It has shown from the games he was missing. Steve Francis is not capable of running the show or pushing the ball up. Alston can push the ball up and run the offense he is great at setting up the offense and running it. The price you pay for alston not playing is the offense being extremely stagnat. Alston is a key factor and i think there should be more plays for him like the high pick and roll.
While Alston's play has been solid overall, he really needs to pick up his outside shooting, to say the least. He's been a solid three-point shooter through his career and this year's erratic shooting needs to be fixed. He's never been good at finishing around the basket or getting there in the first place so there's not much expectation, but as I said, he's been serviceable. That said though, I still think that Alston is best coming off the bench, and if Aaron Brooks can continue his solid play, I won't mind starting him and having Alston spell him.
Alston has been great creating plays and setting up the offense, he is also the best defensive PG on this team. Along with Luther Head. Aaron brooks might be good for this system but i'll have Rafer because he can defend and make plays. Aaron Brooks is more of a scorer than a facilitator anyways.
Point guard play is always a key for a team, especially in the guard dominated offense Adelman is trying to run in Houston. I just don't think Alston is the decision maker or shooter the Rockets need to successfully run the Princeton offense. He's never been a sharp shooter, which makes him a liability on pick and roll and when Yao kicks it out of the post. Alston only finds his rhythm on offense when he can dribble the ball. The Rockets need players who can flow within the structure of the offense and hit shots off passes instead of creating off the dribble. I agree with Locke, Alston would be a solid backup off the bench to give the Rockets a change of pace, but Alston running your halfcourt sets is a disaster.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ Dec 31 2007, 01:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Point guard play is always a key for a team, especially in the guard dominated offense Adelman is trying to run in Houston. I just don't think Alston is the decision maker or shooter the Rockets need to successfully run the Princeton offense. He's never been a sharp shooter, which makes him a liability on pick and roll and when Yao kicks it out of the post. Alston only finds his rhythm on offense when he can dribble the ball. The Rockets need players who can flow within the structure of the offense and hit shots off passes instead of creating off the dribble. I agree with Locke, Alston would be a solid backup off the bench to give the Rockets a change of pace, but Alston running your halfcourt sets is a disaster.</div> We lost pretty much every game when he was out. WHen he doesn't play our offense doesn't set-up well because nobody can set it up. Luther can't because he's not a true PG. Aaron Brooks can't really because he's more of a scorer. Alston is the best playmaker on this team along with T-Mac.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Alston is the best playmaker on this team along with T-Mac.</div> That is a recipe for a bad record.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Dec 31 2007, 02:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Alston is the best playmaker on this team along with T-Mac.</div> That is a recipe for a bad record. </div> i smell an alston hater.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 03:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Dec 31 2007, 02:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Alston is the best playmaker on this team along with T-Mac.</div> That is a recipe for a bad record. </div> i smell a <strike>n alston hater.</strike> realist </div> Fixed it for you
This is such BS. Watch or comment on more than just the games Skip has a decent night. A point guard that doesn't create shots, and HE is a big key...maybe for a team NOT going to the playoffs, which is where the rockets sit right now. Ball handler, not a playmaker.......Yao can't get the ball in the post, and all Skip can do is lob it in there and hope for the best......Not what a point guard does..... S.A., Dallas, Pho, Utah all have PG, some have more than one, that severely outplay Skip.... Boston is the only top tier team without a proven PG, but they have 3 HOF guys around him Skip has one good shooting game every other week and gets praised........NOT IN THE NBA Ricky Boy has a lot of work to do, and his new strategy of Playing Skip almost the whole way will just bury this team deeper and deeper.
again your an alston hater. Alston is the man that also runs the offense and is the facilitator he also directs the plays. However this team is a ball-movement team so the ball may not be in his hands all the time like a Steve Nash or a Deron Williams.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 09:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>again your an alston hater.</div> Stop with this. Calling people that don't share your opinion on a player a hater of said player is going to shorten your stay here.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>again your an alston hater. Alston is the man that also runs the offense and is the facilitator he also directs the plays. However this team is a ball-movement team so the ball may not be in his hands all the time like a Steve Nash or a Deron Williams.</div> Praise the Lord the ball isn't in Alston's hands as much as Steve Nash or Deron Williams. I have never been a Rafer Alston fan and frankly put I don't think this team will advance deep in the playoffs with him running the show. We aren't Alston haters, we just don't think he is the answer for the Rockets getting past the first round in the playoffs. vcTmac24, do you really think we can be the top team in the Western conference with Alston being our starting PG?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hunter @ Jan 1 2008, 05:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vcTmac24 @ Dec 31 2007, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>again your an alston hater. Alston is the man that also runs the offense and is the facilitator he also directs the plays. However this team is a ball-movement team so the ball may not be in his hands all the time like a Steve Nash or a Deron Williams.</div> Praise the Lord the ball isn't in Alston's hands as much as Steve Nash or Deron Williams. I have never been a Rafer Alston fan and frankly put I don't think this team will advance deep in the playoffs with him running the show. We aren't Alston haters, we just don't think he is the answer for the Rockets getting past the first round in the playoffs. vcTmac24, do you really think we can be the top team in the Western conference with Alston being our starting PG? </div> in my opinion if this team can hit the open shots and Alston running the offense i think they can be the top. Alston is not just here for his ability to run the offense he is also here for defense. HE is the best defensive PG we have. People say he sucks because he's getting destroyed by PG's most of the time those are superstar PG's like Nash or Deron Williams. Alston is very underrated in my opinion.
Alston is Uderatede.........HA HA HA SKip is a back up PG. HE doesn't have the passing ability to create shots....and he doesn't have the O to compensate He runs the ball up and hands it off to TMac, or throws it down into Yao.....not creating anything for anybody Yes, only the top PG's in the game severly outplay him.....GREAT POINT IF YOU ONLY WANT TO WIN REGULAR SEASON GAMES Those guys I mentioned will all be waiting in the playoffs...... Hakim Warrick and M.Miller>>>Shane, Snyder, Francis...... I don't think TMac or Yao, are the problem....the peices still aint there.....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (moeinhouston @ Jan 1 2008, 10:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Alston is Uderatede.........HA HA HA SKip is a back up PG. HE doesn't have the passing ability to create shots....and he doesn't have the O to compensate He runs the ball up and hands it off to TMac, or throws it down into Yao.....not creating anything for anybody Yes, only the top PG's in the game severly outplay him.....GREAT POINT IF YOU ONLY WANT TO WIN REGULAR SEASON GAMES Those guys I mentioned will all be waiting in the playoffs...... Hakim Warrick and M.Miller>>>Shane, Snyder, Francis...... I don't think TMac or Yao, are the problem....the peices still aint there.....</div> a legitimate alston hater has finally arrived. Yes he easily has the passing abilities to create shots. How about you just look at his highlights from his raptor days at least http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyMrm8R_8fE and in yesterday's game vs the Warriors and all he did was create.
vcTmac24, do you think TMac is a point forward? You just remind me of someone else who shared your views...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Locke @ Jan 1 2008, 10:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>vcTmac24, do you think TMac is a point forward? You just remind me of someone else who shared your views...</div> No and i'm the same guy if you hadn't realize it by now.