Mike James played all of the fourth and most of the third, correct? This was the first game i saw him and i must say, i think he should start because of his three. When sura's in, his defender sags and doubles and leaves him open for the 3, which is not the shot we want. I was impressed by his D on nash, and also his driving ability, and his head. he looks like a smart player who knows his role and his limit. he knows when to pick the dribble up and dish off. I think he start and Sura should come off the bench as a spark plug. I know this has been discussed before, but wow, the man keeps doing it. i know this is sura's first game back, but the fact remains, mike james can shoot the 3 and sura can't. Which is important in our offense.
1) Sura runs the offense better - that is why he starts 2) Mike James is a better scorer - that is why he should come off hte bench 3) in the seattle game James started and looked awful - after he was able to watch the game a while he come in in the 3rd and was solid 4) the team is 27-13 with Sura starting thanks for playing
So you've seen Mike James play one game, which also happened to be Sura's first game since coming off the injured list, and from that you have determined he should be our starting PG?
is it OK to have an opinion? and tell you why i think so, without getting cut down? i explained myself. he's got the three. i was hoping for some debate about that fact. not the fact that i've watched one game with him in. geez
Well, to be fair (looking at the ENTIRE game), we were rolling pretty good with Sura in the 1st quarter... then James came in (even when Nash went out) and allowed Barbosa to spark the Suns offense. But in the 4th, James (who probably is one of the highest "energy" players in the league) had fresh legs, and was commited to playing tough defense on Nash. We all know James is a better offensive player than Sura... but Sura makes the offense go, never gives up on defense, and is still our best pound-for-pound rebounder. Don't let last night's game, and Sura's lack of conditioning, fool you... he'll be just as valuable to this team as he was during the winning streak once again. But if he doesn't have it, I love the fact that James (who is very experienced at coming off the bench) is there to relieve him.
Actually I was going to start this thread after I picked up my Chronicle Friday morning (where I learnt the news of Sura starting) but I was nowhere near an internet connection. Simply put, I have watched the Rockets all season long and appreciate what Sura brings to this team but he should back up Mike James. Sura is what this team needs now in terms of role playing from the bench and he does great things with his hussle and penetration. But Mike James beats him in almost all phases save for rebounding the ball. Mike is a better defender, shooting from the field, free throw shooting, scoring and floor spacing. With Sura in the starting line up is tougher for us to score (when relatively compared to when James is on the floor) because he can hardly shoot or shoot well consistently unlike James. His continued starting will only leave Wesley as the only long range threat and floor space that can relieve Mac_Yao. James runs a better fast break as well I must add (imho). In all, it may not really matter if Sura continues to start (he may not finish games) but there is no doubt in my mind that James is a better PG and should be the starter. I love Sura but I love the Rox more - and the fact stands imo. Sura is a great energy guy and could play that role perfectively coming from the bench and giving the "2nd" team a lift - this will great help Mac get much needed rest thereby reducing his minutes in these last weeks. I will allow evolution to once again take place as I believe JVG and the team will figure the best way forward on this matter. It could all be a a matter of match-ups as well but that we hope to figure in a short while. PS. I was so angry with JVG for leaving Sura that long on the floor in the 3rd quarter. It was obvious with 2 minutes gone in the 3rd (even from the first half) that Sura just did not have it on Friday in large part due to the injury induced layoff. But than goodness that Mike came in after the timeout when Mac was at the line and it coincided with the final push we made to snatch the win. We would have lost the game if without the stability and lift MJ gave us at the PG spot.
It's really not fair to make that judgement based off their play last night. Bob Sura is coming off the IR. He's going to be a little bit rusty and a little bit winded. You have to look at what he was contributing in top game form and look at what Mike James contributes. Honestly, I think it's close but I still feel Sura deserves the starting spot. Besides, Mike James is what? 4 years younger than Sura? I hope he'll have his time to be our starting point guard eventually.
I think its not important who starts, but who finishes. I think Sura should start and the player thats hot or has the team rolling, should finish. Last night, it was apparent that Sura was just winded and didn't have it. That was expected, due to him being on the IL. Trust me though, he will be back strong (remember 8-game winning streak).
I love sura peeps. but mike james is without a doubt more valuable in this offense. he plays better D. 3 shot and can drive, though not as good as sura, but the 3 is more important. Yao and TMAC start the offense, so......it just looks very clear cut to me. he's better for this offense, but we shall see over time. Van gundy will make the right decision.
1 more thing, let me ask this, would Yao have had all that room in the middle if James wasn't in the game spreading the floor? he like two or 3 3s right? Mike James has got a quick trigger. Yao ming went on that surge at the end of the game with James in, not sura. We had a 3 point threat at every other position on the floor. This is not a coincidence. that Ming had room to move.
Mike James was huge off the bench lastnight. Sura will take some time to get 100% again, its good to have a backup as good as James.
I see both sides of this debate. I can easily see MJ getting nearly equal time on the floor between now and the post-season, but I bet when the playoffs start you'll see Sura more than MJ... Why you ask, Let me elaborate: It will be because by necessity the playoffs become more of a half-court game and I think Sura's understanding of his teammates, court-awareness, rebounding and hustle will ultimately mean more to the team than a few points difference in shooting percentage. Having said that, MJ and his 3-ball will still be crucial to the overall and ultimate playoff success "at this particular time"!!
Its a tossup, who starts. Besides rebounding, Sura is also a better passer and makes better decisions with the ball IMO, at least compared to the few games I've seen since James has been here. For example, in the Seattle game, in one sequence, James passed it off Yao's foot then the next possession jumped in the air and threw it away. We need a guy to get Yao involved and I think Sura is better at that than James. Then again, we probably would have lost yesterday without James getting to the line the way he did. We should definitely keep James in there when we're matched up against pesky quick point guards like Tony Parker or Steve Nash. He's a great defender.
Perhaps we should wait a few games and give Sura a chance to get back in game rhythm. I like James coming off the bench.
If sura is not as good a scorer - how can he give the team a lift off the bench ? - tht is exactly what James' does - he is a shoot first mentality that is needed with the second team. Sura runs the offense better (PG's primary job) and Wesley and Tmac are the out side scorers with Howard and yao on the inside/mid-range) and - none of you folks from the James camp want to address the emperical evidence that support JVG's decision. Mainly, the Sonics game (and Sura's record as a starter27-13). James was erratic as a starter againts the sonics and was not able to get into the offense during that game - Barry came in immediately (no PG) and the Rockets were able to stay in the game Then - after James was able to watch for a while he came back in and was more effective bottom line - its a good problem to have. I think we will see James in the 4th a lot more in close games, and I would also hope to see times when James and Sura are in the line up If Sura c
