skip to my lou to the rockets

[GoMavsGo]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ar...ton_for_james/

skip to y lou to t-mac alley oops will come about 10 times a game!

[u2sarajevo]

Fixed link

[alby]

WHAT WHY!??! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

rafer alston
derek anderson
tracy mcgrady
stromile swift
yao ming

is a very legitimate team

[MrCheerios]

Who cares? They're the exact same player.

[alby]

Originally posted by: MrCheerios
Who cares? They're the exact same player.

no way.

maybe if you look at stats, they may seem to be the same player.
I haven't even gotten the chance to do that yet.
but, if you really followed basketball and followed their careers, they're totally different players.

early consesus:
after talking to my guys in houston, they are not liking the trade.. especially from a chemistry standpoint

[harsh euro barge]

Rafer was an absolute headcase in Toronto last year, not suprised they moved him

Hopefully he'll act the same with the Rockets

[MrCheerios]

Well if Houston fans can't stand it, that's all the proof you need. They don't like it because Rafer's got a longer deal.

[alby]

Originally posted by: harsh euro barge
Rafer was an absolute headcase in Toronto last year, not suprised they moved him

Hopefully he'll act the same with the Rockets

Vince Carter was a "headcase" in Toronto, look what he did in New Jersey =]
I think staying in Canada for too long makes you become a little crazy anyways...

[MrCheerios]

Originally posted by: alby

Vince Carter was a "headcase" in Toronto, look what he did in New Jersey =]
I think staying in Canada for too long makes you become a little crazy anyways...

Well I can tell you like Alston. Let me ask you, do you think he's as good as Terry? Didn't think so.

[Big Boy Laroux]

james was pretty damn good for houston last year, especially against us in the playoffs.

Is this definitely happening? It is realgm reporting, after all.

[alby]

Originally posted by: MrCheerios

Well I can tell you like Alston. Let me ask you, do you think he's as good as Terry? Didn't think so.

you didn't even let me answer the question..
each have distinct advantages over the other but I wouldn't consider one being clearly better.

JET is definitely a better shooter.
Alston is definitely a better playmaker.
decision making, they are both even; average at best

they are two different players who possess different playing styles, I can't really say whos better or "as good" as the other.

[alby]

Originally posted by: Big Boy Laroux
james was pretty damn good for houston last year, especially against us in the playoffs.

Is this definitely happening? It is realgm reporting, after all.

hoopshype as well..

Mike James was great for them off the bench providing a spark for the second team, he is not a starting point guard though ie Bobby Jackson.

[Nash13]

Originally posted by: Big Boy Laroux
james was pretty damn good for houston last year, especially against us in the playoffs.

Is this definitely happening? It is realgm reporting, after all.

James was probably more efficient than all their other backcourt players. While it's questionable who's the better player out of the two, i'd take James. Raefer seemed to have needed the ball more.

[alby]

Originally posted by: Nash13

James was probably more efficient than all their other backcourt players. While it's questionable who's the better player out of the two, i'd take James. Raefer seemed to have needed the ball more.

I think its pretty easy to be efficient when you are comparing yourself to Wesley, Barry, and Sura. These guys were not playing great at all other than the first two games when Houston beat Dallas in Dallas, which is the reason why James wasn't really a factor until the last half of the series.

[grndmstr_c]

james was pretty damn good for houston last year, especially against us in the playoffs.

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. Just fwiw, the Rockets were winning at about a 59% clip before they traded for James last year, and bumped that up to about 70% with him. He was a major strength for that team according to the +/- as well, in both the regular season and the playoffs.

[Rockets34Life]

Mike James's contract is expiring in a couple of years and he'll be asking for more money.

I like the trade. With a stud lineup already and adding Alston, it's going to be awesome! Plus Sura is going to be out a bit into the season, so we needed a PG. James wasn't it.

[dirno2000]

Mike James was good for them but Rafer is a true PG which IMO fills a bigger need. This is the first move they've made that really worries me.

[grndmstr_c]

Mike James was good for them but Rafer is a true PG which IMO fills a bigger need.

If I'm a Houston fan, I'm probably looking at it this way, too. I sort of doubt Alston will be any more effective than James was for the Rockets last year, but in terms of addressing the need they have at starting point, it's probably a good choice.

Just checked he and JT's head to head last year for kicks. Rafer averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 assists in 36 mpg. Jason averaged 19 points and 8.5 assists in 38 mpg.

[Five-ofan]

If you think Rafer Alston and Jason Terry are about even as basketball players you need to watch some more basketball. Alston is fun to watch and he is a decent playmaker but he isnt as good Jason Terry overall. Its really not that close.

[Just211]

great move, for Dallas. James was really the only Rocket that I feared in the Playoffs. Including TMAC(everyone knows that he'll choke eventually). But James was killer fast, and played good Defense. Alston is alright, but I'm glad James is gone

[Big Boy Laroux]

houston's total number of traveling violations per game just skyrocketed.

[dirt_dobber]

Yeah the Rockets needed another street punk to fulfill the memorys of those longing for Francis.

This is old news (1997) but news none the less.
ALSTON, RAFER
Rafer Alston, the Bucks' second-round pick in June, was jailed Tuesday on an arrest warrant issued in July because he violated his parole. He is accused of failing to complete an anger-management class and now faces a possible jail term. Alston pleaded no contest to the September 1997 assault on his former girlfriend and was required to complete a one-year anger-management course as part of his probation. For the assault he was fined $200 and suspended from two weeks of basketball practice and three games. He was suspended again in April 1998 for failing to complete probation and entered the NBA draft.
http://search2.usatoday.com:80/plweb-cgi/fastweb?state_id=916713143&view=default&numhitsfou nd=1&query=arrest%20nba&query_rule=%28$query%29&do cid =1024&docdb=sports&dbname=sports&operator=AND&Temp lateName=predoc.tmpl&setCookie=1

.

[jayC]

People overrate this guy. Bob Sura's career might be over. He gave the Rockets a log of toughness last year. Derek Andersen and Swift are upgrades. I am just not sure Rafer is?

[alby]

Originally posted by: Just211
great move, for Dallas. James was really the only Rocket that I feared in the Playoffs. Including TMAC(everyone knows that he'll choke eventually). But James was killer fast, and played good Defense. Alston is alright, but I'm glad James is gone

all you gotta do is throw DA on him =]

[chumdawg]

Didn't SS make James his bitch in the last playoffs?

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally posted by: jayC
People overrate this guy. Bob Sura's career might be over. He gave the Rockets a log of toughness last year. Derek Andersen and Swift are upgrades. I am just not sure Rafer is?

I think Rafer is a significantly bigger upgrade for them at PG than Swift is at PF. I agree with D2K; this is the first move they've made this offseason that concerns me.