Mike James should have taken more shots to give them a chance to win. From watching the game, he looked really passive. Foye is ok, but he does not have the experience that James has. Foye was very aggressive against us. We could not stop Foye from penetrating. We won! It was a great outcome to a low scoring game.
Mike James made a HORRIBLE decision to sign there, he doesn't fit at all on that team. And all I got to say is.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SUUUUCCCKKKKAAAA !!! DD
Good thing he has that trade kicker in there. Otherwise, Minnesota would dump him in a New York minute.
I think, ideally, he should fit. He just can't. The Wolves needed a perimeter playmaker and someone with a decent outside shot, that's why they wanted James. Unfortunately, James is just an undersized 2-guard. He has no passing ability. His defense is average at best. He doesn't bring anything special to the table. It worked out better for us anyway. Foye's gonna take James' spot by midseason, at the latest.
choujie - In my opinion, your logic is flawed... you can't say ALL the extra shots go to Yao in the scenario you outlined. If that's the case, I invite you to run the numbers with me as the Rockets point guard, and I choose to shoot no shots and defer them all to Chuck Hayes at 61%. I might just be the best point guard fit yet. Also, if you look at 2004-2005, you'll see McGrady took 21.3 shots to Yao's 12.2. This season so far, Yao has taken 17.1 a game to McGrady's 16.5. There are many factors, but the sacrifice is primarily McGrady's and has little to nothing to do with Rafer. Yao is a better player now (stronger, better stamina, more experienced) who plays more minutes and stays out of foul trouble. Also, if you compare Yao in 2004-2005 when Mike James played and when he didn't play, Yao took 16.0 shots per 40 minutes in games when Mike James did not play compared to 15.7 shots per 40 minutes when he did. It's something, but not much. Mike James is not perfect ... he is prone to taking a bad shot or two and he has games where he goes 3-11, like Rafer. Only he has far more games than Rafer ever will where he goes 9-13 from the floor and 4-6 from long range. But T-Mac's quote is also inline with what he's said before about Mike James when James scorched Rafer Alston for 30 points on 10-17 shooting, 8 assists and 7 boards. "I definitely know what he's capable of," said McGrady. "He's a good friend of mine, and he told me every time he faces us he's taking it personally. And he did that, and he did a great job of that." For those who recall that "Breakfast with Coach" thread a while back that I ultimately removed, one of the things deliberately left out of there was JVG really wanted Mike James back (obviously made clear later when JVG was camped out at James' door at 12:01am). As a follow-up to that, JVG was specifically asked about whether there was an issue between McGrady and Mike and JVG said there was a very small issue at one point about who should have taken a shot as the 24-second shot clock was expiring. JVG said it was absolutely nothing and that it was a rumor spread around by ClutchFans (no joke) - (NOTE: The actual rumor started by a newspaper snippet if I recall correctly and it was posted here and accepted as fact). Personally, I think Mike James made a terrible decision to go to Minnesota, but I think it was obvious then. They're not a contender. But it's even more painfully obvious now when that team has Randy Foye, Troy Hudson and Marko Jaric. James passed all night and was very tentative. If Minnesota blows it up (or even if they don't since he's not even playing in the 4th), the Rockets should absolutely be in constant touch with Kevin McHale and the Timberwolves and get Mike James here. December 15th at 12:01am if possible. You saw and heard when McGrady went out that the Rockets lineup was clueless and without any scoring ability -- they had to rush Yao back early. Rafer not only is not the best fit with the two stars, but he gives you absolutely nothing without T-Mac. I'm not going to rub Rafer Alston's complete and total shooting disaster tonight in your face or the face of all the other apologists because it doesn't mean much more than his perfect game against the Mavs as to what Rafer is (though it is time to stop the sham that Rafer is unselfish while Mike James is a ballhog -- Rafer took more shots than T-Mac and as many as Yao tonight and this is not the first time this year). BUT, I will say that after watching Rafer in a Rockets uniform for some 70-80 games now, I believe you will see many more of these games where he is a complete dog than you will where he's fantastic, and in the end the Rockets will not be a contender for it. They need and deserve much better at that spot.
Clutch, we need better than Rafer at the PG spot. 85% or more of us agree with that. But signing MJ the Flake at a full 5 year MLE would not have been a good idea, IMO. When the Rockets indicated they wanted MJ, I wanted him because they wanted him. Now after ~15 games this season, I don't want him any more. He's definitely more talented that Rafer, but he isn't much better. One flako (Bonzi the Clown) on our team is enough. Two is a crowd.
My dad got some floor seats right next to the visiting bench for tonight's game, and I definitely heckled James in the fourth when Foye was getting PT instead of him. When I yelled, "how's that contract feel now that a rookie is closing out a game for you?!" I got quite the staredown from him and Madsen
For I can tell that James needs to work on his speech ability. The guy has a hot head that needs a little control. But as far as work ethics goes, James is a a good citizen.
I don't think many people here doubt it, and I'm not even talking about the vspan fan club. The question is how soon? I'm hoping he develops well enough to start next season. What do you guys think?
That is simply AWESOME !!! Serves him right for playing the Rockets that way. Mike James wants to win.....WHATEVER !!!!!! DD
What a coincidence! I was freakin' thinking the same thing and struggling against his former team.Ya! Piss on both that losers!
Starter or not, I wish this gentleman playing significant minutes (10plus) for the team night in night out.
That's actually a terrible description of Mike James, but I'm not surprised at all that you would make it. Mike James hasn't really had a problem fitting in anywhere ... he came to the Rockets midseason in 04-05 and scored 21, 26 and 24 points with an average of 5 assists in his first 3 games (including 11-20 from long range). He started out very well in Toronto and this year in Minnesota too, but something has definitely changed. I'm not sure if he's done something or had a falling out, but he's dropped off their map the past 6 games or so. I would think there are going to be problems there, but I highly doubt James will <a href="http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Basketball/NBA/Toronto/2005/02/09/925282.html" target="_blank">cry over it</a>.
Nobody has questioned his work ethic. Anyone can see his talent and his great physical condition. His eloquence isn't the problem either. It's his brain/personality/attitude that causes him to pop off at the mouth and think it's all about him. I wonder if KG spoke to MJ and told him to zip it. Better him than JVG, Tracy or Yao.
Mike James may be a better player, he might have been a better fit, but unfortunately he chose to sign with Minnesota. So for better or worse, the Rocters are left with Alston Head and Spanoulis, which while far from all star cailber are capable of being very solid if not more. So to say that the Rockets will not be contenders because it is Alston is the PG instead of Mjames is just a silly. The Rockets dont need Alston to be fantastic to be contenders, they only need him to be solid/adequate. The role of playing fantastic more often than playing like a dog, falls to Yao, T-Mac and Battier. It is thier efforts that will ultimately determine whether or not the Rockets will or will not be contenders. Thats not to say Alston or others or not important, but rather that thier play is not going to determine how relevant the rockets are come March. Because if the only way the Rockets are to be "contenders" is reliant on Alston playing "fantastic" then their problems would be greater than even what Mike James could fix.
