After 3 + seasons it's easy for any rational person to see that the Rafer Alston experiment has failed. There is no logical argument for him playing so much. All of the reasons given in the past have proved to be false. Rafer will have a good game every now and then, he might even string a few good games together, but he's pyrite. He's proven it over and over and over again. As I said in the game thread, just when you think he can't play any worse, he finds new and innovate ways to suck harder. His usual poor shooting, no D on Williams, and choking at the end (I don't care if he hit that lucky wide open 3). I'm being very generous, but at most, he should see 10-15 mpg as a backup since we don't have any other real pgs on the roster. This team will not go deep in the playoffs with Rafer starting and seeing the majority of the mins at the 1. If it was up to me, I would send him packing and let him go brick wide open shots and choke for another team. The sooner the organization and Rafer apologists realize that this is what he is, the better off the team will be. If you don't believe that Rafer sucks by now then you will never be convinced that he's failed as the Houston Rockets starting pg.
More like we're lucky Ron Artest absolutely snapped in OT and OT2 because that collapse was way too predictable with Alston and Battier paired to close out the game.
I tend to agree with you; Rafer is fool's gold most of the time and I think eventually, Brooks will be the better alternative. However, this isn't what this argument is really about though; you don't just start changing rotations based on three or four quarters of utter suck. There's a thing called team chemistry, and while it may be "intangible" and bull****ty, it's what EVERYONE attributes the 22-winning streak to (it sure as hell wasn't pure talent that won us that many games). Rafer's played with the starting unit for years now and he's closed games for the Rockets for years as well and he was maybe not fantastic, but competent. You don't just start playing around with that after one or two bad games.
If he hadn't been in the game late it probably wouldn't have gone into OT. If he hadn't played the first OT there probably wouldn't have been a 2nd OT. Then again, since every single solitary play the last part of regulation and the first OT was to Yao, it probably wouldn't have mattered. Rafer played like a chump and had a stupid turnover less than a minute left in the 2nd OT that could have made a difference. He missed so many close in shots it wasn't even funny. He gets no props from me.
Seriously, there is no rational argument for Rafer being our main point guard. The worthless garbage that Bill and Bull spout that convinces the .05% of people that believe he is still the answer is terrible. I just don't see what he has done tonight, or ever for that matter to lead to his sky high PT. So what if he hit one three pointer?? IT WAS ONE THREE. Let's forget that he shot 3-13, but ohh boy oh boy, he hit one three. We should have never needed that three if we had an actual play maker on the floor. <br> ARGHHHHHHH
Huh? Brooks probably makes that and a few more shots and the game never gets to OT. Not to mention Brooks hits all his FTs....and Brooks doesn't let Deron Williams drive right by him for the tying layup with 12 seconds in regulation. Rafer is RUBBISH !! He is the ultimate choker, he can hit a nails 3pter, but he just does not set his teamates up or breakdown the defense in crunch time. A guy that can penetrate like Brooks is so valuable when defenses take away the first and 2nd options....Brooks needs to be starting...and closing. DD
<br> How was Rafer competent?? <br> Perhaps it's the poor 3 point percentage Perhaps it's the God awful tear drop Perhaps it's the mediocre at best passing Perhaps it's turning the ball over at crucial points during the game Perhaps it's his inability to shoot free throws Perhaps it's his inability to stay in front of D-Will and his overall D Perhaps it's the comedic relief that he provides after getting crossed and falling to the ground..
Perhaps it's the 50 win seasons...see, you're taking one or two games and allowing you to define Rafer with them. I won't argue that he's perfect, but I can tell you that he has been competent, and removing him as a closer should not be lightly considered. Just as an example, last year, even with "viable alternatives" at PG with Mike James, Franchise, Brooks and Bobby Jackson, Rafer still ruled the floor...and there's a reason why. Check his individual +- efficiency ratings. He had the second best +- behind Battier at +328. When he received significant minutes, the Rockets had a 72.6% win percentage (53-20), the best among all players on the Rockets. http://www.82games.com/0708/0708HOU1.HTM
DID YOU SEE THE PLAYOFFS OF LAST YEAR? DID YOU SEE BROOKS DEFENDING DERON ? HAVE YOU SEEN THE DEFENSE BY ALSTON ON DERON AT THE 2ND OT? "No, no and no, thanks".
Not 3 or 4 quarters of utter suck as you put it and not 1 or 2 bad games either, 3 + seasons worth of the same Rafer Alston. His body of (poor) work speaks for itself. This is a mature team so the chemistry factor is overrated. The window of opportunity is closing. There needs to be a sense of urgency. We're really in win now mode. Rockets won't be successful with Rafer starting and seeing the majority of the mins at the 1 in the post-season. Also, Brooks is the better alternative NOW! He more than doubled Alston's production in half the mins yesterday and almost equaled Rafer's production in almost half the mins today. If you want to be one of those irrational people that tries to defend this guy, go ahead, I've given up trying to convince those types of people how much of a liability Rafer is to this team.
huh...yes. If you put Brooks in, then Rafer will have better INDIVIDUAL efficiency stats. makes sense to me. though i guess the grass is always greener on the other side.
Sorry, I was blinded by Rafer laying on the ground after being crossed over, or letting Deron drive right by him for the tying layup with 12 seconds to go in regulation, or Rafer missing that clutch FT to give Utah hope. Rafer is utter CRAP ! DD
Some of you are impossible to argue with. Brooks can do no wrong, Rafer sucks. You guys just keep on piling on with the incoherent, caps lock, "WOW RAFER FELL DOWN" and you're not even damn reading what I'm writing; it's not even about Rafer. It's about going with whoever is proven and in this case Alston is more proven then Brooks ALTHOUGH THAT MAY CHANGE. I am glad Adelman has a sound head on his shoulder, realizes Rafer still has some value and doesn't play around with his rotations based on one or two bad quarters. "Rafer's body of poor work?" Yeah, alright, 55-win seasons and the second highest +- on the friggin team. Basketball isn't all about shooting, it's not all about the fancy plays. It's about the fundamentals and if you think it's sound to play around with rotations on the fly, based on small frames of reference...all I gotta say is that I'm glad Adleman has a sounder head on his shoulders (at least when it comes to Rafer/Brooks)
<br> I really don't know what to say to you. Im not basing this off a 2 or 3 game sample. This has been the last 3 years of Rafer Alston. You are applying team stats and accrediting them to him. THE ROCKETS, not Rafer Alston have won 50+ games the past few years. he has done nothing special, and could be easily upgraded. And, to say that a slumping Mike James, an injured Steve Francis, or a aging Bobby Jackson were challenging to Rafer is ludicrous. <br> Ok, so you throw around some efficiency ratings. Lets completely ignore the fact that he's averaged around 40 mpg the past few years playing alongside Yao Ming and Tracy freaking McGrady. You could put in Jason Hart alongside those two and his efficiency rating would be high too...
<br> Why do you keep saying small frames of reference. The majority of the time, he is a liability, and that is based on the past 3 seasons. The only thing he is proven as is inconsistent!! Geez!! I just don't see how you can consider the most inconsistent player on our team as the most sound, proven option... <br> Aghh...
