I'm more than willing to go into next season with the current PG rotation. Some combination of Rafer, Bobby, Francis and Brooks will be great for this team. I'm assuming we hang onto Bobby till the deadline, and another one of those guys will be outplayed. Brooks has put together an EXCELLENT strong of games (last 3) and my hope in him is renewed for next season. As for Rafer, I'm sure his minutes will be reduced till thep layoffs start and I've seen good indication in the past that he plays better when he's fresh. Definitely a good 3-game stretch for the PG rotation. Bobby knocked off all the rust, Brooks got a hang of playing with the starters and Rafer got some rest. Excellent stuff.
Brooks is just waiting for his time to shine. Next year, I expect alston to be traded. I like him as a player, but steve francis would probably work his ass off back to the rotation, and a healthy steve francis is our best third option.
ok, time for some unbiased truth here: 1. rafer alston is by far our best pg. 2. the rockets are much better with him. 3. aaron brooks is a good 3rd pg. 4. aaron brooks will never be a better starter than rafer alston. 5. steve blake is a poor man's rafer alston. 6. trading rafer is like trading t-mac. not a good idea for the sake of trading because there is a good chance your team will end up worse.
Yep, This year I dont think we are overall better with Brooks over Alston for the long haul. Doesn't mean Brooks can't contribute something in limited minutes.
Free Agent, and he would not be my number 1 choice, but he is a realistic one. Not really, Blake is a better passer and shooter. DD
well, at least it looks that way right now. aaron brooks is quick, seems to be a really nice guy and i really like him as a rocket. but the truth is that right now he's not shooting that well (everbody's praising his shot when it's actually looking pretty ugly...). maybe he was a good shooter in college but i doubt he'll be one in the nba (at least when defenses will start to focus more on him). aaron is incredibly fast but his defense is, at this point, very, very suspect. it's almost on novak's level. because of this, his size and his body type he'll always be a liability on the defensive end. and finally he's not a true pg. right now, he couldn't run a team full time. maybe he can learn this part, though. the bottomline is that i really like aaron brooks and i want him to be a rocket because there is a role that he fits very well (bench scorer and game speed changer). but i don't see him becoming a solid starter in the nba (and that's what rafer is). even first backup is a bit of a stretch. and btw, yeah, i know he's still a rookie.
Rafer continues to be the most polarizing player on the Rockets. So was Steve Francis during his era. The PG position has since the Hakeem era been a source of huge controversy. The Rockets brought in how many guards last year, then recently traded for another? Is the end in sight? If Rafer disappears in the playoffs like he did last year, will that finally do it? I am not a fan of his, but for the team's sake, I hope he returns to "streak" level.
Amen brother...... Uhhhh, he was 7 for 9 last game and is shooting better than Rafer overall....and close in 3pt percentage. Aaron Brooks is at 41.1% overall FG percentage DD
he's a slightly better shooter from long range but he's still not a shooter. his shot is about on the same level as rafer's. as is his passing. rafer is a much better scorer, rebounder and defender, though. and just to remind you, steve blake's career high is 8.3 ppg in 2006/07. rafer has been averaging 13 and 6 since 2003. but then again, spanoulis was going to be the next manu ginobili or steve nash or both.
I would rather have an 8pt scorer at the PG spot that distributes the ball to BETTER shooters. You get rid of Rafer's "Jack it too much" self and put in a proper PG that can set the table for teamates. And Blake is not SLIGHTLY better at shooting....he is a lot better.....especially from 3pt range....where he is over 40%....which, let me remind you, is the kind of open shot you get playing with Tmac and Yao. I concede that Blake is not as good a defender.....but his passing to the PnR cutter is something Rafer still can't do.... IMHO.......on a scale of 1 to 10.... Steve Blake is a 6, whereas Rafer Alston is a 4. Who knows what V-Span could have become, he was just a rookie playing out of position for a coach that micro manages his players, a bad fit. I would bet that if V-Span had stayed, he would probably be the starting PG for this team right now...... DD
being a better shooter than rafer alston doesn't make you a good shooter. all i'm saying is that his shot doesn't look as good as his reputation as a good shooter is. and that i doubt that he'll be a good shooter in the nba. good shooter means about 44+ % fgs, 38+ % 3ps and 75+ % fts while being a valid offensive option and taking a good amount of shots. but aaron's shot is probably still his strongest part as a full time starting pg besides his quickness.
Actually Steve Nash + Amare+ Shaq match up nicely with Yao, Tmac and Rafer Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Dirk also make for a tough match up Chris Paul, David West and Peja have also done well as a match up for us this season Tony Parker, Duncan , Gino also Deron Williams, Boozer and Okur have been tough also as a match up. I would say we do not make up for our PG that much with Yao and Tracy We may not be able to get a safer point guard than Rafer, but we need a big upgrade to stay really contend with some of these teams for the championship. Especially since Paul, Parker and Williams have some good years left. I think we are at a real disadvantage with Tmac and Yao's wear and tear. We might only have 1-2 more seasons to win it all with them together and healthy. We are going to see this playoff run that we need both of them... even if we got to the finals, Boston would blow us out. I think an very good point guard would make us instant contenders the next two seasons. I wonder if we could trade up in the draft and grab a real good one without giving up Tmac or Yao?
come on, you still want that kid? i was a big fan of him, but when he made up those excuses that was bull crap, i knew jvg had the right idea. only men play in the nba, and jvg only coaches MEN that are willing to be yelled at, screamed at, and learn all his system on defense.
1. a pg, especially when running a half court offense, gets into situations where he's forced to create something out of nothing. 2. rafer has to shoot because he's the one opposing coaches pick to be let open. 3. blake's averaging career numbers from long range. his career average is 40.6 % fgs and 38.2 % 3ps. that's just a little better than what rafer's season average is. not that big of a difference especially if you consider the difference in attempts. if steve blake would have to play on this team as the starting pg playing 30+ minutes he would be in the same situation rafer is. and because blake really isn't a good shooter the results would be almost identical. steve blake is steve blake. not an upgrade over rafer alston. lol, you'll never learn... there's no way spanoulis would play a significant role for any nba team. and everybody knew this after he decided not to improve his play.
Well Steve Francis is coming back next year, but from what I'm seeing lately, he is determined to work himself back into shape. We all know a healthy Steve Francis would be great for a PG position. He is a solid 3 point shooter, and one of the better penetrators of the league. He also has top notched handles, when healthy his handles could be put in top 5. Also, one thing that he can do at his size beautifully, is finish around the hoop. He doesn't tear drop like alston, he goes for more accurate and reliable shots. So yes, when we have our healthy steve francis back (and I know we will), alston will probably have a tough time getting good minutes, unless if he could somehow continue to outperform all our guards. Next year is a different story, next year is when things all come together. So alston will probably be traded, and I won't be suprise. As for Bobby, well he'll probably hang around for a while, but looking at aaron's development and his great night against clippers, I don't see why he can't crack the rotation next year.
That would be great, does anyone have any info on his rehab or prognosis about his recovery? The Chronicle should do a story about it. DD
http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Trail_Blazers_Sign_Steve_Blake-231688-1218.html If the Rockets go after a name PG. Kirk Hinrich's shooting %'s are down compared to his last two seasons. His PPG is also at a career low. With the Bulls out of the playoffs and having a had bad season from day one maybe he'll be available. Getting Thabo to play PG would be an interesting gamble.
Rafer is by far the superior defender. Rafer is probably the best defensive PG in the league. It would be a travesty if he doesn't make an All-NBA defensive team. Steve Blake isn't worth it for an extra 2%
