When I saw it happen live it looked like Rafer didn't point at Sasha but put a finger in the up position in his face. The same as a player would when saying we are No. 1. After watching the clip a few times I was wrong he was just pointing.
I didn't see any of his and-1 moves in that. I saw a team down by dub-digits being mad and trying to make it physical. Rafer was just trying to avoid his defense. If he wanted to foul he should have just fouled.
Who cares if Rafer was wrong. That was pure skills he showed. People always talk about how great ball handlers nash, davis, paul are but rafer is on another "street" level.
Well, not a whole lot to add to this issue that hasn't already been very well addressed by several others in this thread. So just a few pennies tossed: (working backwards) Looked to me like Odom was just messing around, kind of clowning, and was not trying to show anybody up. He and Scola immediately shook hands as the buzzer sounded, so it was pretty clear that they had no beef between each other. But the thing with Rafer and Vajeenachick (sorry, had to come up with a name for him too LOL), well, my first thought was ' *sigh* that was unfortunate'. Both of them were mad, and both lost their tempers a bit. I disliked seeing Rafer move towards the guy with his finger in his face - as valuable as every player on the team is, I think Rafer is the one player who, if absent, would cause more damage to our cause than any other - I don't want him doing anything that could get him even remotely close to being suspended for a game. But regarding the little episode as a whole, on balance, I liked it more than I disliked it. 9 times out of 10, in a game situation like that when it's already over and the only thing left to do is run the last possession or two off the clock, the team on the losing end will either just go ahead and concede, or else deliberately foul by just reaching out and grabbing, or just reaching for the ball hoping to get a lucky steal - NEITHER OF WHICH VUJACIC DID. Instead, the guy plays aggressive, physical, full-contact defense, which was uncalled for in that situation. He was not trying to win the game, he was simply engaged in a personal battle with Alston. With the game already won, and with Rafer having just finished up what was unquestionably the finest game of his career, he (I think understandably) took exception to the physical play by Sasha. (I love the name Sasha - it always makes me think of hot mail-order blondes who speak in hypnotic accents, steal your heart, and then run off with some Frenchman). So Rafer decided to remind this guy who he is, and show him, however briefly, that if he so chose, Vujacic could not defend him one-on-one if his life depended on it. And since Sasha (there goes that hot blonde in my head again) had already been schooled and humiliated once, getting slapped again was too much, and he did the only thing he could think of, which was to try to catch him and foul him as hard as he could. Sasha must never have seen the tapes. This is the point where Rafer SHOULD have just turned and walked away to take his free throws, but the guy had just responded to getting owned by hitting, and Rafer just flat-out wasn't going to take it. On the playground, that's when the fights happen, when a guy is a sore loser, as Sasha was. Hopefully he won't do that again, but I think it was a good thing all in all to show everyone else in the league that this dog has a lot of fight in it, and some bite as well. And this brings to mind two more quick things: JVG. During the game, he was the only 'national media' person I have heard actually give an accurate assessment of Rafer, instead of just repeating the same old incorrect tripe about Rafer being a 'playground legend' who is 'finally playing under control'. JVG stated flatly that people calling Rafer a playground player couldn't be further from the truth. Alston has sublimated that part of his game so much that it is almost startling to see it on display like it was yesterday. 2nd, Chris Paul. This shed a little new light on CP's snide comments about Rafer after the Rox beat the Hornets yet again. Chris Paul is a good point guard, no question about it. However, in some very specific areas of skill, CP could not hold Alston's jock, and he knows it. Sasha never saw the tapes, and now he's IN one.. Paul saw the tapes and wishes he was good enough to be in one. Lastly: Levin, you can agree to disagree all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that you are wrong about this issue, you lose the 'debate', and if you say anything else about this issue other than admitting you were wrong, then you officially become the Sasha of this thread.
I thought Odom was the real loser at the end. It's like 7 second left and the guy still trying hard to take the ball out of one of our guy's hand.
Rafe's gotta be more careful. He's making 2 many enemies, CP, tyson chandler, vujachick, BD. I could c a fight start out if he doesn't keep it in check.
I used to call Odom "Scrotum" because on defense sometimes he just kinda hangs there, I watch a lot of Laker games because my brother's a fan. But in addition to being playful he was stat padding for a steal. I also call Sasha "VujaB****", he always gets into it with people because he's a dirty player but it doesn't get publicisized because he doesn't play good enough defense for it to matter. Chris Paul is the best pg in basketball. Rafer Alston is also very underrated once you get past the all stars he is better than the rest. He is by far the best pg defender because he can guard big or small, he keeps his turnovers low, mostly stays within himself, runs the offense and can get hot. You can't ask for much more from him. Next to Jose Calderon, who is in a contract year, there isn't a better bargain for a pg.
Chris Paul is dirtier than you think. He does a lot of stuff 'unintentionally'. Not to mention he decked a guy in the nuts in college (Julius Hodge is his name, I beleive). I am starting not to like the guy at all. I like Deron Williams more, the guy is a class act from what I've seen but of course it could change. I'm hoping Brandon Roy and Deron Williams show up Chris Paul in the future, I like them both. CP3 is damned good, but he gets his cheapshots in. What is the beef between him and Rafer? Did it start before the Chandler/Rafer beef or is it a result of that? If Alston/Baron Davis have beef, a Warriors series would be kinda interesting. If Alston plays motivated, he won't back down to anyone, even Baron Davis or Chris Paul. He's just gotta keep it in check. The Warriors can melt down as well, though.
i have to disagree with the lamar odom and scola play at the end. he looked like he was joking around b/c immediately after the game, they shook hands, etc.
Talk about pee pee's hurting http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=58040&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
foo82 wrote: If he took the bait, he took the bait. I'm not going to argue who was at fault because it's not going to work. My point is all Sasha had to do was back off and give space and that would have pretty much avoided the whole "showboating" issue. Laker fan replied: Um, watch the tape again. He DID back off, but then Alston started dribbling between his legs and showing up Sasha. On the youtube link, watch the clip at 0:0:15. Sasha has backed off. Then Alston starts dribbling between his legs, at which point Sasha commits the foul. Sasha didn't back off because he wanted to, he lost Rafer in the twisting and turning and what not. Sasha backed off when Rafer made him do so because he was ALL OVER HIM. Was it necessary? No, but he was asking for it. And as a fan, that was entertaining to watch.
yup: What did you think about Rafer alston bringing back "Skip To My Lou" towards the end of the game? Jonathan_Feigen: I enjoyed it. He earned that. But it also reminded that he has those abilities and actually still play a solid, simple version of NBA point guard without all that flash that is still in there. saw this in jonathan feigen's live chat today. while this thread has not sunk below the 1st page, i think i'd put it in here...
that was great, laugh my ass off, and Alston deserve to show off after a 31 point night!, but would like for him to control his temper though, he should have known we can not afford to have anyone else injure(knock on wood) or suspended
Yeah, I read that and laughed for about 5 minutes straight. Sasha backed off because he wanted to? HAHAHAHAHA excuse me while I go puke. Sasha was clearly trying to get in front of Rafer to cut off the drive but he got juked out of his shoes. Homer glasses at their finest, can't even admit that their player got shook
