1. It should tell you something when Scola is leading the break. 2. McGrady is not serious about running the break. If we are going to make the move to an uptempo team that gets out on the break, McGrady is the one that has to go. He's got to be traded for a gazelle and a running point. That's just not us. However, McGrady will lope down with the bball and make great decisions like a point guard. Yao's not getting traded. And Battier's not going anywhere. This basically means we need a fresh, young point on the court that can run the wing with Scola and we need one more guy that can get up and down quickly and finish if we are going to construct the break around McGrady. And Shane has got to improve in offensive transition. 3. I don't think we have to run the break like PHX, GS, and others to be champions. San Antonio and Detroit don't do that. They take what is there. However, they both have point guards that can force the break if they have to and finish the break. And they've both got other players (Manu, RIP) who move without the bball constantly. It's like chasing a fly out there when you watch the defender chase Manu and RIP.
WORD. PG is suppose to setup plays, penetrate and create for other players (including your superstar). What does Rafer do? Bring the ball up the court and pass it to T-Mac and let him play the PG role. This takes Mcgrady out of his game. If Rafer can be the decision maker and create shots for others, it takes alot of pressure off of tmac's shoulders and he can play like an All-Star that he is.
Old news, the Rockets have needed a PG for years. Francis was a scorer, but did few other things well except rebound. There is overwhelming long term evidence that Rafer can't shoot. Yes, he was hot during the streak, but that was the exception, not the rule. He is not an NBA starter. Check the other PG's in the league and compare. The Rockets and especially JVG should know better.
Despite the fact that Brooks is terrible at setting up teammates? I like Brooks, but he's only demonstrated a knack for taking his own shot. Evan
The problem is not tranisition offense? How on earth can you justify that statement about a team that is drop-dead last in fastbreak points? Seriously...how? If McGrady is not as hot as a cheap pistol, the offense grinds to a hault. Further...the fastbreak points do NOT get choked off in the playoffs. It's an over-hyped myth. If that were the case, the Celtics of old and the ShowTime Lakers would never have won a title. Even Dream's Championship Rockets forced tempo. Compared to this team, Dream, Thorpe, Horry, Drexler, Jet Smith and Cassell were ShowTime And Tony Parker's 1 Man break is what destroyed the Cavs. You're problem is you equate Fire House run up the floor with transition. There are many grades of tempo in between what Alston, Battier, and McGrady feel comfortable with.
Evan, I am not so sure, he made some excellent passes, and was the only Rocket with an effective bounce pass into the post with Yao Ming. Brooks would also drive and dish...... While I am not sold on him as the answer yet, I do see enough to give him some run..... The team has stagnated...too much pass it to Tmac and watch......got to get up and go again...move move move. DD
Because in a set offense with people moving, setting picks and cutting back door, you can score the ball. The Rockets grind to a halt BECAUSE Tmac demands the ball and then goes to work. I would love it if Tmac would run....but earlier this year the team went on without him and he was like..."hey I need to get with the program"...well....that has gone gone gone.....back to relying too much on Tmac and his walk the ball up the court and be a ball stopper. How do you know what I equate with what? I love tempo being pushed, but if you are the ONLY one running, it won't work and you don't need thoroughbreds to run...the Celtics were slow as molasses but were able to run and get early offense. But you have to have players willing to move....and right now, we don't.......and we don't have a PG that can set up teamates either. DD
Ridnour and Blake are both upgrades over Rafer (who wouldn't be) but they wouldn't solve our problems. We need shooting more than anything, if we had a real shooter there then someon would have to guard the PG at all times. Passing and playmaking is not our biggest need. If you have two willing and capable passing stars then that becomes secondary.When tmac got the ball, Blake's man would just sag off and we would be right back in the same boat. Those penetrating PG's might be better at it than Rafer but it won't make that much of a difference because they don't have the ability to finish at the rim that separates the stars from them. Good shooting is so much more attainable and it can really help out this team (even if it means replacing Shane). We have the stars that can get guys open shots so we don't have to depend on PG's like the likes of Phoenix, Utah, Golden State, or NO. Our house is falling apart quickly, we need to pull out the duct tape and stop waiting for the handy man to come by.
But the point you are not addressing is that if teams double Tmac we dont have another capable playmaker. For instance, let Tmac play off the ball as a finisher rather than a facilitator... Start the ball with Tmac, draw a double team...out to the new PG with a quick PnR with Scola ready and get the other team's defense hopping around. But with Rafer, he does NOT pass to the cutter.....or the roller..... It lets the defense dig in and ignore the screener......inexcusable basketball. And where did I say the new PG could not shoot? Of course I want him to be able to shoot.....Blake is a much better shooter than Rafer..... DD
i'm not sure morey really gets this. look at the guys he brought in in the off season, James, Steve, even Jackson, are all just variations on the same theme (still too early to tell about Brooks). contrary to popular cc.net belief, the issue has never been that we have point guards who "dominate the ball." parker, nash, et all, all do this to some degree. what you do with the balls you dominate- do you hit a cutter, set up a teammate, or just jack up a floating three- that's the issue. the pass that parker made to a cutting oberto the other night, was a thing of beauty, and a pass Rafer could never make, even conceive of. it breaks my heart to watch scola cut to the basket with his hands up, waiting for a pass that will never arrive.
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but the organization tried to address this. Remember how many PGs we had? Didn't work out for various reasons. Well, maybe SF3 can do it again, maybe not. Brooks, who knows? I'm sure that Morey will look at the position again come the offseason. It's weird timing, didn't Rafer have a good night assist-wise?
Basso, we may not agree much in the D&D, but you nailed it here....that pass by Parker was OOOOH....LA LA....good....and it would make Scola a 17ppg player instead of 10ppg. 8 assists last night, but not the type of assist that I am talking about, he makes the safe pass to the wings....or to Tmac off a screen but that is easy, but also easily taken away late. It is weird it is like Rafer is afraid to make too many mistakes and thus doesn't make the creative decision..... We need a player that can create and is not afraid of failure. DD
I really can't contribute much to this thread. Everything has been said. The bottom line is that Rafer isn't a point guard on a championship team.
He didn't look too scared when he decided to drive with under a minute to go and turn the ball over I did get the feeling that his play was very sub-Rafer-par yesterday. I certainly agree that we could use an upgrade there. Rafer is good at times and bad at times. The thing is, which I think you are getting at is, when we consider him good is when he hits his shots. I think the board had decided that was good enough or all we needed from our PG position: "the ability to knock down the open jumper." Well, to me, that's not quite enough. It is certainly a quality we want/need from ALL positions, but I agree with you. Calling for an allstar calibur PG is just not realistic. I actually think Rafer does an "OK" job. I say OK b/c I know that if it were up to JUST him to facilitate our offense as a PG should, we'd be in big trouble. Let me say, I'm a Rafer-apologist. Really a Rocket-apologist, but my big issue with Rafer is when the clock is winding down, yes it's unfortunate that a lot of the time the ball gets passed to him to make something happen. well, he becomes a shoot first PG all of the sudden. I'd like for him to create for his teammates then, instead of taking a heavily contested shot. If the best play is for him to shoot it, then by all means, I support that. He can create decently, he just doesn't look to set up others too much. Enough babbling, work to do!
Sorry...everyone seems to be arguing against you in this thread but i still disagree.. You're analysis is correct but i just don't think its as big of an issue. These days, tmac is a much better facilitator than he is a finisher. So, you're taking away our best players' strength. I like the much slower tmac and yao setting up their teammates, in which a small shooting SG would fit perfectly because he might not be the playmaker but when he's open he could be very effective. Also, you would be amazed at how good shooting ability keeps defense hopping around. you didn't...I don't think Blake is gonna cut it shooting wise, if we're gonna a slow down offense (which we will with players like Battier, tmac, and yao) we need great shooting or great playmaking. Another average player really isn't gonna help us much, that's why i keep stressing shooting. We can't get a great playmaker.
Well...you're right about one thing. I don't know what you believe. But mostly because your logic is all over the map. I'll make it as simple as I can. Rafer Alston is not the single point of failure. They are collectively as a team unable and unwilling to run. Battier is just as much a transition minus as Alston. Scola is a huge improvement over Hayes and we've seen the (albeit short-term) results. Further, I don't care if Magic Johnson discovered the Fountain of Youth. You still have to have players who can break down a defense and get their own shots. In today's NBA, it's not only the PG who should be driving and dishing. But the biggest fallacy in your belief is the fact that at their peak, the Adelman Kings did not having a "passing PG". In fact, the biggest criticism from the unknowing was that Bibby did not get enough assists. The Adleman Kings were excellent in transition. And they all (regardless of footspeed) moved without the ball. And they all could finish around the basket. The best hope of improving the PG situation with any degree of expediency is unthinkable to Morey. You have to package Battier. Seriously, look at the top WC PG's. They were almost exclusively all drafted. Or, the result of a blockbuster trade with high $ components. (Kidd, B. Davis). For the record, Bobby Jackson is barely half of a high-dollar salary so you can forget that path. Maybe MEM wants Battier back enough they'll give up the draft rights to Derrick Rose.
This is exactly what i'm talking about... when he shoots well for him (which wouldn't really be great for a good shooter) the rockets play well. The offense works and most of the time we win, even when tmac and others aren't playing well. Imagine how good we would play with a much better and more consistent shooter than Rafer.
Pmac, so you are saying that Blake would make the Rockets better, I agree ! For arguments sake let's look at Steve Blake. He is a better shooter and a better passer than Rafer, IMHO..... Stats for Blake But where he fails somewhat is that he is NOT all that creative as a penetrating player, so it doesn't satisfy all my criteria for improvement but still is an improvement over Rafer. Gater, The Spurs are more the model I am after, and Battier is fine in the Bowen role, outside of Manu and Parker the Spurs do not run all that much..... The are opportunistic runners, and that is what I would like the Rockets to become. And as I said earlier as long as we are tethered to Yao and Tmac we are not going to be a transition team, at least not one that does it consistently, so to me upgrading the half court is a must. And it starts with our PG who is not really good at shooting, passing, or creating....the 3 things most important to a PG. I would settle for a decent PG that can create and make a pass to a cutter on the PnR, that would open things up for everyone. Where I do agree with you Gater is that we need players willing to move without the ball, all over the court..... Move, cut, roll....give and go, pick and roll, pass and cut.....EVERYONE. DD
IF nash, paul, kidd, deron was on this team Scola would be avg 20 pts. He is really good at getting in the right place, but rafer seems to never pass him the ball.
McGrady is not the problem. You dont have to run and gun and run on every possible rebound. Come playoff time those run and gun team wont be gunning it like they do in the regular season. The game will slow down anyways and moving McGrady just cant be replaced.
