Technically a pure PG is one who has the ability to distrubute the ball, control the tempo(VERY IMPORTANT), is the teams best ball handler(BEATING PRESSES) and usually have the ability to run any system the head coach provides. Rafer is able to get the ball to TMAC and Yao in their favourable positions the quickest and most efficiently. Our best playmaker on the team is TMAC. So ofcourse you want TMAC to create > Rafer Alston. Would you rather see TMAC drive and dish, or Alston drive and dish? Rafer is well aware of RA's system and is generally well positioned for screenout for off-ball players (MAC and Hayes) and does a decent job of spreading the floor to hit open shots (That is the biggest flaw of his game, unable to finnish those open looks). As Houston's floor general, you will see Alston call many of the plays and make the optimal desicion most of the time. Why is it do you think that when Rafer is in the game our offense look the most smoothest as opposed to having Mike James or Luther Head at the point? James has glue on his hands and Head lacks the dribbiling ability and both lack the court awareness and play calling of Alston. Francis is worse in that he is just a less efficient James at this stage. Rafer is also the better team defender of all the options and can run the fast break the best. Even though Rafer is beaten by his men regularly by PnRs, when Rafer is in the game, our defense is usually very good because our starting unit's defensive rotation helps in creating tough shots for opponents and creating many steals. Rafer Alston is a much better player then he is given credit for. But in the end, the role of the PG in RA's current system with two super scorers on the team is fairly minimal (distrubute the ball and hit the open look) and the criteria to hit open jump shots is important. As Morey has said in his interview, Rafer's current % is definately unacceptable but as he works back to career average renders him a decent 3PT threat and serviceable. I very so encourage Rafer to be confident in his shot and practice shooting and be more active in cutting like Hayes and Bonzi. Rafer is indeed very replaceable, but is there better players to replace him with available on our bench? On the market? Probably not. _ Blues
Is this your speculation or the fact? Why Rockets can afford to have such a "minimal" PG whose role is just giving the ball to TMAC and converting 30% of open shots? because Tmac and Yao are super? how super were they in Utah series? can you justify the "Rafer is enough" argument?
The PG has to be able to dribble past pressure defense, give the ball to TMAC and Yao efficiently and quickly (without turning it over or and using very little of the shot clock). Be able to play smart team defense as a unit, call plays, make smart decisions, control the tempo, run the fast break efficiently and yes KNOCK DOWN THE OPEN LOOKS. Rafer does most of these very well and hence if the shooting was not included in the criteria, Rafer is enough. But we all know he is a terrible and streaky shooter with a relatively low career FG%. However his career 3FG% is not actually that bad and is sufficient enough to play the role he is given. We can't just let a shooter be the PG, that is why Luther Head cannot run the point for us. And we can't let a shoot-first PG be the starting PG as it just doesn't mix well with TMAC and Yao needing most of the touches. So the system requires a pure PG with a decent shot. Rafer is a pure PG with a poor shot. Hence, if you finnished reading that entire post, I suggested that an upgrade is definately definately encouragable, Rafer IS an liability on offense but is also a STRENGH because apart from his shooting, he is very a good fit for the offense. Is there a pure PG with a better stroke then Rafer available on the trade market right now? I don't know but I don't think so. Instead of argueing with me and continue to diss Rafer, why don't you all do some research and find out what available pure PG who don't take 15+ shots a game, with decent defense, good court awareness, can control the tempo and run the fast break efficiently and a decent shot. Then come up with a realistic way to have this player in a Rocker Uniform without trading away the core of this team. _ Blues
As for the Utah series. D-Will > Rafer Boozer > Yao Utah Bench > Houston Bench Utah in-game coaching > JVG There was no way Rafer was supposed to play on par with a stud like D-Will. Tracy was supposed to demolish Utah's wings, he however did not have the kind of dominant advantage we thought he could have. Boozer was far more effective then Yao as a big man. Utah's bench killed our bench. Utah's coaching killed our coaching. With so many flaws in mind, can you really blame all of the loss on Rafer? This year we managed to fix our bench, Yao is healthier and his offense more flexibile and non-predictable. We still don't have a clear answer for Boozer but our last game with them has shown some promise. TMac will flourish under Adelman's offense and destroy Utah's wings (especially when Fisher is gone). Rafer will serve his role and still be bullied by D-Will on PnRs (which team doesn't get burned by D-Will to Boozer PnRs). Everyone can see the problem in his shooting, the big question is what is there to place him with? Steve Francis? _ Blues
Based on your analysis alone, Rafer is not a pure point guard cos he doesn't do even half of what you stated efficiently
This year with a more flexible RA offensive system, bench improvement and healthier players, we will destroy Utah and contend with the big boys. Hopefully anyway. And yes I would like our shooting at the PG position be upgraded aswell, with replacing Rafer or him learning how to shoot, whatever. _ Blues
You base this on a one game sample. Like I could say we beat the defending champions already, therefore we can beat any team in this league in a 7 game-series, we are already NBA champions. And this is done with our offense far far off from perfection that we are striving for. That means when our role players FG% returns to normal form and we perfect our offense, we will blowout every team in the NBA by at least 30 since we defeated the Spurs with crap all already. What kind of logic is that? Why am I replying you and your two-line posts. Are you just trying to pick faults with my posts? _ Blues
No, I live in Sydney. Rafer is older then me. You are the reason Rafer haters look so bad, I'm not replying you anymore. _ Blues
awww, did i hurt your teensy weensy feelings. R u gonna go report me to your momma now. Run along Sydney fan, us houston fans have to deal with trash such as Rafer first hand and watch him quiet crowds during Home games with his airballs. Nothing against out-town fans, cos i was a fan of TMAC's orlando team and a current fan of Kobe's lakers, but it takes a HOME FAN to understand what FRANCHISE means to Houston and why it hurts more than blue balls that he is not getting playing time when Rafer is sucking better than
LOL you tell that woman.............haha <br> sorry but rafer deserves the hate, yet she doesn't understand. <br> but I do respect her posts. I wonder if she's hot....Hot australian girls on clutchfans? COULD IT BE
I doubt it..... if she was hot, she would be somewhere getting laid or chilling with her homegirls, not arguing on a sports forum, unless she is lonely. And if she was hot, i doubt she would go for a loser like Rafer, although most hot girls have been know to go for losers and throw fits. So, in other words, she might be hot guys
<br> Lady again calm down. <br> How would you know Rafer loves Houston? You don't even live here. The man spends his summers in NY. The city he was born in and lives in. <br> Rafer is a trashy individual who has been intoxicated and slapped a valet. He has stabbed a man while clubbing. So, how can you say he doesn't deserve hate???? <br> Why do you think people take your posts seriously? This is an internet forum....nothing on here is serious. <br> You have blown your value out of proportion. This is the internet... Here you and I along with everyone else is worthless. Just have fun. We don't need in depth alalysis from you. We have paid professionals to do that. But, your posts are usually very good except those regarding rafer. And, your analysis is also very good and intellectual, just don't rag on others <br> It is good to have a woman's prospective on this site though <br> sorry if I disrespected you in any way <br> p.s. Aussies are awesome ......esp Aussie girls
I blame the loss to our two super stars. I always think they are not that super. I think they need help. They need very big help. They need a new GM, a better coaching, a better PG, a better PF, a better bench and a bigger heart. Rafer is never enough. That is my point. "RAFER is not ENOUGH", we should keep searching, you seem to have the same opinion. I don't think Rafer fits in most of your enlonged, updated "minimal" PG job description. I am not going to argue with you but we will have plenty of games to prove you are right or not. Just take a look how open Rafer was in the game and how Tmac was reluctant to give the ball to a wide open Rafer, you know Rafer is not a good PG, not even a "minmal" PG.
The question, as others have asked, is not whether Rafer is replaceable, but should he be replaced. I think he needs to be replaced if the Rockets are to be successful in the playofffs, because the team will not be able to compete with elite teams if Rafer is seeing 20 mpg. He just has too many weaknesses and liabilities. I would take my chances with MJ and SF3 anyday over Rafer. I think they're both better players than Rafer period.
