It is clear that Rafer and Chuck Hayes are limited Starting Options, and it is also clear in the first two games that this team gets off to slow starts and there are better options on the bench. So should anything be done, if so what? its also clear what the other options are. and let's also remember, as good of a shooter as battier is, he's also limited in creating space or shots for himself. its also clear that if you take these two off the bench, your bench has considerably less fire power. but I don't know if that's a real issue because you can always have either t-mac or yao on the court at all times given there are no injuries. so simple poll either start james over alston scola over hayes start both are leave just as it is.
Alston/T-Mac/Battier/Hayes/Yao=the number one five man unit in the nba last year per the levedo(sp) stats
leave it how it is. Let Rafer and Chuck start the 1st and 3rd quarters, but let James and Scola finish. Rafer, Chuck = 23 minutes. James, Scola = 25 minutes
leave it... rockets still need some offensive production on the bench, and when tmac and yao are sitting out, there needs to be offensive muscle. chuck is a great complement to yao, he is yao's protection on defense as well as on rebounds. noone knows of course if scola can be the same, but chuck plays his role well. james must be on the bench simply because he is the sparkplug, him and scola combined can at times overwhelm benches on opposing teams. this bench may not be as good as dallas's but it is pretty close. the starting five will rely mostly on yao and tmac, and that is the way it should be, noone should be taking touches away from them when they are playing.
I like Mike James in a sixth man role, so I'd keep Rafer starting for now. If Rafer dissapoints, just bring James into the game earlier, and let him finish. Hayes is a better defender than Scola right now, and I think that's helpful to mask some of Yao's defensive issues (lack of mobility). But if Scola continues to improve, as I expect he will, I have no problem with him starting. Keep it as it is for now. Consider starting Scola in time once he develops consistency on the defensive end.
shane's defense is always needed, shane is the lock down man for the other teams most important player, freeing up tmac to focus more on getting his 50 points as shane so eloquently said
shane is a very reliable three pointer who works very well with yao, so I wouldn't mess with that personally, and since its my poll, just kidding. I guess there could also be a bonzi option in there.
Hayes is definitely a better player than Scola right now. Scola's better scorer, but Hayes does everything else better. And Hayes's defense helps Yao a lot. I'd be surprised if Scola takes Hayes's spot this year. Rafer/James is almost a toss-up. James is the better individual player. The team normally looks better with Rafer on the floor, but yesterday that didn't seem to be true. I voted to start James over Rafer, but actually I'd just wait and watch that position carefully.
-Scola's not ready yet - too prone to pick up immediate fouls. At some point, likely this season, he'll start. But let him adjust off the bench. Face starters on their second wind and other back ups. -James is valuable as instant offense off the bench. The nice thing about starting Rafer and Hayes is that they can contribute without scoring, and Yao/Tracy cover that. Starting your top 5 scorers means the offense comes to a halt once they come out - see last year. I'm all in favor of James and Scola finishing games, especially when they were hot off the bench. If James continues to demonstrate that he can facilitate others and not just jack his own shots, I have no issue with him taking over the PG starting role. In short: for now, no. Eventually, maybe. Evan
unfortunately, that stats gave you nothing. here is another stat to beat: They lost in the playoff first round. I think Les and Morey care more about this stat.
If Scola and James start, we have NO bench whatsoever. Kind of like last year. As it is now, we have arguably the best bench in the league and possibly in franchise history. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
For Rafer to look decent Yao has to be playing well. One of his biggest strengths is getting Yao the ball in scoring position, but Yao was off last night so it didn't really matter. Right now they need at least a few weeks to gel before they make any major changes, especially with us winning. Mike James had an awesome game last night but 7 assists and no turn overs is not typical. Rafer and James both shot 3-6 last night from the field, which is also not typical
The stat to care about is the one with more predictive power. Do you rely on the stats for a sample of 7 games, or the stats for a sample of a full regular season? Are stats in the playoffs more relevant than stats for a regular season, to project performance in the following season? I don't know the answer for sure, but I suspect not.
What the hell... Chuck totally outplayed Scola in the first game and they both had similar stats in the 2nd game. Hayes' stats last night: 32 mins 13 rebs 3 asts 1 steal 1 block 2 pts (thats a damn good start...) I know members of this forum love Euro players but this is ridiculous...
uh i have never loved a euro player, because the ones on this team have sucked. i like chuck, but if scola gets rebounds, what competitive advantage does he have over hayes
I don't know why people are so obsessed with who starts or not. Ginobili doesn't start for the Spurs. In the mid 80s, Kevin McHale spent several seasons not starting but averaging close to 20 ppg. It's about whether a guy gets minutes, James got plenty. Scola did in game 2, when he didn't rack up 3 fouls in 8 minutes. I'm sure Adelman has an idea, but will react according to what's going on in each game.
Mike James is perfect off the bench. he's a couple of notches above any other team's 2nd stringer. he can torch them all night while Tmac is on the bench.
