Aaron Brooks has Rafer Alston Syndrome

moofs · Post #1 » by **moofs** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:05 am

Just noticed:

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/aaron_bro ... stats.html

FG - 58-146 - 39.7
3p - 21-73 - 28.8
2p - 37-73 - 50.6

Too bad his ast/to ratio is still not so great and 3p% isn't up to where it's been said it could be.

...Some drunk dudes are yelling outside my apartment right now. Weird. My apartments are normally dead-quiet.

Edit:
I guess I should define "Rafer Alston Syndrome".

It's what I keep harping about where you're actually shooting fairly well from 2 point range but it doesn't look like it on the stats page because FG% is a dumb stat. (Rafer's only had it this year. Usually he shoots like crap from inside and good from outside, this year he's shooting decent from inside and not-great-but-not-bad-anymore from outside).

Post #2 » by **TMU** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:31 am

I noticed that too, but I don't blame him.

To me Brooks is the type of player who's only effective with the ball in his hands. Right now, he's still a rookie whose job is to bring up the ball and let other players take on the scoring load. Without the ball, there's nothing much he can do besides shooting a wide open shot. While he was considered a good college shooter, it's much more difficult to hit a three with NBA range. In fact, I don't think he'll ever be a great 3-point shooter. He doesn't have height but I am hoping that he'll mirror his game after guys like Monte Ellis or Rajon Rondo.

grond · Post #3 » by **grond** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:21 am

T-Mac United wrote:He doesn't have height but I am hoping that he'll mirror his game after guys like Monte Ellis or Rajon Rondo.

Is Tony Parker too much to hope for? He's got the speed. But he needs to learn how to finish at the hoop or work on his floater. He can get into the lane any time he wants, but once he's there the slightest hint of being contested seems to throw off his shot. But, Parker started out inconsistent as well - hopefully Adelman can get the best out of him the way Pop did with Parker.

moofs wrote:...Some drunk dudes are yelling outside my apartment right now. Weird. My apartments are normally dead-quiet.

Is one of them yelling basketball gibberish and cursing the mods at Realgm?

Spartacus · Post #4 » by **Spartacus** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:05 pm

I wouldn't say he has Alston syndrome just yet -- his 2pt% is still pretty solid, and at least it's better than his 3pt% o_O

McTracy · Post #5 » by **McTracy** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:06 pm

Good find and yes that is right. Brooks is a rookie so you need to wait. He can be a very good pg in the nba, really.

But this guy needs to understand that nobody can stop him with that speed and he needs to use it, not only shoot (he is pretty good shooter) but his strongest side is speed.

Rafer ain't good teacher for him....

BaYBaller · Post #6 » by **BaYBaller** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:55 pm

The difference is Brooks still has potential, Alston you know pretty much what you're going to get.

The issue with Brooks right now is he hasn't learned how to make a difference on the court with his speed yet. He's undersized, will get abused on defense, and is not a pure shooter so his speed is his only asset. He has to be that 1-man fast break ala TP or Devin Harris, he has to gamble in the passing lanes, he has to break down defenses and dish, and he has to learn how to finish around the rim better.

He's never going to be a starting PG IMO, but he can be a productive back-up if he learns to do those things.

texasholdem · Post #7 » by **texasholdem** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:04 pm

this morning ESPN2 showed last year's NCAA 3 point shooting contest where Aaron Brooks won. (Novak won it 2 years ago). Maybe the NBA 3 is just a little past his range right now.

jzmagik · Post #8 » by **jzmagik** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:40 am

I have faith that Brooks will get it together, he's got the talent and the right people around him to help him.

A.J. · Post #9 » by **A.J.** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:44 am

he is hitting the rookie wall at this point in time

texasholdem · Post #10 » by **texasholdem** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:22 am

A.J. wrote:he is hitting the rookie wall at this point in time

If Brooks really is hitting the rookie wall after only 401 minutes in 31 games then that's not a good sign of his stamina.

In his senior year at Oregon he played 1289 minutes in 35 games and had a great NCAA tourney.

So hopefully it's just a slump.

Post #11 » by **King Roosk** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:44 pm

According to an article in the Chron, we aren't going to make any moves before the deadline (except maybe moving Snyder). IMO, this isn't good news because Aaron Brooks will not be the answer at backup PG in the playoffs.

Post #12 » by **TMACFORMVP** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:48 pm

King Roosk wrote:According to an article in the Chron, we aren't going to make any moves before the deadline (except maybe moving Snyder). IMO, this isn't good news because Aaron Brooks will not be the answer at backup PG in the playoffs.

Yeah I mean I love the dude for the future, but currently I don't trust him when he has the ball and and if we are to make the playoffs then I'd be even more worried. He can be real careless with the ball at times with unforced turnovers and his shooting is to erratic (like moofs pointed out) to really trust him on the floor.

A guy like Cassell would be perfect, but looking at that article (smokescreen hopefully?) doesn't seem like we'll even do something like that.

texasholdem · Post #13 » by **texasholdem** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:51 pm

If we had lost that game vs Sacto last week I'm sure Les would have forced Morey to make some kind of deal. Blame Steve Novak!

BaYBaller · Post #14 » by **BaYBaller** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:56 pm

King Roosk wrote:According to an article in the Chron, we aren't going to make any moves before the deadline (except maybe moving Snyder). IMO, this isn't good news because Aaron Brooks will not be the answer at backup PG in the playoffs.

A rookie PG in the playoffs spell trouble obviously but it's not worth it to pick up a back-up PG just for that purpose when we're not really contenders right now. Besides we still have James if we need him.

moofs · Post #15 » by **moofs** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:29 pm

TMACFORMVP wrote:Yeah I mean I love the dude for the future, but currently I don't trust him when he has the ball and and if we are to make the playoffs then I'd be even more worried. He can be real careless with the ball at times with unforced turnovers and his shooting is to erratic (like moofs pointed out) to really trust him on the floor.

A guy like Cassell would be perfect, but looking at that article (smokescreen hopefully?) doesn't seem like we'll even do something like that.

I didn't say anything about his shooting being erratic. He [doesn't] shooting 3 pointers well, but I'd say that 50% from inside the arc is far from erratic (unless the guy hits all his shots one game, misses them all the next, then repeats ad nauseum).

Edit: That [doesn't] should be [isn't]. Didn't mean to permafy it, oops.

But yeah, I don't like him just yet as our playoff backup PG yet either. There just aren't many other options.

Spartacus wrote:I wouldn't say he has Alston syndrome just yet -- his 2pt% is still pretty solid, and at least it's better than his 3pt% o_O

Check my updated definition of "Rafer Alston Syndrome" in the topic post.

Moofctionary - Rafer Alston Syndrome - noun - Ra`fer Alst*on Syn`drome! - When an NBA player has a low field goal percentage only because they aren't shooting three pointers well, yet take a large percentage of their shots from there anyway.

Post #16 » by **TMU** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:36 pm

moofs wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Check my updated definition of "Rafer Alston Syndrome" in the topic post.

Moofctionary - Rafer Alston Syndrome - noun - Ra`fer Alst*on Syn`drome! - When an NBA player has a low field goal percentage only because they aren't shooting three pointers well, yet take a large percentage of their shots from there anyway.

The sample size is just too small for us to analyze his shooting. At the moment it appears that he not a good three point shooter, but who knows how the percentage will change with increased playing time?

RaoulDuke79 · Post #17 » by **RaoulDuke79** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:21 am

I think it should be moofictionary not moofctionary but it's my job to be picky over things that don't matter because it amuses me and I have nothing better to do at the moment so sue me run on sentences rule wheeee.

compucomp · Post #18 » by **compucomp** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:38 am

Brooks is looking a LOT like John Lucas III right now, and that is NOT a good thing, since it forces Head to play backup point.

Post #19 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:11 am

T-Mac United wrote:I noticed that too, but I don't blame him.

To me Brooks is the type of player who's only effective with the ball in his hands. Right now, he's still a rookie whose job is to bring up the ball and let other players take on the scoring load. Without the ball, there's nothing much he can do besides shooting a wide open shot. While he was considered a good college shooter, it's much more difficult to hit a three with NBA range. In fact, I don't think he'll ever be a great 3-point shooter. He doesn't have height but I am hoping that he'll mirror his game after guys like Monte Ellis or Rajon Rondo.

You never watched Brooks in college. He hit 30-footers like nobody's business. He was an elite 3-point shooter in a difficult conference.

That said, he is a streaky shooter so he probably is in just another slump. He'll snap out of it.

Post #20 » by **TMU** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:22 am

PhilipNelsonFan wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

You never watched Brooks in college. He hit 30-footers like nobody's business. He was an elite 3-point shooter in a difficult conference.

That said, he is a streaky shooter so he probably is in just another slump. He'll snap out of it.

Come on brother, I know you're an Oregon fan but let's not get ahead ourselves. The Oregon Ducks were one of my favorite teams entering March Madness and while Aaron Brooks was a great 3-point shooter, he was nowhere beyond 25 foot from the hoop. At most of the time, he was an excellent slasher to the hoop and was a great college 3-point shooter. I have rarely seen him take anything beyond the 30-ft mark.