The reason why that's under-appreciated is that most fans, not just fans here on this board, but casual fans in general, just haven't played real ball before. So what they see is what they judge. I've said it before, the point guard position cannot be quantified fully by stats or even +/- numbers. You have to be on the floor or near the floor to truly understand who's a great point guard, a good one, or a lousy one. Rafer isn't perfect. I get as disheartened by his bricks lately as the next guy, but I know that on this roster, he is perfect. Because he controls the team well, he does what he's told to, and he protects the ball. The only thing anyone could possibly rip him for is his horrendous shooting right now. He needs to step that up. But otherwise, I have no complaints with him.
Rafer keeps shooting because JVG tells him to. However, Rafer must learn to come in some to shoot a mid range. His form looks horrible and I can immediately tell when his shot will go in. Say it with me A-R-C-H, Rafer shoots a hard line drive from 10 ft to 24 ft. Dude needs to fix the jumper quick, where is the shooting Dr? Also, both Rafer and Luther's low post D is anemic. At least Rafer will give you a hard foul on a post up move. However, PG's drive by him like there in the HOV lane. Give him until the allstar break, after that, I would go with Bibby all day everyday. We would kill on the offensive end, however, Bibby's D is lack in the coverage skills.
"How to go from 'Alston all the Rockets need' to 'Maybe Alston should be moved' in 10+ weeks" -- By John P. Lopez http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/lopez/4486245.html Try as they might, Rockets not good enough By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle These Rockets can sometimes play team basketball with that old Jeff Van Gundy "one-ness" he likes to talk about. Sometimes, they don't. But inevitably, no matter if the roster comes to play or does not, as was the case Saturday night, it always comes down to players. Who can. And who cannot. This 121-113 overtime loss to Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets was all the proof you need that changes must come. A few guys try hard and the Rockets' bench always looks enthusiastic and together, but it doesn't matter over the course of a full NBA season. Wanting, trying and praying only gets a team so far. Even with Saturday night's loss, the Rockets own an impressive 9-5 record without Yao Ming. So maybe you think when Yao returns from his leg injury in mid-March, this club will have held the rope enough to step right up to an elite level. You would be wrong. This is a Rockets team that has nice parts. It is a team that can ride a good vibe to big wins, home or away. There have been a number of players stepping into more significant roles and impressing. So many positives Look at Shane Battier doing all those things that win games, Rafer Alston rekindling his game and Luther Head knocking down shot after shot in Yao's and — for one night — Tracy McGrady's absence. Look how Dikembe Mutombo has piled up double-digit rebounds in Yao's place. Even Bonzi Wells turned in some big production Saturday, tossing in 12 points in 18 minutes. More than anything, the Rockets in their current state are good and, for the most part, easy to like. They can be the most animated, supportive teammates in the NBA, always standing and cheering through games, meeting teammates halfway out on the court at timeouts, seemingly as happy together as 15 big league egos can get. But this team clearly needs something and it goes far beyond the immediate sour taste left from losing to a remade Nuggets team that was without its No. 1 star — Carmelo Anthony. Yao or no Yao, all you needed to do was look at the team in powder blue jerseys on the other end of the court Saturday to understand that if the Rockets stand pat, they'll be left behind. The age-old truism of sports never is more appropriate than in the Western Conference of the NBA: If you're not getting better, you're getting worse. After recent deals that brought Iverson and point guard Steve Blake to Denver, the Nuggets are practically wearing name tags at practice. Yes, I'm talking about practice. And yet the Nuggets have gotten significantly better even without Anthony on the floor. "There are times in practice when we run something and I think, 'Man, that would really be good when Melo's out there,' " Nuggets coach George Karl said. So many elite teams Sure. And the Nuggets are not the only ones who have Houston in the rearview mirror. The Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks are better, even, than the 2005-2006 versions. The Spurs are not better than before, but are worlds beyond the Rockets. The fact is, the Rockets can play good, team basketball all they want and still not come close to being in the same hemisphere as the upper echelon. Saturday, Van Gundy didn't even get effort, which should come as no surprise. How many nights in a row can a team overachieve? "We understand how quickly it can turn in this league and how good the other teams in the West are," Van Gundy said. "Again, even if we played really hard you may not get the results you want. But I'd like our chances a lot better than seeing what was the most disappointing effort of the year in my mind." And don't think Yao's return will vault this club to a higher level. More than just Yao is needed. It's more than great effort every night. Sure, this team can win sometimes without him and sometimes it can play inspired. But it's time to mess with the mix. As great as Mutombo has been, how long can he continue doubling up on the boards and running up and down the floor? Against the likes of the Suns' Amare Stoudemire, whom he faced Wednesday, and another athletic big man like the Nuggets' Marcus Camby, Mutombo is too big a risk logging big minutes. The great Bonzi question looms as well and that, again, is where you should begin looking for a change. When Yao returns, Bonzi will again assume the rotting position on the bench. Since he does not want to play the power forward and cannot supplant Battier at small forward, there will be no place for Bonzi to gain minutes. McGrady will be the off guard, occasional point and small forward. And at this point, Juwan Howard has taken hold of the power forward job and Chuck Hayes is the second option there. If not Bonzi, perhaps Luther Head must be moved, despite his ace shooting. The Rockets need length at that spot. Maybe Rafer Alston, a solid point guard with whom this club can win, should be moved. Inconsistency, after all, is a sure ticket to frustration. The only thing certain: Effort is nice. But better players always win in the long run.
I dont know what makes JVG think rafer can be a starting PG in the NBA. Whay, all of a sudden, when he comes to the rockets, does he become a starter? He sucks plain and simple.
gotta love it clutch.. great timing though. this guy is a complete joke. I wonder why he still gets paid by the chronicle... Alston played really well at the beginning, so I was thinking "yes, he is out of his slump".. just to see him brick 9 shots in the 2nd half and take ill advised shots.
That's funny. I guess we, the fans, are not the only ones who look at things completely differently depending on whether we just won or lost - even professional journalists do.
I think this is the thread where I have discussed playing time and possible guards to attain. It's so long now...and I don't want to sift through it to be sure. But anyhow, I'm amending my earlier statements about only Chucky Atkins and Tyrone Lue being available. I think Luke Ridnour might be attainable too and also Troy Hudson. Ridnour has been demoted to bench and Watson to starter. Seattle still sucks and they have both guys locked up for the long term. Hudson has been really demoted, even though he hasn't played any worse or better than usually imo. Hudson is now behind Mike James, Randy Foye, an injured Marko Jaric, and Bracey Wright, basically he's getting as much playing time nowadays as Jaric, except the DidNotPlays are for Coach'sDecision and not Injury. Possible PGs to add to the Rockets rotation Chucky Atkins 5'11" 185lbs. 32 yrs old $3 million/yr, 1 yr remaining career: 36.8% 3pters, 45.5% 2pters, 76.5% ft, 2.25:1 assist to turnover ratio last yr: 35.2% 3pters, 43.1% 2pters, 81.1% ft, 2.31:1 assist to turnover ratio this yr: 36.0% 3pters, 46.8% 2pters, 81.8% ft, 2.80:1 assist to turnover ratio this year's hot zones Tyronn Lue(currently recovering from groin injury) 6'0" 178lbs. 29 yrs old $3.5 million/yr, 2 yrs remaining career: 38.7% 3pters, 45.6% 2pters, 82.6% ft, 2.69:1 assist to turnover ratio last yr: 45.7% 3pters, 47.4% 2pters, 85.5% ft, 2.07:1 assist to turnover ratio this yr: 34.9% 3pters, 46.2% 2pters, 86.6% ft, 2.00:1 assist to turnover ratio this year's hot zones Luke Ridnour 6'2" 175lbs. 25 yrs old $2.4 million/yr, 4 yrs remaining (next 3 yrs are $6.5 million/yr) career: 34.8% 3pters, 44.9% 2pters, 85.9% ft, 2.94:1 assist to turnover ratio last yr: 28.9% 3pters, 45.1% 2pters, 87.7% ft, 3.38:1 assist to turnover ratio this yr: 39.8% 3pters, 47.8% 2pters, 80.9% ft, 2.23:1 assist to turnover ratio this year's hot zones Troy Hudson 6'1" 175lbs. 30 yrs old $5.6 million/yr, 4 yrs remaining (gradual increases w/last yr at $6.6 million) career: 33.9% 3pters, 43.1% 2pters, 85.8% ft, 2.13:1 assist to turnover ratio last yr: 39.6% 3pters, 36.9% 2pters, 92.3% ft, 2.64:1 assist to turnover ratio this yr: 36.0% 3pters, 42.3% 2pters, 79.0% ft, 1.70:1 assist to turnover ratio this year's hot zones Rafer Alston for comparison 6'2" 175lbs. 30 yrs old 4.2 million/yr, 4 yrs remaining (gradual increases w/last yr at 5.25 million) career: 35.7% 3pters, 41.7% 2pters, 72.4% ft, 2.76:1 assist to turnover ratio last yr: 32.7% 3pters, 41.8% 2pters, 69.2% ft, 2.72:1 assist to turnover ratio this yr: 36.1% 3pters, 37.1% 2pters, 72.4% ft, 2.26:1 assist to turnover ratio this year's hot zones Once again, I'd like to state for the record: I will be running an NBA team one day. Also, down with the Rafer Head backcourt! No more small backcourts!
this is shocking...well i guess not that shocking since we all know rafer isn't a great shooter...but it is mindblowing how someone can be so bad even at such close ranges. im betting alot of those are from his pathetic floater attempts or running layups. i know tmac and jvg have been telling everyone to take open shots when they have them, but i think this is the one guy where its ok to say 'maybe you shouldn't even shoot the wide open ones....' especially when theres a 70-80% chance that, even within 15 feet, its not going in....
Thanks for pointing this link out tinman -- it most definitely belongs in this historic thread. John's conversion to the dark side is near complete. http://blogs.chron.com/lopezblog/archives/2007/04/the_rafer_issue.html April 01, 2007 The Rafer issue will be the Rockets' undoing In fact, it may already be the biggest reason between the Rockets being in a better playoff spot and losing games like they did Sunday night at the Toyota Center. As some of you know, I have been saying since last year that the Rockets can win with Rafer Alston running the point. In fact, they can. But can they contend? Can they win a playoff series? That's where I need to correct the assessment of Alston as point guard for a team that fancies itself as a title contender. Two years is way too long for Alston to still not have wrapped his arms around this club and made it his own. Two years is way too long for moments to arrive like crunch-time in the season's biggest game thus far Sunday night, and Alston disappears. Alston's ball-handling is among the best in the NBA. He keeps turnovers down, energy high and has knocked down some big 3s. But as I watched the game from a sports bar here in Atlanta, where I'm covering the Final Four, on another TV screen was the Spurs and Pacers. Right there in living color were difference-making point guards not afraid to take over, the Spurs' Tony Parker and the Pacers' Jamaal Tinsley, who won the game for Indiana on Sunday with a last-second drive to the hole. That's what is missing with the Rockets. Yao Ming will be a dominant force in the middle. Tracy McGrady can create a shot at any time. Shane Battier will take on the opposing team's best player. But it's just asking too much to expect McGrady to run the point come clutch time, as he was forced to do Sunday after Alston missed a wide-open 3-pointer that would have tied the game. McGrady always will face the kind of pressure he saw from the Jazz. I still like a lot of the things Alston can do. He's a good point-guard who should get a lot of minutes. But either Alston steps up down the stretch and in the playoffs to take on more of a leadership and crunch-time burden, or this will be a very short Rockets playoff appearance. Again.
I think Alston is fine he just needs to be more consistent because most the time T-Mac is controlled the ball anyway.
You can't ask a leopard to change his spots....Alston is not getting better with age, he is declining.....it will only get worse. And how weird is it that Rafer seems to be the ONLY PG who can't shoot inside of 5 feet? Every other one listed has a good finishing rate at the basket..... DD
I think after 2 years of this kind of shooting, people need to start opening their eyes about rafer. Rafer is being consistent! He's consistently a bad shooter! Any time he has a good shooting game, that is when he's being inconsistent.
Alston does what he does. The Rockets just need a true backup pg(oh by the way VSpan should have been given more of a chance to become that pg).
Alston is a short study, watch him for ten games, then you know who he is, and that has not changed in two years. He is a great ball handler, pesky but not terribly effective defender, fair to good passer, very poor shooter that gets on "lucky" streaks, but they don't last long. He is one of the worst finishers at the basket that I have ever seen. Thirty percent shooting will NEVER get it for a starting NBA point guard. As I said TWO YEARS AGO, he must go to the bench or another team. He is going to melt down before our very eyes in playoff pressure. He is one of the several huge "DUH'S" on this team that CD and JVG can not apparently see. Yes, they have no options now, but they did.
The one thing I like about Alston is that he admits having a bad game and says "I" did or did not play wee, unlike TMAC he always says "WE" or "THE GUYS" did not play well.
