-mac.
Good post. I don't see the point in bashing either. We lost a tough game. We are 1.5 games back from the 4th spot. I still love the Rockets. That is all I can, and want to do.
I can go on & run more stats, however even on good nights Rafer's flaw is masked by other team members having good game. After seeing Rafer went 1/10 a few nights, I complete gave up on the dude. Afterwards I felt true inner peace in my heart.
I don't know what you're complaining about, Clutch. Rafer has been incredibly consistent all season long, there are no surprises with the guy, he's extremely predictable, just like Battier, and his intangibles can't be overlooked. There is no backup PG in the league I would rather have! Seriously though, I think this is a bit of an overreaction, I don't think Rafer deserves all the blames he's getting for this game.
He lacks the ability to drive the lane and get a decent shot off, let alone make a play. He IS the best we have, which sucks. Tmac is our best playmaker. Rafer simply brings the ball up and passes around the perimeter. He does nothing to pressure the defense.
