Mac and Yao (Ming) tell us to take the 3 pts shots.

The percentages show that Vince Carter and Kobe are never gonna pass up a shot, no matter how bad it is. Also most of the guys on your list are the focus of their team's offense and are playing against the best defense the other team can manage. Rafer is consistently WIDE open. I think no one disputes that he should take WIDE OPEN threes when the offense has created that shot. What irritates many is when the ball is in Rafer's hands and he works for his OWN shot, rather than trying to get others involved. Early shot clock shots by Rafer are NOT part of this offense. He shows much too much willingness to shoot and try to create FOR HIMSELF off the dribble when his finishing skills at the basket are not very good.

 

While I agree with you on some of your points, I'm not saying Rafer's game is not without faults. Just sayin, he's not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. We've had far worse in the past.

 

I totally agree. There's a reason why Rafer gets open looks off the pick and roll. The defense knows that he's not going to hurt them like that, and they're more than willing to give up that shot.

 

Well, often the alternative (when TMac is off the floor) is for him to dribble around, or pass the ball around the perimeter, until the shot clock gets low, and then someone has to take a difficult shot. In those cases, I say take the open shot. Or use the ability to create your own shot or a shot for someone else, since no one else on the floor has that ability. Again, sure, he should look to distribute just a little more, but as said many times, you take the good with the bad. Rafer does do "good" sometimes too. Let's not talk about missed FTs though

 

I could only thank Luther and Battier to take more 3-pt shots, just to reduce the bricks Alston has to throw in each game.

 

How many more games do you need to understand Rafer is a terrible shooter inside the arc? 31 games is a big enough sample to get a realistic picture.

I don't mind his spot up 3s as much and agree he is streaky. But since the Golden State game, he has shot 17/54 (31%) from long range the last 9 games. I see a disturbing trend. Rafer seems to be losing his 3 point touch as the season progresses. I'm fed up with his 1-7, 1-4, 1-6 games. The fact is Rafer is becoming more and more useless as the season moves on. The missed FTs at the end of the Memphis game broke the camel's back for me. Even his biggest strength, the assist/TO ratio, isn't that great.

Rafer's play begs us to make a change, either in his playing time or to bring in another PG by trade. Something has to be done unless he miraculously pulls it together and turns his decline into improvement. Holding your breath waiting for that to happen will kill you.

By the time Yao gets back, I might join the dump Rafer movement. For now, he should continue starting but a leash should be put on him. When he stinks, yank him out sooner and put in Luther, JL3 or V-Span, depending on the matchups. The more I think about it the more clear it becomes Rafer's role must be reduced significantly. To those that still think Rafer is sufficient, take a close look at how the Sonics will bait him into taking shots. Rafer is the type of player on offense that changes defensive game plans, in the wrong way.

 

Take the damn shot when you wide open, dont take it when there is freaking hands in you face.
The other day, rafer was passing on wide open treys because he shot so badly early in the game when he forced it. That's messed up.
Also Lutha is little too much of gunslinger for my taste to. He is a good shooter, but sometimes he needs to explore better shot selection before jack it up.

 

I have no problem with Luther taking some ill advised shots as good as he shoots....

Rafer should drive more when his shot is off, or JVG needs to yank his butt off the court and put in Luther.....

DD

 

He should drive more regardless.

 

Right now, Lutha should take as many shots as he can. But after Yao's back, I hope he wont continue doing that.

 

When Yao's back, he's going to have a lot more open shots than he has now. That's part of the reason I think Rafer should drive a lot more than he has now. With no real inside presence, getting the ball into the paint by any means necessary should be a priority to open up the outside shot more. Rafer and T-Mac should be relentless going to the hole, IMO.

 

I have no problems with Lutha taking open shots in any case. It's the ill-adviced shots, heat check kind shots that I have a little problem with. But then I think he probably knows what he is doing and coach knows what he is doing based on practice.
Based on my observation, the biggest problem with Rafer is his mental strenth. Skill wise, this guy is a good player and he is able to sink those open shots. When he is in that worrying mode, he messes up everything, shooting or driving wouldnt work for him. When he plays out of his mind, that's the best of him.

 

GOD D@MN! what's happened to Redd and R.Allen, new ball?

 

But Rafer throws up those awful teardrops and runners that don't go in. That's what I mean by teams baiting him into taking a shot. Rafer is horrible near the rim or in the lane unless it's completely wide open for a layup. If you ask me, it's better for him to take uncontested jumpers because he can't finish. It's so bad that JL3 actually finishes better than Rafer.

YallMean, you are on the money. Rafer is mentally weak, which is why we cannot trust him with being our primary PG in the playoffs.

 

true, even though rafer takes a lot of flack for his shooting ups and downs passing on a good shot is worse than missing a good shot.

 

It is funny how people now spin this. They are asked to take the shots- but the idea there is to make the open shots. For those who talk about "rafer's Cluctch shooting"- nothing that Rafer doesor has done this season can be described as "clutch". You are insulting this whole message board IMHO.

 

Matress Mac needs to stop running this team and let the players play.

 

A win is win, but I just could not let RF go. We should OFFICIALLY do something to limit RF's shots. Any good idea?

 

I said this after a win. Now we had a loss, thanks to Rafer's performance. Who made Rafer shoot so much?