Will Rafer be released outright before the start of the season?

We will drop him...





Off at the Toyota Center for the next game!!!!

Not funny, I'll stop posting now...

 

How about Mike James or Stevie Franchise,Aaron Brooks get injuryed?And we don't have legimit backup PG.After all Rafer knows this team.If he can adapt to lesser role he'll be great support.And u don't know how he fits in adelman's system.

 

I am pretty sure that right now Rafer himself is demanding a trade. Why on earth would he actually want to stay on a team that had him as the 3rd or 4th string point guard when he could be 2nd string point guard, 6th man, or even starting point guard on some other team?

 

Right now I would say Rafer is slated to back-up James. (And James is a PG, unlike Francis). I am hopefull we get at least full value for Rafer, maybe more, from a PG desperate team. If such a deal isn't there now, wait until Miami or Boston or Denver or LAL is losing a whole lot more games than they should/expect because of troubles in their PG spots and their stars start chirping. There are lots of teams Rafer could really help, and right now he still is our #2 PG (unless Brooks or Francis can prove to be a reliable back-up PG), so of course we are not just going to cut him.

 

Yeah, if we do keep him I think he will start but only play about 18-22 min. game depending on how good he is getting Yao and Tmac going early. And all of you saying we don't need a true PG are right but we do need someone who can dribble the ball down the court and hit McGrady coming off a screen at just the right moment to get him in rhythm or when Yao has his man sealed off. Also, if you think that is easy and "just anyone" can do it then you have not seen Steve Francis, Mike James, or Luther Head man the point and run a play. Rafer still has value on this team and I also hope Adelman lets him try a fast break every once in a while or lets him run a pick and roll to get him self some room to create(yes, he can create as long as he doesn't tear drop). When Rafer is allowed to do some of the things that make him a decent player(dribble someone, make a fancy pass) the rest of his game comes together great.

If he doesn't start that would mean Francis and/or James are playing team ball, which they can, but do not be surprised if Rafer is our best option for playing unselfishly and starting out the game. Everyone that wants him gone may be in for a surprise when we don't have him getting the ball to our stars(see NO/OK Hornets game).

 

Let sleeping dog's lye Rookie. Do you really want to create another 32 page thread on Rafer? Addictions start innocently with a puff and the next thing you know people are urinating on you in an alley with your new best freind Skeezy. Next you'll try something heavier like praising CD. Then that's not enough and you'll try to say JVG had a hair out of place and then the wrath of the nation will come down on you. Remember................It all starts with one little puff and you just fully inhaled. Good luck to you because you're going to need it!!!! I'll try and aim more towards Skeezy.

 

I think everyone needs to keep in mind that if Alston is kept and does play, then Head will not play.

They didn't bring in Francis and James to bench them and Bonzi and Adelman are obviously expecting for Bonzi to play.

Steve Francis complained about not getting enough PT in New York last year.

He got 28.1 MPG

Mike James complained about not getting enough PT last year in Minnesota.

He got 25.2 MPG.


The last 4 years Rafer has gotten at least 32 MPG no matter where he played, Miami, Toronto, or Houston.

Luther Head got about 29 MPG his first two years.

Battier expects probably at least 30 minutes and T-Mac probably expects him out there guarding the other team's best perimeter scorer for at least that time.

Bonzi when he did play got what about 21 MPG last year and complained about. I think he has averaged something like 27 minutes a game in his career and he had I think about 32 MPG under Adelman.

Kirk Snyder and Aaron Brooks (whom by all accounts Morey and Adelman are very high on) probably can't even get any PT even WITH injuries.

I don't see any way possible that Alston stays unless, at the very least Luther Head is traded and in that case traded for someone that won't play or for nothing.

So the question has to be does that make more sense than just trading Alston?

I personally think Alston is completely unneeded and it makes no sense to dump Head.

And no they couldn't just trade some other player instead of Head, because Luther Head is not going to just happily sent on the bench all year. I would certainly bet on that.

 

While I agree with some of your points, the equation of Mike James to Francis and Head as a masquerading PG is just incorrect IMO. James TOs are right with Alston's, James like Alston protects the ball and is relatively disciplined, and his distribution is close to Rafer's (probably the similar when you consider James is just finishing some plays himself where Alston has to pass out of). On top James is a lot better in other phases. In short, James is a PG who can score, Rafer is a PG with some scoring troubles, Francis and Head are undersized SGs who at times masquerade as a PG, and Brooks is a promising scoring PG.

 

i dont think rafer starting is that ridiculous of an idea. Last year, the rockets starting 5 was extremely effective and effecient. Assuming scola can translate, you replace chuck with scola and you have a solid lineup. Plus, i think that when starting the game, yao needs to work on the block and get the ball. Make the defense adjst early and try to get a couple of quick fouls on the opposing big man. Whos the 2nd best passer to tmac? rafer. makes sense to start out the game on a solid foot.

Now when yao goes out to take a rest or sit down because he picked up quick fouls, thats when you need additional scoring and then the fun begins and you can throw together a ton of different linups, with or without tmac

 

Rafer will be ok...as long as his FG stat at the end of the game looks like this ---> 0/0.

 

I agree Head or perhaps Alston will go. Maybe both. Snyder is equally expendable if someone wants him. That said, there are other considerations,

....Francis still has to prove he is effective in this league (Portland, despite needing veteran leaders and scorers, after all decided to pay him his contract to leave), even if he does so it is more likely as an SG than PG.

....Mike James could always be traded (we don't owe him, we traded for him). I hope he proves invaluable and our best PG, think he will, but he is coming off a nonimpressive year so he also has something to prove, even if not as much as Francis.

....Bonzi can play more 3 and we can (hopefully) lower both of Battier and Tmac's minutes. And this also assumes Bonzi can return to form, like the other two he has a lot of prove.

....Brooks is a rookie. (I am hopefully he becomes the back-up PG to James, but again he is a rook so a lot to prove)

So I agree something has to give. Head, Alston and/or Snyder, likely. But we certainly don't want to undersell Alston or Head, or assume the best with James and even more so Francis, Wells and Brooks. They still could prove important rotation players, and I would not trade a servicable PG (Alston) or proven 3 shooter (Head) for anything less than full value just to thin out the roster early. Those two could help a lot of teams, some potentially very good teams wanting immediate help (Miami, Boston, Lakers, Denver). Let them all compete, and only trade when value is high or it is totally obvious these players have been beat out for rotation spots.

 

I don't think your idea is ridiculous either. Though personally, I'd rather see a starting lineup of James-Tmac-Battier-Hayes-Yao than Alston-Tmac-Battier-Scola-Yao. Now maybe both Scola and James take starting spots, but if I were choosing right now I'd choose James. A 2nd unit of Alston-Francis-Wells-Scola-Deke could present some different challenges to opponents.

 

As funny as this sounds, I don't think he will go anywhere...I think it maybe Mike James or Steve Francis, but here is the kicker. They will probably end up a really good team in the East, like Boston, Cavs, Magic (not SF) or Heat.

You heard it here.

 

The problem is you will have to go all the way to Feb. with disgruntled players.

This simply is not worth the chemistry risk IMO.

 

Francis we can't trade unless it is entirely his idea. He selected us as a free agent among offers. If in camp it is clear that Alston/Brooks/Francis makes James redundent, I agree he could go out. We traded for him and paid his kicker, we don't owe him the same treatment as Francis. That said my hunch is James is the best player among our small guards this year and won't go anywhere.

 

Surely they can move him for something... I mean the man did average 13 pts and 5 assists during the season. With the great moves administration has made this season I have faith they can move Rafer and receive something nice in return.

 

What is the significance of August 14?

 

August 14 is the first day that Reed and James can be traded.

 

At this moment there is a 50-50 chance that he will be on our 15 man Roster.
If they trade Sura [Contract] and Lucas how many players will we have?

 

On the other hand, if you do go to Feb, maybe you can make a trade with a desperate team.