This is an article from the South Florida South Sentinel concerning Rafer Alston not starting in the Heat's game with the Lakers last night. For this game, the end result for Rafer would be DNP Coach's Decision. Link-->http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-rafer-alston-s030410,0,6298459.story I think that if he has a bunch of those during the Heat's remaining 20 games, he might be fortunate to get a new contract in the league this upcoming offseason even though he might be a little more serviceable than T-Mac is now IMO. To make such matters worse, his shooting stats this season are the worst in his career since his first three seasons in the league.
Throughout much of his tenure with the Rockets, people on this board kept on grumbling about him starting stating that he wouldn't be a starter on most other teams, and wishing JVG would have played V-Span more or Rick Adelman would have played Aaron Brooks more than each one of them did and cut down Rafer's minutes, and just try demoting him to the bench. I found it somewhat surprising that he was kept out of the Heat's game with the Lakers after he had started in all of his 25 previous games with the Heat since joining them. It's just that when I went to check the box score of the Laker-Heat game, I noticed that "DNP Coach's Decision" line on Rafer. So then, I felt like starting this thread. As far as Rafer's serviceability is concerned compared with T-Mac's, it's on the defensive end.
I just think its funny how everyone was demanding rafer get traded and we start aaron brooks. Brooks plays like a borderline allstar and everyone is now asking for him to be traded so his back up can start.
Did you just say Rafer Alston is more serviceable than T-Mac ? Mcgrady can play better basketball in a wheelchair than a healthy Rafer Alston.
Worthy thread. I have nothing but love for Skip 2 my Lou. Still wear my Alston jersey to the games, but keep my jacket on so it just looks like a Martin jersey. :grin:
I said that he's more serviceable than T-Mac on the defensive end. Offensively, I would have to agree with you there. For those of you who watched that Laker-Heat game, you didn't get a chance to see him throw up those tear-drops since he did not play.
crappy shooting/teardrops aside, rafer ran the offense nicely and had a good string of games during that 22 win streak
Hey what can I say, I always liked his way of spreading the court. And he destroyed the Lakers for the 22nd win. Everybody has their own favorite, and he was mine. Your telling me you don't like a Rocket that is an untouchable on this board?
untouchable? Why the heck would a shoot-first pg who has a big mouth and a horrible shot be untouchable? For the same price I'd take Tmac glued to the bench over Rafer Alston getting PT, once he stopped playing with prime Yao/Tmac his career as a useful NBA player was done.
Rafer was never a shoot-first pg, he was a forced to shoot-first pg because teams knew they could slide off of him and either double Yao or T-Mac.
Like I said everybody has their favorite. And I think you mistook what I said. I meant untouchable in the connotation of being an outcast on the board.
I've always hated that argument that he ran the offense well. First, T-Mac had control of the ball 90+% of the time. Rafer dribbled past half court then stood around waiting to jack up an ugly three. The only reason people think he ran the offense well is because Luther Head was playing as his backup and he couldn't even get the ball past half court most of the time. Second, the offense was not what was winning the team games during Rafer's years here, it was the defense. The team often won in spite of the offense, not because of it. That being said, as much as I hated Rafer, he did step it up during the 22 game win streak.
