Is it just me, or did the players this year look like they were handcuffed from having any freedom to create anything? Unlike the team 2 years ago where there was more room for *ahem* "creativity", this team was too robotic in it's execution. If they get the ball and can't "do anything with it", they either pass it back to McGrady on the top of the key or try to get the ball down low to Yao. I mean, yes, we want our top players to have the ball, but the players around them looked handcuffed and, when they were given the chance to do something, they were lost (this isn't the case with the 3s. I'm pretty sure Head, Alston, and Battier had the green light to launch. But to do anything else, that was a cardinal sin)
Here's a quote from Pruyen's translation of a Yao interview that's relevant to this thread http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=2920054&postcount=17
So let me get this straight, James has a marginally better shooting percentage (42% from the field 38% form the arc). He averages 2 less assists, one less steal and was basically a non factor on a team that desperately needed him to step up (he was benched for a rookie at the end of the season). Not only that, but it is likely that the Wolves will try to shop him this summer anyway, and will be hamstrung by the fact that they gave him that stupid trade kicker. Anyway I gotta call bullshizzle on you're assessment. It was the right move at the time, and it was still the correct move. Rafer played major minutes on a team that won 50+ games, his shooting was terrible, but his defense and his floor game were well up to snuff. You cannot put this series on his feet; or on CD for not giving in to the demands of a marginal talent. We are all dissapointed with the way the season ended but this assessment in a bunch of malarkey. The team did not execute when it counted, we need to get much better. But, Mike James cost us the series? give me a break.
The 04-05 team was an accident, IMO, in JVG's career. He didn't know how to use T-Mac. So he let him create. That worked, with a bunch of savvy veterans. But the veterans couldn't last. They all broke down because they were so old. In came guys like Head, Hayes, and Snyder. JVG couldn't let them create with T-Mac. Back to the robotic offense.
Do you think they will get chance to play from bench under JVG, oh yes they are all old enough for jeff to trust them then next year they will be JB, DW, Sura.... I don't think that is a good idea.
Touche! True, but I still think that was much much much more James' call than ours. Maybe I'm mistaken in that regard. If we're looking at swapping one of them out for James, than I wanted to look at what I personally consider key responsibilities. Head's our resident bomber, Alston a distributer. James would be a great hybrid, but I think there's a meshing of strengths rather than a best of both worlds. He'd be a far better handler/passer than Head and far more efficient scorer than Alston, but a poorer handler/passer than Alston and poorer sniper than Head (disregarding the postseason). Then is it also fair to say that this was Alston's worst showing of his career when getting rotation minutes? You're posting James' Raptor numbers, but Rafer had 41.4%, 35.7%, and 74% his stint there - not that dissimilar. MJ hasn't matched those Toronto (also, contract year) numbers any where else, and so maybe it can be said that they wouldn't have translated here just like Rafer's didn't. Though they'd undoubtedly still be better. I'm not saying that Rafer is a comparable scorer or a good option at all for our 3rd option. I cringe with every running tear drop I see. I think JVG made a terrible decision greenlighting his shooting the way he did. But in the same token, Mike James would have been equally bittersweet at the 1 with his distaste for getting teammates involved and sticking to the game plan. Why have his past two teams (and allegedly, members of our locker room) become so disenchanted with him after only a single year? Is there some reason to utterly disregard that? Evan
The only thing emjohn can really say is that Alston is a better "distributor" than James and takes better care of the ball. If emjohn watched the games, he would know that Tmac is the real playmaker and Alston is our resident 3pt bomber. Didn't Alston put over 7 3s a game playing 44+ minutes? The only other argument made is that Mike James is a ballhog and a lockerrom cancer. The anti-Shane Battier if you will, lol. This is a weak and untrue argument. I thought he was a pretty good chemistry guy in 2004-2005. Helped us win a couple of playoff games against a very good team, motivated our stars by showing them his championship rings, and was a high-energy, fiery pitbull on the floor. Having this kind of character does have its downfalls however, thats why he spurned the Rockets after we traded him for the scrub Alston. I'm also very interested to see proof on how members of our locker room have become disenchanted with James.
Agreed. Fans are acting like our offense cost us the series. Our defense failed us tremendously. Utah just wanted it more, plain and simple. And Deron Williams didn't win the Jazz the series. Alston held his own against him. It was Boozer and the fact that so much of our attention had to go towards Okur as a big who could shoot. And I can't believe people would agree to giving Mike FREAKIN James a trade kicker. That's the smartest thing CD did last season.You give a trade kicker to players like Leandro Barbosa or something; players who can change the complex of a game on their own and are unselfish and understand their roles. I think Alston would be a great sixth man, but only if someone like Mike Bibby can be attained. But our PF situation and lack of bench depth are much, MUCH greater concerns than rafer alston.
I could also mention Rafer's 1.57 spg, which are more than double James' this year and higher than James' career best (1.3 in a partial season with Boston). You're right, I don't watch the games. I just go to a third of the home games to check out Sweet Susie. I was hoping no one would call me on that. I'm happy to hear that you thought James was a great locker room guy. Evan
Yet another of a long, long line of Rockets111 doozies. When he's got no credibility left and can barely breathe from all the crow shoved down his throat, he's fortunately still got the keyboard to throw out another excuse to see what sticks. No one has to defend the statement that the Rockets offense was a big problem. It's irrefutable fact. Saying otherwise is lunacy, just how Rafer was the "ideal point" for the Rockets and anyone who can't see that is a moron. Now? He'd make a "great sixth man". Next season he'll be the perfect "9th guy" for our system. There comes a time when you just have to admit you were wrong... dead, dead wrong. This is that time for Rockets111.
Well jeez, Evan, now I don't know what to say. Looks like an elite PG to me. BTW, good job in not mentioning that Alston plays more than 10 minutes per game than James. This is the only part of your post that made sense. Good. Thanks for not providing clear evidence as to why you think otherwise.
Mike James could not even hold down the starting job for Minnesota. For what he is making he is not worth it and he is getting old.
I miss our 04-05 team... We actually had a team back then http://www.nba.com/games/20050505/DALHOU/recap.html James started the Rockets' closing surge with a layup and McGrady made a 3-pointer and turnaround jumper before Barry sank two free throws with 4:31 to play, rebuilding the lead back to double digits. James was a big factor off the bench, scoring 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He scored 13 points in the second quarter, helping the Rockets battle back from a double-digit deficit and take a 52-45 lead into the break. McGrady scored 19 points in the first half. James actually outscored starters Yao, David Wesley, Bob Sura and Scott Padgett, who combined for just 19 points. "We haven't been able to answer Mike James pretty much the whole series," Johnson said. "We'll pay more attention to him in Game 7." In addition to James, Barry and Mutombo also played well off the bench. Barry made 4-of-7 shots while Mutombo grabbed 10 rebounds.
I absolutely agree with you on this one now that I think about it. JVG said at a press conference when Yao came back that the only way a player can get into game shape is to play in the game. This is true for yao but not for bonzi? I think JVG didnt play Bonzi for personal reasons looking back.
Thats all good Halfbreed I see you defending Skip with all your heart. We're not mad about Raefer shooting .324...... we're mad about Raefer shooting .324 with wide open "butt naked" shots.
What are you Raefer Alston's little cousin or something. Anyway once again Mike James is a much better "wide open" shooter that raefer, would have hit more open shots, and was string enough to drive and finish at the rim. Its hard to comapre Raefer's stats with other guards because 99% of all 3's Raefer took we completely uncontested and the othe 1% were very ill advised.
