Again I'm in the minority...I think James would have been more valuable. Maybe the Rox just concluded they wouldn't be able to keep James and made an "early" 2006 MLE signing of Alston. Seems like a chemistry (and possibly an injury) risk to me.
I can't believe guys don't want to play in Toronto...that is one of the greatest cities I have ever been to. The team must be really funked up for a guy to not wanna stay in that city.
That author is an idiot...how can he include 2 rookies in the list when they haven't even played one second on the NBA floor...isn't this the same writer that ranked Yao obnoxiously low on his "Poistional Ranking" articles...what a dewfus.
Winning cures team cancers ~ this is a good move for the Rockets (i'm actually a little surprised we got Rafer for MJ).
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ageid=968867503640&col=970081593064&t=TS_Home Regrets, Alston's had a few, but he's playing hard DAVE FESCHUK Near the end of Rafer Alston's jabber session with the media yesterday, wherein he'd been recounting the excellent season he'd had last year, the Raptors point guard reminded folks, just for emphasis, that he was coming off an excellent season. After he cited career-high numbers in points and assists and minutes, the Raptors point guard was asked if statistics tell everything one needs to know about a point guard. The implied answer was, "Heck no!" Steve Nash, to wit, wasn't voted the NBA's most valuable player last season because of any particular statistic, although all of his numbers — save for field goals attempted — dwarfed Alston's. Nash won the award because the Phoenix Suns led the league in wins and he, in turn, led them. But Alston, whose tumultuous debut as a starting point guard led to 59 losses and countless hassles for coach Sam Mitchell, enjoys self-incrimination as much as he prefers pat answers. "You've got to come hang out with me, spend nights with me, if you want to know more about me as a person," he said. "I have a three-bedroom. You're more than welcome to move in, take a load off. You won't have to worry about your expenses. I know some great restaurants around here. I don't know if you've been to 'em — we can go there." We'd heard of TV-sports hotties finding their way into the three-bedrooms of certain athletes, but this — an NBA hothead offering shelter and three squares to the dishevelled, ink-stained wretch — had to be a first. Considering Alston's questioner is currently living in what an NBA eye would consider squalor, what with the leaks and the cracks and the family of raccoons recently evicted from their noisy residence in the chimney, only a fool wouldn't have indulged in the wondrous possibilities. Club-Hopping and Fur-Shopping With Rafer sounds like a dead-easy mid-December column in a season that's going to be dead by mid-December, as does Posse Members I Have Run Into On the Way to the Bathroom. Alas, though training camp begins today at Brock University in St. Catharines, the franchise's getting-worse storyline was prophesied by the general manager last month. So the tone of the discourse at the Air Canada Centre yesterday was best described as faux-optimistic. Matt Bonner, the freckled-face goody-goody, uttered the words "Eighty-two and oh," and even he couldn't help but crack up at the notion. Nobody else made more than a passing reference to a shot at the playoffs. And in a season where little substance is expected, style was a talking point. Chris Bosh's mini-Afro got much attention, as did the fruit of Rafael Araujo's summer — a new tattoo on the upper back and a dozen or so pounds off the upper body, surely because he laid off the supplements. As always, it was advisable to tune into the cryptic wisdom of Jalen Rose, who said, at the climax of one soliloquy: "Being in a losing situation doesn't make you a loser." Still, you've got to be a serious scrooge to quash all hope so early. Even Alston, for all his team-disrupting faults, was offering evidence that he might finally, at age 29, be getting a clue. He talked of spending some of the off-season with his son and daughter, "trying to be a better dad." He revealed his sadist's streak, admitting to re-watching all 82 of the club's games in a session of self-imposed summer school. He claimed he'd spent considerable effort repairing his relationship with Mitchell, with whom he infamously and unproductively quarrelled. The law of averages suggests Raptor fans, after enduring a predictable downward spiral, are due for a pleasant surprise. A clear-headed Alston, the shocker of a young century, would qualify, not to mention delight. "Regret?" Alston said. "I just regret getting into situations. Because it's unlike me. I'm a guy who just loves to leave it on the floor, have a jolly old time playing basketball ... That's the great thing that everyone understands about me — I'm going to play hard no matter what."
This is a myth. Ask Shaq. When I was re-watching the 94 championship series recently, what struck me was how the Knicks bickered among themselves. Heck, they were in the Finals. Winning doesn't cure cancers. Good personality does. That said, I am taking the wait-and-see stance about this trade. Alston is good for us on paper. But I'm still worried about his attitude. With a long contract like his, a malcontent will force us to do a fire sale trade just to unload him.
Umm, the author confused sadist and masochist. But that seems to tell me that Alston is serious about getting better, and that he is committed. I like that.
I'm reluctant to bash this trade, for fear that it will end up being a Clutchfans Classic Moment quote this time next year.
Well, I just got off the phone with him and he says that - "Yes winning does indeed cure team cancers." There you have it straight from Shaq himself...
Well there you go. How can you not like a guy that uses the word "jolly" in an interview. Granted, I think the phrase is "jolly good" time, but he probably confused it with, "gay old time". What were we talking about again?
check out these ?'s for rafer http://www.hoopsvibe.com/streetball/streetball_players/rafer_alston_aka_skip_to_my_lou-ar3831.html
hey guys, i'm studying in canada, and i watch raptors game on tv all the time, and i'm excited about this trade. rafer alston is going to be a great point guard for this team. he's going to want to bounce back from all the negative things that has been said about his attitude. so you know he's going to work his ass off. and let me tell you, sam mitchell is an ass. he wants to be some strict disciplinarian authority figure on the court, so he singles out people and blame them on tv and newspapers. you know you've got someone who loves playing the game when the coach makes you cry on television, and you still play hard for the next game. furthermore, sam doesnt really seem to be a good xo coach, but he loves barking things about showing respect, working hard, respecting the game and all that crap. playing in JVG's systematic game is going to be a nice breathe of fresh air for rafer alston. about his game, i think most of you got it right. he's a good team defender, takes care of the ball, can create for teammates, average to low shooter, can drive to the basket. i think we did the right thing here.
