2006-2007: 13.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 2.07 topg 37.5 FG%, 36.3 3PT%, 73.4 FT% 2007-2008: 12.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.12 topg 41.2 FG%, 35.0% 3PT, 65.9 FT% Difference this year: -0.5 ppg, +0.1 rpg, +0.3 apg, -0.2 spg, +0.1 bpg, +.05 topg +3.7% FG%, -1.3 3PT%, -7.5 FT% Overall, the differences in his stats this year are negligible, even his 3pt shooting is down. Last year people wanted him gone (me being one of them). What a difference that 3.7% makes, huh?
Hmmm...I think the major difference has been since January. That is why the stat is misleading. If Rafer stays with it, it's huge. If not, and he dips back to his career play, we just have to deal with a weak link on the team.
3.7% is a big jump for a guy like Rafer -- that's a huge help ... but I don't think it's just that. It's more the very high level he's played at recently. He started out the year miserably shooting the ball... worse than ever, but he rebounded and lately has been playing unbelievable -- much better than his overall season percentages in both FG% and 3P%. I do believe he will drop down to Earth, but unlike before, I'm not sure we'll see the 37% guy again -- You have to give him tremendous credit for his improvement. He certainly deserves a lot of praise and respect for that.
Yes, but Alston was steady on his numbers last year, while the first 30 games of this season was probably his worst 30 games as a pro. ( shooting wise). To come back from how bad he looked earlier is amazing. Much like how luther shot around 44% from 3's all last season, while shane went from super cold to super hot.
one reason to believe he wont be that 37 % is that he knows how to finish around the bucket much better. He could always get to the rim because he has excellent handling and speed. What a difference those lay-up drills make!
One of the reasons why the 3.75% looks so impressive is the fact that Rafer was shooting like 34% at the beginning of the season, he has shot way better for the past 2 months in order to bring up that % to were it is now.
+3.7% is misleading ...because Rafer was shooting like <30% well into December. So to improve to a +3.7% rate means he's probably been shooting somewhere over 40% since January ...which is when our win streak started.
Compare Skip's stats since this January on with the totals from all of last season. You'll see it's more than just a 3.7 increase in FG% thats making him better...
One of the things he's really improved upon is his defense. Rafer was a decent team defender last year, but now he's outstanding, and not bad one on one, depending on the matchup. I don't want to jinx the streak, so I'll keep whatever doubts I still harbor to myself. May Alston keep it going until June!
The "season average" stats for each of the Rockets players (or even the season +/- and whatever) is rather misleading at this point. There really was two separate seasons this year... November/December when the team struggled to find consistency and January to now, when the team finally started rolling.
Honestly, Alston is better than before. But he is still the weakest one comparing with other top teams of WC in our team. His assist is still not too much. Don't know anybody has noticed that, he never passed the ball after he penetrated, even there is any other teamates in the better position.
I think you can trace Rafer's improved play when he decided to drive to the basket. I think he let that part of the game dry up in Van Gundy's system. By committing to taking it to the hoop he improved in his ability to finish and this built his confidence overall.
Exactly. 43.1% and 38.8% in February, 51.4% and 44.4% in March so far! http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?playerId=11
This demonstrates two things to me: Stats don't tell the whole story and Rafer was not actual as bad as many here would have you believe
