The Head Coach attempts to make the best assumption based on practice results and history. Rafer isn't the only man for the job, but he obviously was chosen by men with very great basketball knowledge and experience. I never did said Rafer's job is dead set and should not be challenged, competition is great, everybody deserves a chance, and I'm sure RA is much lenient in his doghouse then JVG. However, I am annoyed by how badly people wanted Rafer to "screw up" just so there darling Steve can take his job, how is that letting him "earn his spot"? As for Mike James, read the posts of many many knowledgable fans that have pointed out why James should come off the bench. I am not going to sit around and judge who is a better basketball player then another. All I know is that NBA head coaches are not as stupid and delusional as some posters around here. And if RA is going to insert Rafer into the starting line up instead of Steve, I'm going to assume that Rafer was the obvious stronger option with the starting uni and hence will render better +/- stats in the starting unit out of our available PGs. Life is full of uncertainties and we can only make our best assumptions through available information. No comments on hating on players. _ Blues
I think some of you who critized the chanting situation is a bit cold hearted and were not really following the development of the rockets in the last few years. (at least last year) Here is why people chanting: SF this year is like bonzi of last season. they were cheap to have and have much upside and protential to turn this franchise closer to a championship. With the price we paid and the upside, one would really want to see they play. (ask yourself this, wouldn't u want to see this season's bonzi last season too?) If we had bonzi last season in the playoff, do you think we would still have a first round exit? Fans, knew what happen to bonzi and they just don't want the same thing happen to SF. Fans read what Sf and AD said about playing time, it was a blow out game, and a good chance to put SF in.
It was not a blowout. You are trying to undermine the coach's authority and causing more friction. The coach had to address the cheer like it was a problem. There was nothing positive about it. Steve is not ready to play; it would have hurt the team if he was in the game. I hope he earns some playing time and does well. He is a Rocket after all. Francis is responsible for his playing time, not the coach.
Please inform us all, what Steve did to NOT earn playing time based on preseason play. Then compare him to the other PGs on this team.
Exactly. Some folks just need to realize that its 2007, and Francis isn't what he used to be. Some people love to dog on Rafer, and talk about how terrible he is.. well you know what, Francis couldn't even win a rotation spot from Alston or Mike James.. so what does that say about his play??
See that is where you are wrong. We have seen over two years what Rafer is going to give us. As FANS of the TEAM we know that with Rafer out there we are going to get beat in the playoffs by better teams. We know Rafer will be left wide open, and they will doulbe TMac and Yao, and Rafer will brick shot after shot. That he will get burned by the P n R every time. That he wont be running the offense, TMac will. Rafer gives the Rockets zero benefits. And if Rick sticks with Rafer through the playoffs, and the good teams do what they do to beat the Rox (Crowd Tmac and Yao, and leave Rafer and Chuck run free to miss shots-or just not take them) then Rick should be held accountable for this terrible decision. Mike James, or Steve Francis would not sit behind Rafer James on ANY other TEAM coached by any other coach in the NBA. Thats a fact. And reading the Rick A was "bristling" at the fans wants shows that he is indeed being a stubborn ass about it.
I guess we should start playing the declining, out-of-shape Francis then just to make some of the fans happy?
Some people need to realize what it is that Rafer offers us as a team. This team with its 5 lost in the first round again. At home to a lower seeded team. The recipe was simple. Boozer/Williams on O. Leave Rafer roam free to miss on D. It would of been death no matter who we played in the playoffs. Now here we are with the same starting 5. Do you guys see how hard its been on O when Rafer is out there? Do you realize how hard TMac has to work to get points because he is crowded. This is why Tmac has been more a jump shooter the last two year..duh go figure. How Yao has to see Rafers or Chucks man constantly sag onto him. Its like you guys are blinded homer fans who cant grasp that this starting 5 won't beat..Mavs, Spurs, Suns, Jazz, maybe not even the Nuggs in the PLAYOFFS. Get it through your thick skulls. We tried it, and it failed.
No we should continue to play the worst shooter over the last 27 years in the NBA? Or probably the worst Defender I have ever seen. Someone who cant create, doesnt make his teammates better, cant hit free throws, and is a lousy finisher. Yeah this didnt fail last year at all. Mike James and Steve Francis do all these things better then Rafer.
I thought that we were 3-0. And I thought McGrady has been raving about the new offense. And I thought we got new bench players such as MJ, Scola, and Bonzi* to help us in the playoffs. We did fail last year.. with a different team with a different coach. So you think if Francis is playing, you WON'T see his man sag on Yao like Rafer's defender does? Give me a break. You think that despite the fact Francis showed up to camp out of shape, showed low bball IQ, and couldn't run the offense competently during the preseason.. he'll suddenly be Jason Kidd running the offense out there? TWO different coaches have started Alston and decided he's the man for the job. I'll just the opinions of two bona fide NBA coaches over the fans, sorry. Oh.. and another thing, I thought we were 3-0 with our current rotation?
No one said we were 3-0 because of Rafer. We are 3-0 because our team is improved from last year and everyone knows their role.
We are 3-0. We almost lost right off the bat because of Rafer in the 1st quarter and in the 4th quarter. Playing an Odomless Lakers and almost losing, and the Blazers hasn't been that great of a test. When hasn't TMac raved about the "offense" or the New editions? Do you watch Rockets basketball? Do you really think Teams will leave SF wide open all game long on the perimeter? Players will sag from the perimeter, but NOT like with Alston where to go and pitch a tent down there. And Alston hasn't shown good BBall IQ in two year as a Rocket. Otherwise he wouldnt be making the mistakes he made in the first game, and continues to make. You are delusional if you think the same starting 5 are going to get it done against the elite.
