rafer wont be shooting many teardrops if any at all. the new offense doesnt require a player to break down their defender.
So Rafer was the third option in the team's offense last season? It's just no wonder he had a career high in three-point shots attempted. But still let's not forget, last season, the Rockets were a team that lived and died by the three-point shot on the offensive end. As long as he can thrive under Rick Adelman's offense and the team proves to be better off when he's out on the floor, then he's a keeper. However, the only thing for us to hope for is that he's not asked to play much more than 30 mpg. If MJ and SF3 can't handle the backup pg duties all that well during the course of the upcoming season, then Adelman will just need to try playing Aaron Brooks, if anything.
I think we should wait and see how the others play. Last preseason, Alston played well too. And we remember how it turned out. Let them play and I am sure Adelman will make the right decision. As for now, I say keep him. If it does not work out, then we still have the other guards.
i don't know about that just yet. he made a few long shots so he looked like he was "thriving" out there. but when the pressure was on, he missed 2 free throws Rafer gets many steals which is a plus. I have a problem with him taking 3's when there is so much time left on the shot clock (air ball he jacked up in the first q) I don't think he should start because other teams will gameplan and simply leave him open like last season. He will shoot the ball and the law of percentages will always come into play. We all know he cant shoot over 40% over a long stretch.
I gotta disagree with you.....Last year he was one of our best free throw shooters under pressure.....when the game was on the line....... The air ball was the first 3 pointer he took....and yes....he did shoot an airball....but you would rather a player shoot a WIDE OPEN 3-pointer and miss, than pass the shot up......early in the shot clock, or late, he was wide open. Oh yea, and he hit the next two shots
In the first half of the game, Rockets only shot 5 3-pointers......under Adelman's system, the Rockets' shots are going to come a whole lot easier. It should be more fast breaks this year.....lots of running....and Rafer's our best man on the break as far as decision making goes.
First of all Luther head is not a PG. He never was and he never will be... hmmm. jarret jack and jose calderon didnt make the all star team...And like I said before: He can start if he's not the third scorer...People were inviting rafer to shoot the three last year. This year he doesnt have to be the third scorer on the court Asking a guy to take it the basket and get to the freethrow line is not asking for an All Star...I dont know where you got that from...
No he is not out of line. The original poster compared Rafer Alston to the Holocaust. That is sheer stupidity and has no place on this board!!!
This is a basketball forum, dude. Nobody here was using the reference to the Holocaust with bad intentions. They were just exaggerating their beliefs about Rafer's ineptitude. Perhaps, it was a bad choice to to compare him to The Holocaust but don't take it personally. It is a well-known historical tragedy. People throw the term around all the time. It is obvious that nobody was trying to insult Jewish people. Get over it.
yeah that is so smart...get over a holocaust reference. easy to say if you arent jewish or had a direct relative killed in this senseless act.
Yea, get over it. They didn't downplay The Holocaust or demean Jewish people. They were saying that Rafer is as BAD as The Holocaust because The Holocaust was a tragic historical event much like how they believe Rafer is a tragic component of this roster. The comparison was used as an exaggeration to express their viewpoint. It would have been different if somebody said something like "Rafer's play is as insignificant as The Holocaust." Nobody challenged the horrific reality that was The Holocaust. If we are going to get extra-sensitive in here, then the next time someone calls a player of African-American decent a hood or a gangster (this has happend more than once), African-American members of this forum will start getting overly defensive, too. We don't want this forum to become filled with threads where people are unnecessarily defending their race, ethnicity, religion, etc... over harmless comments. If someone goes overboard that is a different story. That was not at all the case here. This is America. We have freedom of speech. We often make references, and even innocent jokes, in the public arena about people of all backgrounds as a way of reducing tensions. We are such a diverse culture that we need some sort of relief from this cultural complexity. I am partly of middle eastern decent and I hear as many jokes and references about my background as any other group of people. I understand both the good and bad of it but the key point here is... I get over it. So should you, especially since this particular reference to The Holocaust clearly had no bad intentions behind it.
You're right, it had no bad intentions, but you gotta realize that comment might directly offend somebody. You cant really tell someone to "get over it".....9/11 and the Holaucaust (even though it was years ago), im pretty sure those are two things that are hard to "get over" It was a dumb joke, but thats not the point...There are some places you just dont go. 9/11 and now we can add the holocaust to that list (im surpised it wasnt already on the list for rocketman) Calling someone hood or a gangster is more of a sterotype...If it was a steryotype, then it maybe it wouldve been funny. Steryotypes are great... PS: Ron Artest is thuggish ruggish...dude is gangster.
Someplace you don't go, huh? David Wesley was so bad he was like 9/11 and The Holocaust combined. I did it. Big deal. Get over it.
there are some people in this world who actually do believe the holocaust never happened, it was the biggest hoax in history! definitely this is not the place to discuss that, but to say something about it as a joke, is not funny.
I think it's a safe guess that Aaron Brooks is the PG of the future for the rocks with MJ and Stevie sliding over to the 2 and Rafer running the team now until Brooks is ready to take over. Rafer has the experience advantage over Brooks for now, and if he reduces his FGA's and continues to drain the treys (which he seems to shoot with a better percentage than the shots within the arc) then we'll have a pure pg to compliment MJ and Francis which gives the team more balance and depth at the position than it has ever had. Also Rafer pushes the ball upcourt more fluidly than any of the current PG's so it just comes down to him reducing his shot attempts and playing within the scheme which simply calls for him to "set the table" for our scorers and understand that he is not ONE of the scorers. Distribution of the rock, pushing the ball upcourt on the fast break for others to finish, his good handle of the rock, and playing within the scheme makes Rafer a PG that gives Adelman more variables at the 1, and a coach with his expertise knows how to exploit a team with talent in many different areas. Rafer MUST reduce his shot attempts and he'll flourish under this system cause he is a traditionally pure PG (with the exception to jack up the rock in an untimely manner). We need a number of players who have unique skills to give our very creative coach more options and player combinations on the floor to exploit and Rafer gives diversity, because of the qualities that he has as a PG that only Brooks has and as I said, it's only a matter of time before Brooks takes over the starting PG job anyway so let's enjoy what each PG brings to the game that's unique and a plus to the team. Also, the possibility of injuries at the PG or the need to slide MJ or Francis to the 2 permanently in the event of injuries at the SG make keeping Rafer a good decision as well, which I'm sure is reassuring to our new coach....It's about options, alternatives and depth in the backcourt for a team looking to go deep into the playoffs and we've got it now so appreciate it for the advantage it is.
