I ainta smart like a Morey, but - reading the T-leaves (as in TaTa, he leaves) Rafer sounds as good as gone if he can be placed elsewhere. Well, it's what it sounds like to me, so - But where? Rafe and Head - Najera? Rafe and Head - Kopono (SnT)? Rafe and Novak - Gadzurik (if Mo signs elsewhere)? Rafe and Head - McDyess? Rafe and Head - Radman? Rafe - TAllen, Gomes, Telfair? Rafe and Sura - Speedy and SWms? Rafe and head - Daniels? and my hoped for fav: Rafe and Sura - Varejao and DJones?
rafer and head for mcdyse might work. detroit resigns mcdyse to the amount of price rafer and head is and we trade. not bad, cause we don't have to use our mle on him. also, add rafer, sura, and lucas? for camby, which i would love, since we're not giving up battier for camby. denver needs point guards, cause steve blake is leaving, and they need salary relief (sura).
I would love to move Alston and whatever else that works, salary-wise, whether that is Head and/or Sura, etc. to Seattle for Chris Wilcox. The Sonics have quite a bit of forwards so they could stand to get some backcourt help.
Seattle has a few backcourt guys. The key to Sonics now is Shard, and MJ can't get him now. So, they re-sign him or SnT him (Battier and Sura would do it, but should the Rox?). First, the Rox need to get Rafer placed elsewhere. First.
I really like the Gadzuric idea. It seems very plausible. I'd rather hang on to Novak and dump another guard on them to bring some more balance to the roster. Edit: I didn't realize his contract was so big. He's got 4 years left a about 6 mill per. Ouch...
why so quick to get rid of rafer? the guy is the only true, tempo, offense managing pg the rockets have and this just in, with him at the helm the rockets won 50+ games with no legit backup for him and no second unit scoring other than luther is this just a dislike for rafer? or is it a true basketball personnel belief that he serves no purpose?
is that really an answer? i can understand that. But my point is that he is the only true pg on this team. MJ/luther/jl3/even the newly acquired brooks are all shooters first. Rafer may be deficient on offensive scoring, but he is more than servicable everywhere else. none of those other guys really control the tempo, take caer of the ball, pass as well and defend as well as rafer. And even though rafer takes a beating for his scoring, he is still a decent 3pt spot up shooter.
Alston’s trade value could not be any lower after this draft. You have to figure it’s in the negatives now, with his contract and the obvious glut at the 1 that the Rockets have to clear. If Luther Head’s value around the league is Brian Cook, than Head+Alston is going to be worth less than Brian Cook, if that’s possible. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the only way the Rockets are going to get a legitimate starting caliber player at the 4 is by trading Shane Battier. Trading Alston, Head, Novak, Sura, etc. is not going to get it done.
Yes, yes it is. Decent 3pt spot up shooter?? Bwhahahaha. The guy sucks ass. All he can do is hand off to McGrady and brick shots. That's it. Thank goodness for Mike James who should have never been traded in the first place for this joker Alston. I'm tired of the Rockets being all Yao and McGrady and the rest a bunch of offensively challenged morons with Alston being their chief. Getting James helps tremendously and hopefully we can find a sucker, I mean team to take Alston off our hands so we can get a decent 4 like a Chris Wilcox.
Rafer Alston doesn't do much of anything. His entire ability is being able to dribble and bring the ball up court then hand it to McGrady. He's actually one of the most inept offensive guards in the NBA. Just because he was such a favorite of the Super Van Gundy Bothers doesn't mean he is actually any good.
with him at the helm? ummmmmmmmmm.... that's like saying with devin harris at the helm the mavs won 67 games. rafer is one of the main reasons why we lost in the first round. he is just a horrible shooter and he isn't that good of a point guard. yeah it's nice he doesn't turn the ball over but that is the only thing he does.
you do realize that last year rafer shot better from distance than MJ did? their career %s are very close as well. and yes, shooting 38% is decent from 3pt land..actually its better than decent. thats not his entire ability, thats an overstatement and its just wrong.
exactly man. people dont realize that crap. they want everyone to setup for yao/mac..and then either of them passes it back they brick it. rafer can't shoot 3s, 2s, hell he cant even finish a layup..do we need him that much to just bring up the ball and give it to yao or tracy?
but harris wasnt at the helm...terry was rafer is the main reason? not the fact our "superstars" played like crap? not the fact battier hardly showed up? come on, lets not make him a scapegoat.
Were you paying attention at all last season or during the playoffs or what about his first year in Houston? The Rockets won 52 games in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs despite Rafer Alston. He has no NBA talent at all other than bringing the ball up court and dribbling. Absolutely none. 36% shooting from 3 in a good year for him, where almost every shot was wide open? He can't finish, he can't shoot free throws well. He's an underrated defender actually because he will steal the ball and he puts in some effort (I mean he's not Lucas or Head on D - they are just terrible), but he has no physicality. So on the one hand, while he does pressure and give effort, when the playoffs come around he will just get abused if the other point guard decides to body him. He absolutely refuses to fight through a screen or pick, he really does not play make at all, he makes horrible decisions in an up tempo setting, and he will not under any situation drive into the lane in order to take contact, he just throws up some crazy looking shot, the ability to defend one on one and finishing and penetrating and drawing and hitting free throws make Spanoulis better by default, in just about anywhere but Houston and Houston fans reasoning. James is just flat out better at everything except getting steals and dribbling, but he's far better, FAR better in every other aspect of the game. John Lucas is nothing but a 3rd string point guard and his upside is every bit as good if not better than Alston's James, Brooks, Spanoulis are all clearly better IMO, which to me means if there is any way of trading him for a PF that be an upgrade then he is as expendable as they come. While Luther Head is totally one-dimensional at least he can hit some outside shots when open.
