I agree with most every grade. However, I think you've let the last couple of games by Rafer influence you. I'd give him a C- at best. I've said more curse words at Rafer this year than I said at Randy Livingston many years back.......and that's saying something.
excellent, well thought out post...i would only disagree on the grades. if you give yao an A- then tracy has to at least be an A-. he has lead this team to a great record without yao and he has played like a top 5 player when healthy. also I can't see how bonzi is given anything other than a F/incomplete for obvious reasons.
Thanks for all the compliments! Alot feel that T_mac should be an A or A-, but I gave him a B+ b/c his shot has been off for the most part, shooting 43%, which has gone up by his recent surge. I love T-Mac and have defended him against many here who have questioned his heart and longevity. As good as he has been when healthy, I feel he has another level to take it to. Rafer gets a B- b/c he is the "quaterback" of a team playing so well and upper end of the standings in the West. The guy frustrates me the most out of any of our players, but has had more good games than bad ones. I was generous with Bonzi b/c he has shown flashes in the time he has been given a chance. I know he has not helped his cause by being hard-headed toward JVG, but I think JVG is alittle at fault as well. Both need to compromise for the best of team.
Very nice post. Thanks for your had work on this. As with all posts like this, you're always going to get differences of opinions on the grades. Shane at A- the same as Yao is a little generous, if he was putting up more 20ppg, A- would be warranted. Same with Deke, he plays at one end of the floor, hard for me to give him and A- even though he has contributed to the Rox playing way over their heads while Yao has been out.
Tracy has really turned it up since Yao went down, but the biggest reason for the W's since Yao went down was the improved play of the role players, which the Spurs game w/o TMac (and actually gradual improvement that entire week) really gave our non-superstars a big boost in confidence. I'm under the impression we'll be more or less a .500 team from this point on, regardless of the easy schedule. I hope I am wrong, but felt like W's that we got, some of it was a good bounce of the ball, and some of it was the high was playing shorthanded.
Thanks for all your work, but after you gave Alston a B- and TMac a B+, I stopped reading. Alston and TMac should not be mentioned in the same breath, and certainly not in the same letter grade.
