Rafer isn't that bad ?

I don't think it is possible! If Yao don't play for China, how can he bring those shoe contracts for his teammates?!

In fact, I think playing less than 30 minutes for Yao is impossible too. No one wants to see Yao only get like 18pts and 8rbs. And, as a core of a team, less than 30 minutes, that will be very difficult for the coach to make a game plan.

The best way is to play Yao around 35 minutes, but create easy baskets for him to reduce the intensity.

 

uhhh why should Steve pickup a basketball except to play "HORSE" if he can't jump, can't run, can't cut, and can't practice? He should just stick to rehab until such time as he can return to the court.

 

I always feel Rafer is always replaceable simply because I want someone that have the ability to drive and actually finish off better than someone that never drive and shoot open jump shots. I don't like his size and i think come Playoffs he will get exploited by bigger guards one on one. So i mean with no option and no way of getting an upgrade, of course you will stick with Rafer....but if u have a chance to upgrade to someone better...i am hoping that one day will come ...we need a superstar at the PG position...actually they don't need to be superstar...it can be someone as good as Battier. Now is Battier a superstar like Tmac and Yao? No...but he's more than decent...and i feel an upgrade of Rafer to a decent status like Battier will improve this team tremendously.

 

Although, looking at this comment has me concerned.

 

What do you mean? You want us to creat only dunks for Yao or what? I know we need a realy playmaker.

But it will come time when Yao will have to decide: Rockets or China. It is tough but we know he can't play for China and than the whole season with Rockets...

 

After seeing how things went for Mike James the past two seasons, I wonder if there are people on this board who are happy with the Mike James for Rafer Alston trade that was made prior to training camp in 2005. I had thought of starting a thread concerning that trade as to what you think of that deal now compared to what you thought of it two years ago.

The one thread I like is the thread titled "We Need Rafer Alston to be Successful" (http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=147330). The Rockets need any one else as well as Rafer who plays the PG position to be successful in order to really make noise in the playoffs, period. This applies to Brooks, BJax, and Francis (if he winds up being part of the team's plans next season), or anyone else they may acquire in the offseason.

The solution I see as far as getting more scoring from the SF position is to trade Battier for a good SG, and move T-Mac to that SF position, which is his more natural position.

If next season comes and goes with T-Mac and Yao not staying healthy throughout, then I would say that either one of them should then be traded away with intent on taking the team on a new direction.

 

At least, Yao cannot always face double team and turn around fadeway.

I really hope the rockets can get Calderon.

The rockets organization won't let him choose. They need chinese market!

 

And the backup SF is? Rockets need more big wings, getting even smaller there shouldn´t be option.

 

He is bad. The problem is that Rockets had so many worse players that they can't update pg. You can't have 5 all stars in a team as simple as that. Every team had some holes. For Rockets, most people including GM DM, the reporters, nba analysts, players, coach RA and fans believed that rockets need most a third scorer. If they had healthy and got a reliable third scorer with BJ's expired contracts/head/picks then Rockets would be good enough to be a world Champion. Bulls used had ron harper as pg. Avery johnson was pg of spurs.

Rafer is not the worst part of R

 

The first good point i've seen in this thread...

While i disagree completely with you saying that Rafer Alston is a below average player (completely disrespectful), i think that we do rely on him way too much. Again, he is not this teams problem. The problem is that he is often this teams 2nd,3rd or 4th option and THAT IS NOT GONNA CUT IT.

It is simply ridiculous to think that we will get instantly better if we upgrade the PG situation. We need to be focused on getting more talented anywhere and everywhere. Sadly enough, Rafer is one of our best players so any moves that involve us getting better would probably not involve him being traded.

I know it sounds crazy when people say Rafer isn't that bad but he really isn't compared to the other guys on our team.

 

Let's be real here, guys.

No team out there is going to trade FOR Rafer. And even if they do, unless we get a starting PG back, it'll be moot.

On the flipside, the Rockets are NOT going to use their MLE to go after any of these PG's you guys have mentioned.

The Rockets have more pressing needs.

More height on the frontline, a 2/3 that can create his own shot. Who can score. Who can hit the 3 ball.

Skip is not the problem.

The Rockets won 52 games with him two years ago. 55 games with him last year.

We're with Rafer for the long haul.

He's not the problem. The lack of a backup PG, IS.

Aaron Brooks is NOT the answer.

Maybe when Rafer's contract comes off the books, or if we can trade him, then yeah. Definitely not anytime soon.

And Bobby is a 2. He can't play point. Not effectively anyway.

 

I think everyone can agree that Rafer Alston is not really good player. He was not brought in to be. He was brought in to play smarter and better than the guy we traded him for, Mike James. He has done that. I really don't understand the arguments here.

Also for some reason there is this crazy notion that good high percentage shooters win you games. I know its know it sounds right but it is completely incorrect. The highest percentage shooting team in the league has never even made it to the finals (and they won't). IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT FG%. It is really annoying to hear people throw out terrible trade proposals and dog a player strictly on fg%. I hate to tell you this DD but I doubt trading Tmac and Rafer (and their low fg%) is high on Morey's to do list.

To be honest, both of their shot selections have improved quite a bit. They are just forced to take alot of bad shots because of the abysmal offensive abilities of their teamates.

 

Had to go look it up. Francis will not be anywhere near a basketball at least until July. Francis's own words about his rehab. He can't really run until then. So we have another 3 months to go until July/August to see if he's got it or not. In any event, if he starts running in July he's at least a good 3-4 months from that point before he's got anything to bring in terms leaping ability, cutting, stamina and not to mention shaking the basketball rust off.

This means it won't be until November/December time frame or longer before we start seeing anything. Hopefully I'm wrong and he can make it back faster but this is a pretty major surgery.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5593170.html

March 5, 2008, 1:40AM
Francis visits
Rockets guard Steve Francis, on crutches, returned to the Rockets' practice on Tuesday for the first time since his surgery a week earlier to repair a torn quadriceps tendon in his right knee.

"I'm just relaxing, going to rehab," Francis said. "We're looking at probably three to four months of rehab, probably get to running in July or August."

Francis has an option on his contract to return to the Rockets next season, an option he has said he plans to exercise.

 

90% of all the talk is about Rafer and his shooting.
First and foremost a Point Guard is a Floor General on the court, running the team and enabaling his team to execute the game plan.
This is calledbeing a Playmaker Point Guard
Secondly he should be able to shoot the ball when he is the main option on the play. He should be a decent three point shooter.
Ask yourself is Rafer this player?
With Great Players like Yao, Landry and Novac [spot up three point shooter]a Point Guard with playmaking skills is essential. Is Rafer this player?
NB When Tracy McGrady isn't making plays for Landy then he isn't scoring. Tracy is the only one on the team who is a true playmaker.

 

Yeah I'm sure those two games we won had nothing to do with Rafer

Rafer is our best option and keeps T-Mac from having to overdribble. Plus he did knock down his shots and took pressure off T-mac.

 

I think Alston is fine but we do need to have another guard behind Rafer who is effective in running the offense in case he gets injured. As it stands right now, we are as vulnerable as any other NBA team. Imagine NO, without CP3 or Phoenix without Nash, San Antonio without Parker..ok well San Antonio can actually somewhat function without Parker because then they start Ginobili. That's what we need, a bit more depth at PG.

 

hehe that's what I do in NBA 2K8. I sag off Rondo and double team other people. Works like a charm.

 

Please list out all PG who is definatley better than Rafer and who we have a good chance to get, or won't cost us any of our core (Tmac, Yao, Battier, Lius) in a trade. Jose should not be on the list. He will cost us at least Battier in a trade.

The discussion had been around if we should or should not upgrade our PG but the real question is WHO and HOW. We SHOULD upgrade any position at any time if there is a chance and if there is a better player available.