Official Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston Appreciation Thread

Guy986 · Post #1 » by **Guy986** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:59 pm

Oh i forgot. We're only allowed to say bad things about Alston.

T-Wack · Post #2 » by **T-Wack** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:01 am

Well, he is the worst starting point guard in NBA history, but other than that, I suppose he's okay.

Iggyemu · Post #3 » by **Iggyemu** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:06 am

So 2 good games out of 82 warrants an appreciation thread. He'll be back to sucking as he watches Deron Willams run by him to the hoop time after time.

MaxRider · Post #4 » by **MaxRider** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:15 am

Alston is the best PG we got
Brooks still not consistent enough to start

sook · Post #5 » by **sook** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:16 am

amazing how low even the alston nuthuggers set the bar for him :lol:

Amel · Post #6 » by **Amel** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:27 am

thats alright

we probably are going to need one soon

playoffs?

don't embarrass us Skip

YoungMoney23 · Post #7 » by **YoungMoney23** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:36 am

It's amazing how people's opinions change on these boards, Rafer has sucked all season long except for the past 2 games yet your already making an appreciation thread.

HTown_TMac · Post #8 » by **HTown_TMac** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:39 am

Bandwagoners?

I am still not convinced.

Iggyemu · Post #9 » by **Iggyemu** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:58 am

MaxRider wrote:Alston is the best PG we got
Brooks still not consistent enough to start

No Brooks can start but he has to play with McGrady. It won't work for him any other way b/c he is a scorer and McGrady can run the offense. It worked so well for us in the 4 games Alston missed. It can work again. Our offense ran smoothly. Brooks scored. McGrady was involved in the game even though he wasn't scoring.

Until McGrady is back to being about 80% Alston should continue to start. McGrady's injury just affects this team in so many ways which is why its extremely important for him to get back to being good enough.

MaxRider · Post #10 » by **MaxRider** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:41 am

Iggyemu wrote:
MaxRider wrote:Alston is the best PG we got
Brooks still not consistent enough to start

No Brooks can start but he has to play with McGrady. It won't work for him any other way b/c he is a scorer and McGrady can run the offense. It worked so well for us in the 4 games Alston missed. It can work again. Our offense ran smoothly. Brooks scored. McGrady was involved in the game even though he wasn't scoring.

Until McGrady is back to being about 80% Alston should continue to start. McGrady's injury just affects this team in so many ways which is why its extremely important for him to get back to being good enough.

if Brooks can't play without T-Mac then he's not good enough to start
Alston had proven he can be the number two/three option playing without Yao or T-Mac
unless Morey can pull something out of his sleeve by the trade deadline
Alston is going to be our starting PG for this season

tisbee · Post #11 » by **tisbee** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:56 am

Iggyemu,
Last week I was looking up +/- numbers for a discussion on Brooks and Alston. Interesting figures that back up your claim. (Relatively few minutes for the various units,but still suggestive.)

Two man +/- per minute sees McGrady/Brooks at twice the McGrady/Alston pairing. Alston/Artest was infinitely better than Brooks/Artest as Brooks/Artest had a MINUS +/- together.(Again relatively small sample,but...)
Assuming the starters are McGrady,Battier,Scola and Yao,Brooks had twice the +/- per minute rate than the same 4 w/Alston. W/Artest replacing Battier,Brooks is only 1/3 better than Alston.(Battier is almost 1.5 times better than Artest w/McGrady,Scola and Yao.)

When I saw the title of this thread I thought I had entered Bizzaro RealGM.

Baller 24 · Post #12 » by **Baller 24** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:14 pm

I personally think the appreciation threads are getting lame for any player.

moofs · Post #13 » by **moofs** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:43 pm

Baller 24 wrote:I personally think appreciation threads are lame for any player.

Fixed.

Post #14 » by **TMU** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:26 pm

tisbee wrote:Two man +/- per minute sees McGrady/Brooks at twice the McGrady/Alston pairing. Alston/Artest was infinitely better than Brooks/Artest as Brooks/Artest had a MINUS +/- together.(Again relatively small sample,but...)
Assuming the starters are McGrady,Battier,Scola and Yao,Brooks had twice the +/- per minute rate than the same 4 w/Alston. W/Artest replacing Battier,Brooks is only 1/3 better than Alston.(Battier is almost 1.5 times better than Artest w/McGrady,Scola and Yao.)

When I saw the title of this thread I thought I had entered Bizzaro RealGM.

Good post and an interesting observation. :thumbsup:

kam_soluusar · Post #15 » by **kam_soluusar** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:24 pm

Amazing. As a Rafer fan, (Yes I said fan) it annoy's me to see the trash talked about him. His shot has dropped off a bit from last year, so now everyone hates him, (That didn't hate him already.) He is the best option we have at point, and in case you all haven't noticed, there is a shortage of premeire point guards in the league!!!! And we couldn't afford a better one, as our team is stacked, and we have no cap room. We couldn't get a better PG in a trade deal, so I say, better the devil you know. As long as we sign Patrick Mills when he nominates for the NBA, H-town will be alright. All you rafer haters will pay him out, but come finals time, you'll be jocking his D!(k.

Fickle bunch on here, aren't we.

HTown_TMac · Post #16 » by **HTown_TMac** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:01 am

kam_soluusar wrote:Amazing. As a Rafer fan, (Yes I said fan) it annoy's me to see the trash talked about him. His shot has dropped off a bit from last year, so now everyone hates him, (That didn't hate him already.) He is the best option we have at point, and in case you all haven't noticed, there is a shortage of premeire point guards in the league!!!! And we couldn't afford a better one, as our team is stacked, and we have no cap room. We couldn't get a better PG in a trade deal, so I say, better the devil you know. As long as we sign Patrick Mills when he nominates for the NBA, H-town will be alright. All you rafer haters will pay him out, but come finals time, you'll be jocking his D!(k.

Fickle bunch on here, aren't we.

Im not a hater or a fan.. I guess that would make me a fair weatherer? He hasnt convinced me yet, but if he keeps it up, I willl be impressed.

Guy986 · Post #17 » by **Guy986** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:32 am

Rafer definitely isn't the worst point guard in the league......... as long as Mike James is still starting for the wizards.

Rafer is an average PG in this league. He's just someone that everyone likes to hate. Juwan Howard is gone so i guess we gotta find a new escape goat somehow.

P.S: If Rafer is gone. Everyone will just hate on Scola.

HTown_TMac · Post #18 » by **HTown_TMac** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:03 am

Guy986 wrote:Rafer definitely isn't the worst point guard in the league......... as long as Mike James is still starting for the wizards.

Rafer is an average PG in this league. He's just someone that everyone likes to hate. Juwan Howard is gone so i guess we gotta find a new escape goat somehow.

P.S: If Rafer is gone. Everyone will just hate on Scola.

Scola is our most consistant player...

#1 person people hate is Head when he plays

tisbee · Post #19 » by **tisbee** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:56 am

kam_soluusar,
Rafer is a game-manager type PG. He's very good at it and the team wins at a respectable clip w/him.
But....in a Division w/Paul,Parker and Kidd,and having lost 2 straight Playoff Series to Williams,most Rocket fans want more than a game-manager. We suffer from PG envy and want a point who can thread a needle w/a pass,who can blow by his man and deliver a perfect pass to an open shooter he doesn't even see,who can go from end of the court to another in a flash and can score anytime he wants. Worse,the team finally has a back-up PG who seems to possess some of those qualities. And to be honest,Alston is seen as taking Francis place,and there are still those who worship Francis.

Personally,I think Alston is in the top third of starting PGs. I watch LP alot and there are some really mediocre to bad PGs out there,esp in the East. Jameer Nelson,Rondo,Harris and Rose are the best the East has and I'd take Alston over Nelson. Put Alston on the Knicks and he'd put up some big numbers.
In the West I'd take Paul,Parker,Nash,Williams,Billups over Alston. Prob Kidd,maybe the Durant's rookie Westbrook. Davis,Arenas can't stay healthy,Fisher is getting torched by quick PGs this yr,not sold on Stuckey. Don't believe Miller is an upgrade.
That said,I want more. I want a PG who will penetrate and pass to open players,which is Alston's biggest weakness to me.

Don Draper · Post #20 » by **Don Draper** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:37 am

kam_soluusar wrote:Amazing. As a Rafer fan, (Yes I said fan) it annoy's me to see the trash talked about him. His shot has dropped off a bit from last year, so now everyone hates him, (That didn't hate him already.) He is the best option we have at point, and in case you all haven't noticed, there is a shortage of premeire point guards in the league!!!! And we couldn't afford a better one, as our team is stacked, and we have no cap room. We couldn't get a better PG in a trade deal, so I say, better the devil you know. As long as we sign Patrick Mills when he nominates for the NBA, H-town will be alright. All you rafer haters will pay him out, but come finals time, you'll be jocking his D!(k.

Fickle bunch on here, aren't we.

Personally,I think Alston is in the top third of starting PGs. I watch LP alot and there are some really mediocre to bad PGs out there,esp in the East. Jameer Nelson,Rondo,Harris and Rose are the best the East has and I'd take Alston over Nelson.

No offense but your posts made me actually laugh out loud.

Here is a little trivia. Guess how many years Rafer has shot over 40% FG as a Houston Rocket.
Answer: 0

Rafer Alston will never become a good shooter because he has never shot well in his life. The problem with Rafer Alston fans is they expect him to get better, but he never does and never will. Rafer is a career 38% shooter. And Rafer is not a game manager. Game managers do their job and don't make mistakes. Rafer misses open shots and he doesn't distribute the ball well. He is no game manager.

You can't be serious about taking Alston over Nelson.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=alstora01&y1=2009&p2=nelsoja01&y2=2009
Notice the difference in offensive ratings. Laughable.

I don't hate Rafer as a person but I do hate him as the Rockets starting PG.