As much as you complain about RAFERS shot.. the other aspects of his game is what keeps him in the game and is also what JVG likes.. He's a VERY GOOD ball handler (as oppose to Luther Head who looks very shaky went pressed).. Usually gets the ball to YAO or TMAC with no problem.. And can actually RUN a offense.. Yeah sometimes when the ball gets swung around and gets to rafer for the open three, he misses it.. you cant really complain because it was a GOOD shot.. (although I realize he takes some uncalled for tear drops) If we wanted the perfect basketball player who can do EVERYTHING rafer already does PLUS excellent 3 point shoot and tear drop lay up specialist (billups + parker).. Then we'd have ourselves a THIRD SUPERSTAR... but the fact is.. we obviously don't and got to deal with some flaws of rafer BECAUSE he is still the best option AVAILABLE.. GET IT??? One thing you can not deny is, the offense looks much more FLUID when rafer's in the game.. too many plays get broken up when luther runs the point and JL3 just sucks and Vspan can not even be considered for big minutes yet.. I would vote for vspan to take JL3s minutes however..
Yes, he can do everything but shoot okay, not great. But, why does he have to shoot 18 shots a game? He is taking away shots from people who have a better chance of making them. That is just as bad as a turnover.
If he shoots 40+ and a bit better BB IQ, he won't be in his current price range. He is one the best ball handler, above average defender, above average play maker, above average speed and low TO.
So if teams leave Chuck Hayes wide open from 15 feet and he shoots it, is it a "good shot" because he's wide open, even though Hayes can NOT hit that shot at a decent clip? Absolutely not. The reason Rafer gets so many wide open looks is because teams know he can not shoot the ball. You play to minimize, not highlight your weaknesses, which is exactly what Rafer continues to recklessly do over and over and over. The notion that "rafer does everything well but shoot" is absolutely asinine. Rafer does not defend well. He rarely if ever creates easy shot opportunities for teammates. He is not clutch. His decision making is absolutely HORRID. Many of Rafer's key mistakes tonight had nothing to do with his crappy shooting. How bout fouling 2 3 pt shooters in the act of shooting? How bout the inexplicably bad loop cut he made on Tmac's potential game winning shot which brought his man right into TMac's lap while Rafer could not position himself as a passing outlet for TMac (not that he'd make it of course, but still a TERRIBLE decision from). Rafer's ballhandling is not good either, that's a huge myth. People just say that because that part of his game is merely average instead of putrid, like every other aspect of his game. I can't believe somebody actually said Rafer would be a superstar if he shot the ball better. Are you related to Rafer or was that a joke?
whose shot was going in? If a shooter doesnt shoot the ball then how does he get out of his shooting slump. In the beginning of the game, Alston was spot on all his outside shots. you can upgrade the position, but not without sacrificing at another position, which basically means that the rockets dont have any extra bargaining chips since all of our positions are very thin... Young players, you mean like Vspan, the guy has blown almost every opportunity so far this season, do you tank the season in order to give him a chance to play and "develop"? Its kinda hard not having another go to scorer when Yao is out, and honestly, developing a pg is the least of worries right now. and im hoping for garnett to replace howard. i dont see you giving us an alternative. its quite easy to label something as trash, give me your solution to cleaning this "trash"
well just don't complain when get rafer gets raped by terry, parker or nash. if we don't get atleast some similar to what the contending teams have at such positions we aint getting out of the west. ever.
I am dead serious when i ask you, did you support Ryan Bowen? Even though he shot like 22%, i bet you were like he does other things very well and theres nothing better out there. Your best arguement is "better than nothing"? Rockets arent going to get far with that concept. Read the Chronicle, there was an article on that.
I agree he does take some bad shots each game. But to his defense there are a bunch of times guys dont shoot when open and swing it back to him. Last night there were times when Battier and Head should have shot and instead froze and threw it back to Rafer who panicked and chucked up a shot. Honestly the only solution is to give Tmac the ball in isolation and see what he does, but I dont know if he can do it everytime down the stretch especially without Yao to take some of the burden.
you are just now realizing that rafer is a bad shooter? he has been shooting like this his whole career....what on earth would make you assume he would shoot better? because he practiced in the offseason? we talking about practice? practice man!
If he drinks a specific brand of bottled water, would the ensuing diagnosis then be called 'Evian flu"? Thanks folks. I'll be here all night. Don't forget to tip your waitress.
Huh? Can you provide some defensive stats to back this up? This is contrary to all known physical evidence in this universe. IQ? High? Rafer? He is good at bringing the ball up and protecting it. End of story. Anything else to add to this one point?
no, but it was easy to upgrade from ryan bowen. Contrary to what most think. Alston is a very decent overall basketball player. Yea he cant drop a teardrop, but he only takes those when the shotlocks runnin down and no one else is open.
i don't think that's true. we have a different team and a different system than any of those teams. rafer for sure played some garbage for a while now, but overall, he's decent. his shot often isn't falling but he has other strengths nobody ever mentions. probably because bashing is easier... what the rockets need is another option at the point. a player who is a lights out shooter. i guess the rockets thought john lucas could be a good shooter but the truth is that rafer is still our best option shooting wise. and that's sad because shooting is actually the weakest part of rafer's game.
For the umpteenth time, the Alston/James trade was a "brain-dead" move. Sort of like the Cato contract, the Norris contract, the Taylor contract................
