The Official Brooks vs Alston thread

[Amel]

I'll try to keep this thread updated throughout the year, and then at the end of the seasn we can crunch some numbers. It will give us a better outlook on this trade and why it was done. I dont think that Lowry is a part of this picture and he be likely traded next year.

Aaron Brooks Rockets #0 Guard

Born: Jan 14, 1985
Height: 6-0 / 1,83
Weight: 161 lbs. / 73,0 kg.

Current NBA 2008-09 Stats

PPG 10.4
RPG 2.10
APG 2.7
EFF + 8.77

Rafer Alston Magic #1 Guard

Born: Jul 24, 1976
Height: 6-2 / 1,88
Weight: 175 lbs. / 79,4 kg.

Current NBA 2008-09 Stats

PPG 11.3
RPG 2.90
APG 5.4
EFF + 11.88

[Baller 24]

Brooks: 7-1 as a starter, held CP3, Harris, and Billups to horrible shooting and under 15 points.

[YaoZaii]

Our new agent 0 minus the injuries.

[rocketworld]

i think you should keep the post trade numbers instead. they will tell more imo

[GoDucks92]

Just like to say as a Oregon Duck fan who enjoyed watching 4 years of AB in college, hope your enjoying him! I knew the guy would do well in the NBA. He's always had the range to shoot from the NBA three and lightning fast speed to penetrate to the basket. Looks like he is definetely showing who is the starting PG!

[aamiryou]

...why do you think Lowry is going to be traded?

[Vator]

I'll go ahead and sticky this. Seems like it will probably be a hot topic for the remainder of the season.

[HTown_TMac]

I think at the time being it will look like Alston will win this battle at the moment (his AST will be high) Though Brooks stats all will go up.

[hipmaster]

Turnovers and lack of size against bigger point guards are my only worries for Brooks. He can improve on the turnovers but he ain't growing anymore. I love his game otherwise.

[T-Wack]

Alston only averages two more points and three more assists in over ten more minutes per game. This is the last time in either of their careers that they'll be comparable.

[CuttingEdge]

Not so fast about Lowry being traded. Lowry is the stronger PG and when he gets his FG percentage up he might steal the starting spot from Brooks. Just that little showcase the other night makes the scouter such as myself already conclude that Lowry is much smarter than Brooks already and probably figured out our team what took Brooks months to figure out. Also he and can drive with contact while scoring. You don't think so? Well let it be decided then.

[Amel]

...why do you think Lowry is going to be traded?

well, this trade is obviously a new beginning for the Rockets...I don't think they are counting for Brooks to be our number 1 PG over the next 4-5 years...Brooks is limited due to his size. I believe that he can work on his TO's and be much better player than he is now, but I doubt he will be a top 10 PG in the NBA...we need a top 10 PG...

Lets say we are counting on Yao for the next 5 years...this team will be built around Yao...

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash
2. we need to keep Artest, Battier, Scola
3. sign someone like Hamilton, Carter at SG
4. firepower by signing small contracts ala Horry, Barry
5. decent backup center, Deke is fine, he'll play until he's 60

[HTown_TMac]

The way Morey talked about Lowry, I highly doubt he is going anywhere.

[moofs]

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash

Why.

[CuttingEdge]

...why do you think Lowry is going to be traded?

well, this trade is obviously a new beginning for the Rockets...I don't think they are counting for Brooks to be our number 1 PG over the next 4-5 years...Brooks is limited due to his size. I believe that he can work on his TO's and be much better player than he is now, but I doubt he will be a top 10 PG in the NBA...we need a top 10 PG...

Lets say we are counting on Yao for the next 5 years...this team will be built around Yao...

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash
2. we need to keep Artest, Battier, Scola
3. sign someone like Hamilton, Carter at SG
4. firepower by signing small contracts ala Horry, Barry
5. decent backup center, Deke is fine, he'll play until he's 60

Lowry's potential is CP3, I am not **** kidding neither. Given the playing time and development of this kid he's got the handles and IQ along with the physicality to be like CP3. Lowry is a legit 6' or lil less but packs in at 205lbs!!! He's thick, very quick, strong and can take it to the rack just like CP3. Along with the intelligence factor Morey pointed out I think he can develop into to CP3 at best. Brooks build and weight and probably 2 inches shorter than Lowry won't allow him to be an elite PG but Lowry can. You just wait.

[Amel]

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash

Why.

To get the best out of Yao..

you can't invest 10 years in Yao and get nothing out of him...

better PG = better Yao

[Baller 24]

Brooks is limited due to his size. I believe that he can work on his TO's and be much better player than he is now, but I doubt he will be a top 10 PG in the NBA...we need a top 10 PG...

CP3 is pretty much the same height, so I don't know what limits his abilities, because he's got great speed, applies pretty good defensive pressure, he knows how to attack the hole very quickness, and he's got a nice shot. He's got tremendous potential if things continue to be better, because his scoring ability is pretty dam good. Did you think Devin Harris when drafted by the Mavs had the kind of upside he had this season?

Lets say we are counting on Yao for the next 5 years...this team will be built around Yao...

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash

Why? We aren't going to get our hands on any of those guys, again, Brooks has the potential and talent to be a very good player, but it's up to him on how he handles and goes his way, so I really don't think it's a good option. Because for the most part CP3 is a franchise player, Nash is going to be 36 coming off of his contract, and Parker is most likely sticking around with the Spurs.

2. we need to keep Artest, Battier, Scola

Rockets aren't going to keep Artest is he's asking for an abnormally large contract, Battier/Scola sure. Artest? Not sure, depends on the playoffs, but I highly doubt the Rockets want to pay a player that's 30 years old 9-10 million + season for the next 6 years.

3. sign someone like Hamilton, Carter at SG

Joe Johnson, we don't need anymore older players with bad contract (Carter's ends in 2011, he'll be 34, Rip is going to be old too)

4. firepower by signing small contracts ala Horry, Barry

Barry is done in 2010, most likely retiring as a Rocket like his father and brother. Horry? lol

5. decent backup center, Deke is fine, he'll play until he's 60

I agree with this, but Deke needs to leave ASAP if he's looking for a tittle, poor guy.

[moofs]

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash

Why.

To get the best out of Yao..

you can't invest 10 years in Yao and get nothing out of him...

better PG = better Yao

OK. In that case I disagree. Yao can't flash free to the open spot for a lightning-quick pinpoint pass like other bigs can. As such, a top tier PG doesn't benefit him that much (not "not at all", just "very much"). A good passing point guard WOULD help the rest of our team, and that's the function McGrady has filled (Alston was the game manager and reliable passer, McGrady was the dynamic passer - and still pretty reliable) for the last several years and one of the reasons Landry, for instance, was so awesome last year (not that he's not good this year), but you don't need a great, all-star, top-4 pg for that. (top 10 usually implies scoring) Also, you're thinking individual instead of team.

Brooks is limited due to his size. I believe that he can work on his TO's and be much better player than he is now, but I doubt he will be a top 10 PG in the NBA...we need a top 10 PG...

CP3 is pretty much the same height, so I don't know what limits his abilities, because he's got great speed, applies pretty good defensive pressure, he knows how to attack the hole very quickness, and he's got a nice shot. He's got tremendous potential if things continue to be better, because his scoring ability is pretty dam good. Did you think Devin Harris when drafted by the Mavs had the kind of upside he had this season?

Ding, and that's what I'm hoping for eventually. Just haven't seen it yet, only flashes.

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash

Why? We aren't going to get our hands on any of those guys, again, Brooks has the potential and talent to be a very good player, but it's up to him on how he handles and goes his way, so I really don't think it's a good option. Because for the most part CP3 is a franchise player, Nash is going to be 36 coming off of his contract, and Parker is most likely sticking around with the Spurs.

Exactly. Amel, you're implying that we should get one of those players, while seemingly recognizing that we aren't going to, and so apparently suggesting that we get a player who brings what those players bring without actually getting one of those players. That's an impossible thing to do, see my sig. You CANNOT get a player "like Chris Paul", you can only get Chris Paul. Not too many guys can score 21ppg on 50/35/86 shooting with 11 ast, 5.5 rpg, 3 stl, and 3 to. There's maybe a guy every decade or two that can do that, if that often. This comes right back to the "I want a superstar at every position, and when we give up one of them to get one at another position, I want one to magically show back up at the position we just got rid of one at" method of arguing that's so common here.

Joe Johnson, we don't need anymore older players with bad contract (Carter's ends in 2011, he'll be 34, Rip is going to be old too)

Signing Rip would indeed suck unless it was for cheap (pry not happening, I almost guarantee you someone gives him a bad Carteresque contract that pays him 10mil when he's 36. GMs fail at math). Trading for him might not be bad. He expires next year when he'll be 31/32. I hear rumors that we now have a contract we might not want.

[aamiryou]

1. we need a great PG/CG, not a good one, a great one...ala CP3, Parker, Nash

Why.

To get the best out of Yao..

you can't invest 10 years in Yao and get nothing out of him...

better PG = better Yao

I don't really think that is the case. Yao has some pretty severe limits that take away the effectiveness of a great PG. He's slow, has mediocre to bad hands, and has balance issues. He's not someone that is ever going to be very effective on a drive and dish or pick and roll type situation.

That actually might be my biggest issue with AB right now... more so than any defensive liabilities or court awareness... when he's doing a post entry, he almost always has to throw a bounce pass, because of his height. That brings out all of Yao's worst qualities again, and we've all seen Yao get stripped of the ball by a small guard when he's trying to bring the ball up a million times. I'm hoping we can run most of our post entries through Battier, but that adds an extra pass and Adelman seems to be stressing shots early in the clock.

Re: Lowry -- I don't think he will be traded. He's young, cheap, fits the system, and has good upside. I liked what Adelman said after the last game -- with AB and Lowry, we can keep the same style/tempo the whole game. I've always liked a change of pace player myself, and I think there was no way we would have gone down 16 to the mavs with Alston there (i.e. Adelman telling the team to slow down and play together -- what Alston brings), but for what Adelman wants to run with quick shots and movements, a half-court general like Alston might not be needed.

The Yao question still remains, since he obviously has to be a part of the offense, but I think the current PG duo can work.

[Baller 24]

Lowry = Devin Harris, but 3 inches shorter and without the mid range jump shot. Kyle is fantastic at getting to the hole and drawing fouls, while he's also a fabulous defender.