# Rafer Alston



## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

He is the one guy we are always looking to replace. Even Juwan Howard with his 0.07 blocks per game gets more respect from us fans. But is Rafer really that bad that we can't win a title with him playing close to 40 mpg?

I think he has improved. He appears to be shooting the ball better recently (is it just me or has he changed his action? It looks like Quentin Richardson's now). He's a very solid 37% from beyond the arc this season, and is 4th in attempts behind only Arenas, Mike Miller and Ray Allen. His defense, too, looks better. While still unable to stop penetration, he is at least fouling less and contesting jumpers better and not getting lost on switches. It looks like he has really tried to play good defense since becoming a Rocket. And despite playing very heavy minutes, his PER is about the same as Battier's, Head's and Howard's.

On the other hand, he is still incapable of finishing. He's dead last in the league in 2-pt% (38%), so, despite his accuracy from long range, he is one of the most inefficient scorers in the league. Every game he takes a couple of shots that make us question his sanity. And while he is technically a good passer (ie his passes are accurate), he has poor playmaking skills.

So do you really think it is essential that we replace him? Luther Head seems to get a free pass from many of us, though he is little better statistically, and about as bad defensively. And the Rockets won two titles with a starting PG who was only slightly superior.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Another interesting thing -- Alston is having a remarkably similar season statistically to his mortal enemy Mike James. They are almost identical in most of the major advanced statistical categories (PER, turnover rate, usage rate, assist rate, rebound rate, 3-pt%, eFG%). James obviously plays better defense, but Alston isn't selfish and he plays a lot more minutes. Do you regret the trade?


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

What my biggest worry is we dont have a second PG.
I dont mind keeping Alston but he cant play 48mins and Head does not fit into the role.

A PF we have Howard and Hayes two very solid players, who would be in rotation on any side. While at PG we have Alston who would be rotation in most sides but we also dont have a second player to fill in when Rafer has to recover.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Hakeem said:


> He is the one guy we are always looking to replace. Even Juwan Howard with his 0.07 blocks per game gets more respect from us fans. But is Rafer really that bad that we can't win a title with him playing close to 40 mpg?
> 
> I think he has improved. He appears to be shooting the ball better recently (is it just me or has he changed his action? It looks like Quentin Richardson's now). He's a very solid 37% from beyond the arc this season, and <b>is 4th in attempts behind only Arenas, Mike Miller and Ray Allen.</b> His defense, too, looks better. While still unable to stop penetration, he is at least fouling less and contesting jumpers better and not getting lost on switches. It looks like he has really tried to play good defense since becoming a Rocket. And despite playing very heavy minutes, his PER is about the same as Battier's, Head's and Howard's.
> 
> ...


That's the main thing that bothers me, he's NOT a shooting guard and should NOT be a top 3 option in scoring for us. Most guys who jack up that many shots are either the 1st or 2nd scoring option on the team. His role is to distribute the ball and get others involved in the offense. 

To be fair, he doesn't frustrate me nearly as much as Francis did when he was running the show here. I just want Rafer to play more like a pass-first PG, and learn to penetrate and dish to create open shots for people, something I know he's capable of doing.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Our 2nd PG is supposed to be V-Span. We should see more action from this guy if he can cut down turnovers and cocky attitude.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

I wish Vspan was able to get more time. He reminds me of a Nash/Manu type player. But it is so hard for him to get any time on this team in order to improve and get used to the NBA type system. He has the skills; they just are not molded into NBA form so to say. Hopefully he can go in summer league and maybe get some exposure to NBA type ball. But I wonder if he is going to go back to the worlds come off season. 

What I hate about Rafer, is this he sometimes takes too many bad shots. He can distribute the ball fairly well, but he shouldn’t be taking so many shots. He brings the ball up well, and plays fairly decent defense. But what bothers me is his decision making with shot selection, and his inability to make good decisions in crunch time. He just cont complete a play sometimes, and others he misses simple lay-ups, or floaters. 

Sometimes he makes me just angry.
We need a Luke Ridnour type PG.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

OneBadLT123 said:


> We need a Luke Ridnour type PG.


We need a Chauncey Billups type PG.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

cornholio said:


> We need a Chauncey Billups type PG.


We need a NBA grade PG period.
And if he can defend, be a pass first point guard and who can hit open shots even better.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Kirk Synder played point guard in college at Nevada, I remember him dishing a ton of assists against Gonzaga (I think). Maybe he should be given more of a shot there. He played a little bit as the point in the game against SA. 

I love having Luther's shot making ability on the court, but he is more likely to do that as a SG behind Tracy than he is as the back up PG.

So the lineup would be

Rafer/Synder
Tmac/Head
Battier/Bonzi
Howard/Hayes
Yao/Deke

for the regular rotation.

We could reduce the number of minutes Rafer was on the court and not lose anything defensively.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

OneBadLT123 said:


> I wish Vspan was able to get more time. He reminds me of a Nash/Manu type player. But it is so hard for him to get any time on this team in order to improve and get used to the NBA type system. He has the skills; they just are not molded into NBA form so to say. Hopefully he can go in summer league and maybe get some exposure to NBA type ball. But I wonder if he is going to go back to the worlds come off season.
> 
> What I hate about Rafer, is this he sometimes takes too many bad shots. He can distribute the ball fairly well, but he shouldn’t be taking so many shots. He brings the ball up well, and plays fairly decent defense. But what bothers me is his decision making with shot selection, and his inability to make good decisions in crunch time. He just cont complete a play sometimes, and others he misses simple lay-ups, or floaters.
> 
> ...


I hate to say this, because the Toronto fans warned us about Rafer when the trade happened. But now I can see 'some of' what they were saying about him, not all of it. Frankly, his attitude has been fine, he's a total team guy, a hardworker, totally unselfish. So that, I don't know what they're talkin about??? But the PG stuff, ehhh...:raised_ey I really like Skip, probably cuz he is unselfish, but he does not "make plays" the way Kidd Nash Deron or Chris Paul do? He runs play fine, or throws alley's but making plays is not in his nature...
He isn't quite Kenny Smith either, doesn't have that stroke obviously, and I never thought I'd say this, but this goes back to going to school. Big men and point guards I think more than anyone else usually play better learning systems. Wing men and forwards this doesn't too matter much, but PGs/Centers they learn how to see the floor, defeat defenses, learn drop-steps/pivot moves, how to pass threw defenses ect. Skip didn't learn those things, when to shoot or pass, tempo and touch ect. 
But hey, who you gonna get? Unless the Bulls are suddenly smokin' crack in the United Center, and decide they wanna trade Kirk Henrich, I don't see anything better on the Horizon...:biggrin: 
As far as Mr. Luther pisses me off just like Steve Francis did... period. He makes shots that blow my mind, then turns right around and makes me cuss his out two minutes later...I frankly don't know what heck to do with him? Wait a minute yes I do:rocket: 
The solution to my Rafer problem is Jeff doing a little coaching.
Tell him to shoot less, and distribute more. Tom T work w/ him on his 'teardrop' shot in the lane, and give JLucas more rest mins during the lagtime in the end of the 1st beg of the 2nd; end of the 3rd, play the whole 4th. 
I would be in total favor of Tom Tibideaux taking over in the offseason as Head Coach, the organzization should consider it.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Yao Mania said:


> That's the main thing that bothers me, he's NOT a shooting guard and should NOT be a top 3 option in scoring for us. Most guys who jack up that many shots are either the 1st or 2nd scoring option on the team. His role is to distribute the ball and get others involved in the offense.
> 
> To be fair, he doesn't frustrate me nearly as much as Francis did when he was running the show here. I just want Rafer to play more like a pass-first PG, and learn to penetrate and dish to create open shots for people, something I know he's capable of doing.


I don't think this team needs that sort of point guard. We have Tracy McGrady. Why have an ordinary player penetrate and dish to create open shots when you have a superstar who can do it ten times as well? 37% on tremendous volume is very good. It indicates that A) Alston can hit the open three, and B) our offense is pretty good to be able to get him (and Luther) that many open shots. So I don't think it's a worry at all. Derek Fisher, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell all played similar roles on championship teams.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

OneBadLT123 said:


> What I hate about Rafer, is this he sometimes takes too many bad shots. He can distribute the ball fairly well, but he shouldn’t be taking so many shots. He brings the ball up well, and plays fairly decent defense. But what bothers me is his decision making with shot selection, and his inability to make good decisions in crunch time. He just cont complete a play sometimes, and others he misses simple lay-ups, or floaters.
> 
> Sometimes he makes me just angry.
> We need a Luke Ridnour type PG.


I agree with most of this. He makes me angry too. But if we "need" a Ridnour-type PG, we also need a Rasheed-type PF. All teams are less than ideal at some spots. I just think if Howard and Head and Hayes are OK to get solid minutes, Alston is too.


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## Rush (Jan 11, 2007)

PLease for the love of GOD dont say he can hit the open 3. That 37% is deciptive. You cant add in bad shots. which is every one. Theres no way hes back as a starter next year. When he has a rare good game we are very very tough to beat but other than that. If we make it to the playoffs we are 1 and done.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Rafer cant be our third option in attack(hes been our second for a while now). 

We need Alston to look for the open player. 
Thing is two of our starters Battier Hayes are defensive machines.

But Alston needs to look to make opportunities for TMAC Yao Head Bonzi Snyder Battier Howard to make shots.


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## persian pride (Mar 1, 2005)

Hakeem said:


> He is the one guy we are always looking to replace. Even Juwan Howard with his 0.07 blocks per game gets more respect from us fans. But is Rafer really that bad that we can't win a title with him playing close to 40 mpg?
> 
> I think he has improved. He appears to be shooting the ball better recently (is it just me or has he changed his action? It looks like Quentin Richardson's now). He's a very solid 37% from beyond the arc this season, and is 4th in attempts behind only Arenas, Mike Miller and Ray Allen. His defense, too, looks better. While still unable to stop penetration, he is at least fouling less and contesting jumpers better and not getting lost on switches. It looks like he has really tried to play good defense since becoming a Rocket. And despite playing very heavy minutes, his PER is about the same as Battier's, Head's and Howard's.
> 
> ...



I am shocked to see this post!!! I have not seen him this year, but last year with Toronto he was the total package. He is the human highlight film period. He can make the most unusual passes. He is not a A grade PG. But I can honestly say that he is a B/B+ PG player. He makes bad decisions sometimes (shooting too much), but overall he is good.


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## shakesbeer00 (Dec 22, 2006)

i donot think 2 bad about Rafer. his dribbling and passing skills are terrific. I saw few guys in NBA better than him in terms of bringing the ball from back court to the front. sometimes this could be the big problem for rockets (e.g., Luther). the only bad part about rafer is his shooting, not the timing he shoots the ball (i donot have particular complaints with that), but the percentage he makes shots.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

I've thought about it, if we make any moves this offseason, its for PG/SG. How we do this is Going to hurt badly man. We're going to have to give up somebody we either really like, or somebody we really need? A package that may be undesirable to many of us. For me the most likely scernario seems this as it seems the salaries would match, and JVG may be happy:

*Mike Bibby *(SAC) for Alston/Spanoulis/Howard; for me that's an ouch, I like Howard, and his outside shooting/leadership/chemistry. He balances out Chucks' non-offense.

Bibby for Head/Spanoulis/1st draft choice supplemental player??? or 3rd team

Keep Alston, Make a move for *Ben Gordon*; Bonzi Wells/Head 2nd pk package to Bulls for Gordon, he's everything Tmac/Yao/Shane need at the 2spt...:clap2: 

Bottom line, you can keep Alston if you get a better 2 and move Tracy to the 3, and Shane to the 4. The Rockets really need to stop BSing, and put a real championship team around Yao and Tracy, not just assemble parts. I like the players on our team, but I wanna win. _ Luther has regressed in his third year, with more and more turnovers that are costing us games:thumbdown: . We cannot have that. Rafers shooting is costing us, too. Can't have that.
You have to trade him if you don't and upgrade the spot _and spend the money, move your roster and lose some good guys. Tuff choices. Either way, is hard.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

debarge said:


> _ Luther has regressed in his third year, with more and more turnovers that are costing us games:thumbdown: ._


This is Luth's soph year, and I think the turnovers is because he is playing back up point. He didn't play that position at all last year.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

I guess it (that long long injury year last felt like 2 yrs)LOL babe...
but yes, Luther's TOs are way too high! It doesn't matter Tmac still is the "Point" Luther is only bringing up the ball really> his only responsibility is to not STOP the flow of the offense? Have you guys noticed that? He holds the ball? Can't decide what to do w/ it? That is not good fellas...Bill Worrell said it, Shoot/or Pass, just do it. Don't hold it, and wait for somebody to guard you? Watch tonight Girl. You'll See what I'm talking about...Luther IMO more so than Rafer is in a Shooting Slump. Rafer just needs to shoot Less. Luther's main job, is spot-up 3pt shooting, and he hasn't been doing that w/ much accuracy lately, I said LATELY. You guys don't BITE MY HEAD OFF. Since Yao's been out, his % has taken a dip, here's hoping that Yao's back it gets better.


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