Why was Bob Sura so good during his stint with the Rockets?

Yao and TRacy with 3 mike james will not land us a playoff spot.

 

Sura was decent when he was healthy and was probably a better overall player than any of our current point guards.

His stats for his one season of 61 games played with the Rockets:

42% FG %
35.5 3P %
5.5 rebounds per game
5.2 assists per game
1.1 steal per game
2.41 turn overs per game

 

Sura = FIRE, leadership, and stood up for his teamates. Remember when YAO got body slammed by (howard I believe), and the next play down Sura slammed him to the ground?

 

Don't take this the wrong way but the good old days were when Dream was dominating, not Sura starting a PG

To answer your question, Sura was not the most physically gifted player (especially his year here where he was on the decline) but he was the definition of a JVG type player. He was hardnosed, played with heart, rebounded/mixed it up with bigger players, ran the offense and didn't try to do anything he knew he couldn't and hit open shots. I remember him firing up guys b/c of the little things he did.

 

John Lucas (the older one) was.

 

Rafer is Anti-Sura. Here are things that Sura brought to team.

1) Toughness: Good luck pushing around Sura. He would not back down from anyone. He would usually keep his man in front of him and dish a hard foul if he was beaten. No easy baskets when Sura was around.

This also fit well with Tmac/Yao. Our superstars are passive in nature and need to be surrounded with tough players.

2) Defense: Sura was not spectacular but he was waaaay better than Alston when it comes to defense especially on his own man.

3) Attacked the basket: Sura was not afraid to take it to the big boys. He was fearless when driving unlike Rafer who runs away from contact.

4) Good finisher around the basket: Goes with his physical play. He would try to get and1 by initiating contact, whenever he could. Rafer floater anyone?

4) Mental toughness: Rafer loses confidence way too easily. Sura held his composure. Anyone remember him hitting 2 clutch 3 pointers against Dallas in Game 2 of playoffs?

5) Old School mentality: He was always ready to compete. He had a nasty side. When Josh Howard made a dirty play on Yao, he was brought down to the ground by Sura on the next play.

6) Understood his limitations: Sura wasnt great 3 point shooter himself (mechanical form) but he wasnt bad either. He would not compound the situation by taking an insane amount of shots. Rafer will hoist it up anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

Sura = Ford Truck
Rafer = Yellow VW Beetle

Sura = Arnold Swarchenegger
Rafer = Sarah Jessica Parker

Do you want Sarah in her Yellow Beetle running the Rockets show or do you want Arnold in his truck creating mayhem for opponents?

 

Sura is overrated.

 

I read somewhere on this board Sura once made MJ (not our MJ, but the MJ) and Pippen crap in their Hanes.

 

yes in my opinion Sam is the best one still playing. I'm not sure how well he'd play with Yao and TMac in all honesty, because He has a sort of balhog mentality that I believe was held in check only because of the fact Dream was such an Alpha Dog. Yao and Tmac don'tt have that presence though.

 

Yeah, that was a great bed time fairy tale.

 

Bob Sura, still my favorite Rockets player ever

 

Explains alot...and that in no way is a bust on Sura.

 

Sura took everything personal and would stand up and never back down.

 

Bobby Sura in real life would be a Italian Gangster (need to dye his hair black), and all the black dudes (no offense) in the league ain't got nothing on him! PERIOD!.

 

Photoshop opportunty!

 

Sura had at least one thing on David Wesley, Francis, James, Alston, Head, and Cuttino Mobley's listed height. Sura...like Jon Barry and Bonzi Wells...is listed at 6'5". It sure would be nice to have another taller guard on the team other than McGrady (who IMHO is really a SF).

 

The "good old days" are less than 3 years ago when we were in the midst of yet another 1st round exit? When we blew a 2-0 lead to the mavericks after winning the first two games on the road? When we lost the deciding Game 7 by 40 points? Those are "the good old days"?

Man, I feel old.

Sura was a nice player for the 1/2 year that he played for us, but I'm not sure why he's gained such a mythical status around here.

 

Sura had heart. Which is more than any of these current players have (except maybe Battier and Bonzi).

 

Bob Sura, basketball speak:
- Size at his position with a little athleticism.
- Decent ballhandler,though more a combo guard than natural 1.
- Tough and gritty, fearless driving to the rim.
- Not a great shooter, but actually his 3pt shot actually IMPROVED like it was supposed to when given wide open looks by McGrady and Yao.
- Infectious hustle. Was the Battier or Chuck of the team before they came along.
- Ability to guard 2 positions and to defend willingly I thought was the underrated attribute for the team. Especially for a Van Gundy team. Wasnt the quickest but he stayed in front of his man and was disruptive enough.

Sura, regular observations:
I didnt post much on the board when they got him (though it was late 2004 and I was a member in 2003), but if I did I'da been all over the boards clamouring to get him. Thought he was the most logical fit for the point guard after Francis left to replace his type attributes. Before he got in midseason it was the Charlie Ward and Tyronn Lue show to start it, so the effect was like replacing Smurfs with a Thundercat.

Then his "image" of course. Appealed as a "guy's guy", looked like a gym rat type, a guy you'd like to have a drink with, and a guy that'd be cool with the babes And him and Jon Barry brought some much needed SWAGGER to the team, though not as good talentwise the same that Francis and Cuttino had.