So answer the OP question for us please. Let's stay on the subject. Putting Rafer back in the game with 5 minutes left was idiotic. The Rockets went 1-10 in the final 10 minutes of the game (take a guess who hit that shot. He was removed with 5 minutes to go, HINT HINT). You have PG who is a great 3 point shooter and is quicker than any player in the NBA. So why take out Brooks and put Rafer in? Rafer went 1-10 and scored 3 points in 31 minutes. To give the Rockets the best chance to win, why put your piece of garbage starting PG on the floor when he clearly doesn't have it, especially when your backup PG's strong point is offense?
I answered it before. Rafer is a proven closer. Brooks isn't. Tada! I think Brooks has a chance of overcoming Rafer somewhere along if this trend continues, BUT as an NBA coach, your decisions shouldn't be based on 48 minutes.
20/20 hindsight mountain? Are you serious? Probably 90% of us were stunned when Rafer came back in. Hindsight has nothing to do with it. Rafer a proven closer? Did you see his body language out there? He was skittish and scared to shoot. Once he missed his last shot to go 1-10, it dawned on him not to shoot under any circumstances and that helped kill whatever hope there was. Brooks is the hot hand now (or at least today).
its really frustrating to see him pull up for a 3 during a fast breaks and those floaters running in the lane....damn....he had an airball. i dont mind Rafer starting but at least play AB more minutes. i hope they rebound against who is having a good game against the Mavs.
hindsight has nothing to do with it. brooks played fantastic closing out games when rafer was hurt, adelman should have no second thought leaving him in. i'm ok with rafer, but you have to look at it on a game-to-game basis and aaron was simply out playing him. you live and you learn, adelman will get it right.
Your decision should be based on what makes sense. Rafer was a complete dog tonight and shouldn't have been put back in. Tonight was a great chance to give AB a shot at making a difference and Adelman blew it. Rafer has hit key shots in the past but saying he is a "proven closer" is nonsensical hyperbole. Stand back, take a deep breath and realize what you just said.
Theres no excuse for putting Rafer back in that ball game. Should of had Brooks continue to start games until it was PROVEN he was ineffective in a specific situation. With Rafer back in the starting lineup we have lost back to back games and our scoring average has gone way down. Absolutely horrible decision by RA.
The same people who were stunned at Rafer coming back in were probably stunned at McGrady coming in too and have probably forgotten that one game does not make a season. "The hot hand"...like I say, if the trend continues, Brooks may eventually take the role of closing out the 4th, but some of you have to realize that changes don't come overnight. We can all say "oh, hypothetically"...but I don't blame Adelman. He made the right choice, going with what the proven finishers were. The choice burned him this time, but about 2 out of 3 times, it won't. He's looking at 82 games, you're looking at one or two which is why he's a legendary NBA coach and we're all just yapping away on this here forum.
The frustrating is, the sample size was too small to see what kind of difference Brooks can make over Alston. It's easy to say with Brooks starting we were 4-0 and now Rafer's back and we're 0-2, but we just played the Cavs and the Hornets while we played crap teams (except for Denver) with Brooks as starter, so it's hard to compare. I think had Rafer still been injured when we played these last 2 games would have been a blessing in disguise cause we could have at least seen how Brooks held up to stiffer competition, and then they'll be no debate on who should start (Brooks imo).
Which is why Rafer made sure he got his *ss back in the Line Up. they say you don't lose your job to injury but that is a myth Rocket River
No & no. I understand why Tracy was in because of the alternatives. Ron was out and Shane should have skipped the game. But with Rafer there was a clearly viable alternative. And who said one game makes a season? Nobody. Nice straw man. Your "proven finisher" comment about Rafer is nonsense. Believe it if you like and you have no idea if it will work 2 out of 3 times or 1 out of 3 times because the Rockets haven't had another viable PG since Rafer has been here. And just because you say Adelman is a "legendary coach" doesn't mean he didn't blow it this time. The fact JVG was an actual NBA coach was used by his defenders also. The whole purpose of this forum is to "yap away" last time I checked. What's your point?
It proves it again, this coach is clueless at a time. He used the same starters to finish the game without considering that Rafer was very bad whole night and Tmac was just no interested in the game. This team is really overrated, it shows again.
Who starts isn't the real issue. I think Rafer should start but the minutes in a game should be dictated by how he plays. For him to get 31 minutes vs. AB's 17 today was the problem, especially finishing the game. When the offense sputters like an old car out of the gate and needs a spark, AB should be put in BEFORE the end of the first quarter to see if he can make a difference. When the Rockets play better in the 2nd quarter with AB, Rafer should remain on the bench until the 2nd half. Rafer is almost like the coach's pet.
True. Didn't Adelman say he had to figure out how to give Brooks more minutes the other day? Tonight was a perfect opportunity and he didn't and I'm not sure why. If Rafer playing like crap still gets 31 min to Brooks' 17, then I don't know what coach is thinking.
He is a better playmaker than Aaron, but Aaron has a better offense than him, Aaron can creat his own shot, but I think Rafer fits the starting lineup better, and Aaron can bring some fire power comimg off the bench.
