jvg said it about rafer on a broadcast early in the year and i thought it was total bs, but now i see what he means. rafer has been outstanding ever since coach adelman has played him huge minutes. great adjustment by adelman. he has this team playing great basketball right now...not good, but great great basketball!
Yao is still taking way too long to make decisions with the ball in his hands. Like Bullard said, it is important to feed him the ball after a couple of passes, rather than the direct entry isolation method - JVG style.
Rafer is this teams leader like or not. He pushes the basketball,He sets the tone for the offense,He yells REBOUND REBOUND on missed shots on defense He Let's the players know he is there so they won't turn the ball over with stupid outlet passes,He's starting to understand he has the green light especially with 2 and 3 men always draped around Yao ming even before he touches the basketball. He can only get better adn he will continue to make shots because he should be able to do that as well as finish in the paint. WHY NOT
Playing Rafer huge minutes is bad in the long run, but boy is he looking good right now Ideally, we should be playing him about 30 min per game since he is a 30+ pg who depends on his quickness rather than his strength/athleticism to score and run the show. Playing him 44 minutes is suicide. But then again, our goal is to MAKE the playoffs. :|
It is a bless to play with Yao who draws the defense focus. How dare some of you say Yao doesn't make teammates better?
Rafer is playing better than even I would ever expect, and I have always thought he got an unfair amount of blame for our struggles. That being said I think it is unrealistic to think he is going to continue to shoot 50% and score 18+ a game like has the last 4 games. It's more likely that he is temporarily playing over his head much like Deke did last year when Yao was out. I do think the penetrating drives and finishing around the hoop is an improvement that could be permanent though. He almost never took those types of shots before so there is no history to say he can't keep doing them at around his current success level. The team does look better lately, but Rafer is certainly a huge part of why they look better. You can sag off a PG that is scoring 5-10 points a game on ~30% shooting mostly on set shot 3's. You can't sag off a PG that is constantly penetrating, scoring 17+ a game and shooting 50%. The key question is this: Is Rafer better because the team is finally grasping the offense? or Are the improvements in the offense due to Rafer temporarily playing better than he ever has before? If the system causes Rafer's scoring game to remain in the 10-14 point range with a decent shooting % after Tmac's return then we will be in great shape. If the system only looks good because our PG is temporarily shooting like an all star then we may still be in quite a bit of trouble when his shooting cools off.
The thread title should be Bizarro Rafer... When he plays within himself...doesn't take outside shots off the dribble he's pretty good. Know your limitations like Dennis Johnson did...
nice one! rafer has taken far too much ridicule over the years. The obvious is easy to bash but the not so obvious is extremely unappreciated. Rafer has always been rafer, albeit playing especially well the last handful of games. Plus, i think he is a great mentor for brooks.
Rafer was not scoring like that when he played for JVG. Before, Rafer penetrated and couldnt finish and most of his scoring is 3 pt shots. Now, Rafer penetrates more and can finish. Big difference! Adelman probably gives Rafer a prescription of viagra.
Rafer? When he was making his teardrops in the Celtics game I was wondering who that was - then I realized a few plays later. Alston in a decent player - not a good one. His recent drives to the basket actually worked - for which I was amazed - a teardrop from him was usually a defensive rebound. In other words Rafer can be a starting point guard... but not for the Rockets if he can't hit the 3. If he can drive consistently and finish I would love it. Or at least drive and kick to a cutter who has a dunk/layup.
Is it any coincidence that Rafer's feeling some pressure now from Aaron Brooks? Earlier in the season it was Stevie Franchise. You've got to give Alston props. But look at the way Brooks passes and runs the offense. Look at the way he came back tonight in the Orlando game on defense after looking like a rookie in the first half. I'm going to predict that next year he's the starter, hands down.
I'm pleased by his performance but he's streaky as a shooter and even as a play maker especially in crunch time. He is a clutch free throw shooter when the game is on the line though. I think his recent performances prove how important it is for the Rockets to get a consistent performing PG to take the reins of this team instead of being streaky for a few game then stink it up the next few games after. Rafer is stepping it up, but a consistently strong PG really will escalate this team to greater heights.
Could it be part of Rafer's previous problems were being coached on the defenesive side, and now someone is actually working with him on his drives, layups and jumpers - an offensive coach? And it is helping?
I like it. Houston Rockets starting PG: Rafael Alston Or, is it Jose Rafael Alston. We can call him JR Alston.
