Saying Rafer lead the team is like saying Bynum lead the Lakers to the championship. Just because he was riding on TMac and Yao's jock, don't mean he led the team.
The Magic made it to the NBA Finals because of Rafer Alston, and not because of the best uninjured center in the league. riiiiiigggghhhhhhhhhtttttt.
actually, knowing Rafer's propensity to shy away from contact, his accuracy will probably decrease to 35% at close range.
Rafer was the worst starting point guard in the NBA when he played for the Rockets. He couldn't even make layups. Rockets management and Van Gundy were fools to bring him to Houston.
You're crazy if you don't think he made our transition game better AND he knew exactly where to deliver the ball to scorers and shooters. It's not as easy as you think to deliver it to Yao and T-Mac. I think people are underestimating how hard it is to be a competent starting point guard in the NBA, which Alston was as a Rocket.
Rafer takes shots away from people who actually have a chance at making them. Thats a turnover in my book.
My problem is that yall girls are talking about Rafer like he dosent desrve S*** ... He is a solid ball player. He has a high IQ and defends very well. That's why he was able to translate his game from off the streets. He is tough, and has a lot of heart. He came off the streets...something most of u PC's would know nothing about. To say he is garbage is disrespect to basketball... and to anyone who has played this game hard. Most of u girls.. know basketball off the game system you have. He is very solid and that is why the magic were able to contend despite losing the starting PG. He is a bad shooter, but a solid ball player overall. The man is tough, and most of u pigeons can't hoop any-dang ways.
Let me preface this by saying I am not a Rafer lover, BUT: His assist:TO ratio is better than 2:1 and averaging a steal per game makes it even better. If the Magic had not played Nelson, the Lakers might not have won that Championship, at least not so easily. Rafer's floor leadership helped them cruise to the finals. He is likely spiralling out of control due to the fact that he knows he will probably never have another shot at a championship and bad coaching/management decisions cheated him out of the best chance he will ever get. Anyway, that's my two cents.
yeah, this thread is insane. rafer played well for us and always worked hard and stayed humble. he is NOT the reason that the magic lost (one of the big factors was luck, as the lakers just happened to win close games, which is very much a coin toss). anyone who didn't think that rafer played well for us either didn't watch many games or just doesn't understand basketball.
Passing the ball to T-mac for an isolation or to Yao for a post-up won't get Rafer an assist (assuming they all take more than 3 dribbles after the pass I beleive). Most of his assists were from swinging the ball (from a Yao ming pass out of the post) and finding the open man in the corner. It's unfortunate for Rafer that he got traded from Orlando to New Jersey. Orlando basically used him for the playoffs, then when Jameer came back, they basically said, thanks, but we don't need you anymore. I kinda feel bad for him.
I think everyone, including Rafer, knew something like this was going to happen. Orlando wanted him not only for being a stopgap measure for their PG injury problem, but also as an expiring contract that would help them net a good player in the off-season, which it did. Besides, he was too pricy to keep as a backup PG, especially when the Magic already have a capable one in Anthony Johnson at a much cheaper price.
I doubt it very much that the Rockets would have gotten as much in return for him if they traded him last offseason instead of at the trading deadline during the course of last season.
83% 3point shooting and 100% Free Throw Shooting GGOD ENOUGH FOR ANY TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's too bad Orlando had to play Nelson in the Finals last year. You don't fix what isn't broken. Magic were rolling with Alston starting.
