# Rafer Alston's interview on the Rockets!



## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

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He is expecting Mike James to come to Houston. With healty Yao and T-Mac he is ready to roll. 

Note: T-Mac needs to shave his hair, NOW!


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

lol his interveiw was better than MIke James, you could barely see his eyes


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Things are looking good. 

People don't realize how much better the Rockets will be next year just with the additions they've already made, and should Mike James come to Houston we'll have a contender on our hands. Count on that.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Nice video. Thanks!

Everyone in the Houston org seems to be talking as if MJames is a shoe in to come back... barring the "phenomenal" offer of someone else.


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## AZNoob (Jan 21, 2006)

Battier brings the-fence, while MJ bring offense.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

> People don't realize how much better the Rockets will be next year just with the additions they've already made, and should Mike James come to Houston we'll have a contender on our hands. Count on that.


jworth: Let's not get to excited just yet. It is very easy to get pumped for next season but the reality of our situation is still glum at this point. Assuming we get James, we are still VERY, VERY, VERY weak off the bench. We really have no second unit.

Assumptions

PG: James/*Rafer*/Sura/JLIII (short lineup, but will get the job done.)
SG: TMac/*Head*/Novak (If TMac goes down we are dead. Head is NO TMac. Novak will never get to play since he can't play D)
SF: Battier/*NOTHING* (This position is just as bad as SG. If Battier goes down TMac is your SF.)
PF: JHo/*Hayes* (SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS - Mike Miller was a long shot as part of the Battier deal but, I would've tried to get Hakim Warrick since Memphis drafted Alexander Johnson.)
C: Yao/*Deke* (If Yao goes down Deke is dead. Hate to say it cause I love Deke but, reality check.)

Our starting rotation should be able to hang with anyone. Look at our BTeam in bold. NOT GOOD! Let's pray for that S&T.


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

jdiggidy said:


> jworth: Let's not get to excited just yet. It is very easy to get pumped for next season but the reality of our situation is still glum at this point. Assuming we get James, we are still VERY, VERY, VERY weak off the bench. We really have no second unit.
> 
> Assumptions
> 
> ...


Novak will play small forward along with Tmac. Lineup will be such.

PG: James/Rafer/Sura/JLIII
SG: Tmac/Head/Sura
SF: Battier/Tmac/Novak
PF: JHo/ Hayes/ FA
C : Yao/ Deke/ Hayes

As you can see, our real weakness is at the PF and backup center positions. Our backcourt is not shallow, but small.

Also, Tmac still looks kinda chubby. Hopefully he's back to normal by November.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

jdiggidy said:


> jworth: Let's not get to excited just yet. It is very easy to get pumped for next season but the reality of our situation is still glum at this point. Assuming we get James, we are still VERY, VERY, VERY weak off the bench. We really have no second unit.


Mike James will likely come off the bench as the sixth man with Rafer Alston being the starter. With James playing that role we'll have a nice scoring punch and combo guard coming off the bench.

Don't underestimate how big a healthy Yao and Tracy McGrady will be on the floor together this season. And when you can throw players out there around them such as Shane Battier, Mike James, and Rafer Alston, you've got a team that can play with the best. Other teams might be better in depth from 1-10, but you can only play five guys at a time and we've got two of the best in the league.


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## TManiAC (Dec 19, 2004)

jworth said:


> Mike James will likely come off the bench as the sixth man with Rafer Alston being the starter. With James playing that role we'll have a nice scoring punch and combo guard coming off the bench.
> 
> Don't underestimate how big a healthy Yao and Tracy McGrady will be on the floor together this season. And when you can throw players out there around them such as Shane Battier, Mike James, and Rafer Alston, you've got a team that can play with the best. Other teams might be better in depth from 1-10, but you can only play five guys at a time and we've got two of the best in the league.


Under-estimating? Maybe weve been over-estimating. But I agree, James, Battier, Novak and JLIII will make a significant impact on this team. Still, i think were a couple pieces away from contending (Athletic wing defender and quick post defender)


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## K-Dub (Jun 26, 2005)

Dean the Master said:


> <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qq1p7hyvhkE"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qq1p7hyvhkE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
> He is expecting Mike James to come to Houston. With healty Yao and T-Mac he is ready to roll.
> 
> *Note: T-Mac needs to shave his hair, NOW*!


Less shave, more cut. The curls aint workin for him. I know that's what he's aiming for. :nonono:


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## AZNoob (Jan 21, 2006)

^^^ Lmao!! ^^^


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

TManiAC said:


> Under-estimating? Maybe weve been over-estimating.


Plenty of people have been saying that Houston will struggle to notch 50 wins this season. They're either expecting both of Houston's stars to go down with serious injuries again, or they're simply under estimating what those guys can do on the court together. Yao is a lot better than he was two years ago, and so it's going to be something to see a healthy McGrady playing alongside a new and better Yao.


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## sherwin (Mar 21, 2005)

jdiggidy said:


> jworth: Let's not get to excited just yet. It is very easy to get pumped for next season but the reality of our situation is still glum at this point. Assuming we get James, we are still VERY, VERY, VERY weak off the bench. We really have no second unit.
> 
> Assumptions
> 
> ...


youve got it all wrong. tmac is staying at the 3, battier is the starting 4. novak will play 3 & 4, mostly 4. mike james will have to play some time at the 2 if we dont get a legit starter there.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Yeah, the lineup we'll probably see the most of is: 

PG-Rafer
SG-James
SF-McGrady
PF-Battier
C-Yao

But I wouldn't be surprised to see James come off the bench as a sixth man for A LOT of minutes at both PG and SG with a lineup looking like this:

PG-Rafer/James/Lucas
SG-McGrady/James/Head
SF-Battier/McGrady/Novak
PF-Howard/Hayes/Novak (Novak could move up a lot here)
C-Yao/FA or Deke


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## houst-mac (Aug 7, 2004)

jworth said:


> Yeah, the lineup we'll probably see the most of is:
> 
> But I wouldn't be surprised to see James come off the bench as a sixth man for A LOT of minutes at both PG and SG with a lineup looking like this:
> 
> ...


I like this line-up most, all we need is PF who can play D


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

I'd take that small backcourt anyday. Mike James is a great shooter and slasher unlike davidw wesley. He can put pressure on the defense, get yao and t-mac some open looks and he doesnt mind playing the role of a back-up playmaker next to alston. Mike james will be a great fit, alot of people say were gonna have s small SG again like wesley, but Mike james is a couple of inches taller and he can slash unlike wesley who was more of the guy who gets the open looks because of t-mac and yao. James can do the same AND the opposite where he can get open looks FOR t-mac and yao. 

ps.s t-mac looks fine, i dont know what youre talking about him being chubby,


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