"Everywhere I looked, I had a weapon to pass it to,'' - Rafer Alston

When Mo moves back to PG when Delonte comes back, Cavs win PG, and I think West/Pietrus is a wash.

It would be a great series to watch.

 

this is flawed. LBJ counts as like 3 people...

 

No way! I would still take the Cavs over the Magic in a 7 game series. As great a player as D. Howard is, he still too inconsistent and the Magic just shoot way too many threes to be successful in the playoffs. Plus, the Cavs have maybe the best player in the NBA in Lebron.

 

Kenny Smith has always had something for Rafer and so Have I. I think Kenny Smith as durvasa said, Rafer's game probably reminds him of his own. I think the Magic are back to being a Top 3 team in the East with Rafer back. When Jameer was on that team, they still weren't title contenders to me. Those 3 point shots aren't always going to fall down.

They are built to entertain in the regular season, but fail in the post-season. Just go look at the 2004-2008 version of the Phoenix Suns.

 

Rafer's game is nothing at all like Kenny Smith's. Kenny had a great outside set shot, wasn't a very good passer, committed turnovers when facing tenacious defense and was one of the fastest players in the NBA. Rafer is a very poor offensive player in every sense of the word who's strength are passing and great handles.

 

Alston has a decent outside shot, but when is consistent you can put him in the same sentence as Kenny. However consistency is part of the equation. However, maybe Kenny just has a small man crush on Alston, nothing wrong with that to be fair. Mark Jackson has a huge man crush on Kobe.

he said Kobe > Jordan at one point last year.

 

Here are the pertinent similarities:

- much maligned starting PG for the Houston Rockets
- a New York PG
- a vocal leader

That's enough for Kenny Smith to have an affinity for him, I think.

 

You can't be serious. Rafer's outside shot isn't on the same planet as Kenny's. When did defenses slack off of Kenny to bait him into shooting? Never. Any player in the NBA that throws up enough outside shots will hit a few in a row on occasion. Kenny was a "shooter" who played at PG. Rafer is a "pure" PG who can do little other than what "pure PGs" do, like pass and handle. The only thing consistent about Rafer's shooting is he gets more completely uncontested looks than anyone I've ever seen, including Kenny.

durvasa probably has it right. It's a New York thing and a Rocket thing.

 

I thought the same thing everytime I saw one of your posts basically putting down Brooks and claiming the Rockets season was over.

 

Brooks was also a rookie. How quickly you forget. I know some of your guys want Brooks to fail just to make Alston look better but it isn't happening.

 

Exactly. I find it amusing that some of these guys are Rockets fans, yet they're doing everything they can to trash Brooks in order to make Alston look better. Yet, these were the same people probably ripping Rockets fans for being "Yao fans" or "McGrady fans". Apparently they're also "Alston fans." Almost a decade of basketball vs a rookie's first year in the playoffs (while only playing backup minutes), is the best comparison they can make!?

 

So Kenny Smith is saying that Rafer Alston is a better PG then Jameer Nelson!? What planet is this guy on?

 

Completely misleading statistic as Rafer has only played meaningful time in the playoffs three years. His stats have improved every time he's been in the playoffs.

 

You're making my point for me. Brooks will be a second year player trying to guide an offense through the playoffs though his overall numbers are worse than Rafer's. Upgrade failure.

 

Rafer's played in the playoffs three times, hardly a decade's worth of playoff experience. I find it amusing we can't objectively look at the numbers without people trying to trash Rafer to make Brooks look better even though their shooting numbers are almost identical and Rafer's ball handling stats are far superior.

 

Chris Paul, Deron Williams, etc. disagree with you.

 

Rafer already has 5 assists against Miami and first quarter isn't over yet. Guess the change of scenery is doing him well.

 

7 assists already in the first. Is setting in well as the playmaker.

 

don't forget no turnovers and 2-2 from 3.

 

RA must be happy that his center can actually catch passes.....no more butter hands.