for a layup in crunch time tonight remind you of... Deron Williams blowing by Rafer for thunderous dunks in crunch time during the playoffs? Rafer Alston's defense is overrated. Rafer Alston's game management is overrated. Rafer Alston's post entry passing is overrated. Rafer Alston's bad shooting is underrated. Rafer Alston's inability to penetrate is underrated. Rafer Alston's inability to make the opposing PG play defense is underrated. Aaron Brooks is being under-utilized and under-developed sitting on the bench to start and finish games. The sooner Adelman makes the change, the better for Brooks and the Rockets. Adelman was smart to encourage the Rockets to draft Brooks. He'd be smart to take it to the next level now. Edit: One of the two dunks from I mentioned above is at the 1:30 mark. Thanks for pulling the video, renwickftw. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DNeGZ_MaGeg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DNeGZ_MaGeg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
There is nothing overrated about Rafer Alston except his defense. The only thing wrong with him is the fact that he takes very bad shot selections, that and because he misses even if it's dead open.
If I remember, Williams was maybe 1 fer in those 2 overtimes, and he was calling his number virtually every play. I think we can call this a good defensive game for Rafer and Brooks today.
agree with the bad shot selection, but deron blows by everybody, his crossover is crazy effective and he's got a good shot so you can't back off, you can just hope he's in a shooting funk, that IS why he's a top PG afterall...
In the same post that you write "the only thing wrong with him" is his bad shot selection, you also say: -his defense is overrated -he misses wide open shots Sounds like 3 things.
Rafer made the clutch 3 only because there was a clutch 3 to be taken. The rest of the game, he played crap, and missed his shots. If he had hits his shots prior, then there would be no clutch shot to be taken at the end. I agree that Rafer has hit clutch shots for us in the past, but most of those shots should not have existed.
No, nobody says he can hit an open shot nor make good shot selections. But something Rafer can do that Aaron cannot do is set up an offense.
Reminded me people here don't know a - about basketball. If Rafer passes an indirect pick, where is the FIRST help? I'll tell you: your dear and lovely Landry was watching at the crowd. Of course, Rafer is guilty, like always. Like when they play the pick and roll against Yao and he must defend Paul without the flash of the center.
I'm talking about the layup late in regulation (under 20 seconds left) where he left Rafer in the dust. I won't count the time Rafer tripped and watched Deron nail a jumper over him on one of the previous plays.
BULLCRAP !!!! Aaron Brooks sets up the offense just fine, you just don't recognize it because it is so much quicker and people are getting easier shots. Rafer can help the team by not playing. DD
There are not many Point guards who probably could stop that play. I honestly doubt even AB would be capable of stopping that. If there is no helpside defense, It is 2 points for Deron Williams every-time.
There were no picks on those two crucial dunks late in that playoff game. He literally just blew by Rafer as if Rafer wasn't even there. Rafer got caught off guard on the same play twice. He just wasn't quick enough to react and contain him. I repeat, there were no indirect picks, direct picks, nose picks, etc... One of the times, I believe he also dunked over Yao.
IIRC on that play, Rafer got caught (badly) in a pick, but Landry should've come over to prevent Williams from having an open path to the basket. No help defense resulted in an easy layup.
Rafer's ability to give up uncontested game-tying layups with 8 seconds left in regulation is underrated.
