Would you take a risk on Rafer Alston?

by zconkk on May 6, 2011 11:07 AM PDT

The Blazers need a experienced back up pg. Looking at the free agent list there is not many players tha t the blazers could reasonably sign this summer, but one player kept popping up in my mind..... Rafer Alston. Heres a player that has had some problems with coaches in the past which is the biggest factor and is 32 which could affect his speed. Yet he is still a good point guard that started on the magic when they went to the finals, was in houston for several seasons in the playoffs and is a solid ball handler, he wont get you a game winning shot but he can get the ball to a guy that can take that shot. He has a career average of 10.1 points 4.8 assists 1.2 steals and 2.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game which is bound to drop significantly as a full time back up behind the iron man Andre Miller. The Blazers could sign Alston on a non guaranteed contract like Boston did with Delonte West this season and if Alston has problems with being a backup or with Nate McMillon then Cho can cut him loose and not have to pay the salary tax and his contract for the year if the Blazers send him packing. Tell me what you think.

Poll

If you were Rich Cho would you take a chance on Rafer Alston?

yes

46 votes

no

107 votes

depends on his attitude

24 votes

177 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 22 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

You mean Reefer Alston"

by oregonslee on May 6, 2011 11:53 AM PDT reply actions

I'd rather sign Earl Boykins

Skip to my lou didn’t even play a single game in the NBA this season.

Improve the team drawer! Your offseason player personnel thread.

by 420Phenom on May 6, 2011 11:56 AM PDT reply actions

I loved Skip to My Lou in the day

but the dude is tooooo old now.

I still might do it if we really needed a third string PG in the post season

Elitism - It's lonely at the top. But it's comforting to look down upon everyone at the bottom.

by thankyouforblaze on May 12, 2011 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh Puuleeeeeezzzzz

Both Patty Mills AND Armon Johnson are better choices….EASILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LaMONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by LaMarvelous on May 6, 2011 12:22 PM PDT reply actions

Can we invite Iverson and Marbury for a 1 on 1 workout? I'd watch that one on Trailblazers.tv

by Norsktroll on May 6, 2011 1:00 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

We need a long term solution at starter, not a back up

by lumberjak on May 6, 2011 1:21 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

skip to my louuuu

Jeff Pendergraph:
FGM - 3
FGA - 111
Min - 30
Reb - 10

by Tofu Anonymous on May 6, 2011 1:35 PM PDT reply actions

Bad idea. Very bad idea.

by StinkyMojo on May 6, 2011 4:58 PM PDT reply actions

Well Andre is good for another 3+ years. By that time we should be able to secure a replacement for him. I don’t think Alston is a good fit here, but options are always there.

by Chea Cubana on May 7, 2011 5:44 AM PDT reply actions

Why?

If we’re going to be using an old pg, I much rather have Andre.

by hoodieNation on May 7, 2011 10:35 AM PDT reply actions

Alston hasn't even been in the league lately... and he too is kind of old.

Total non-starter.

ignacio

by ignacio on May 7, 2011 12:23 PM PDT reply actions

i think he is implying he would be andre's back up

Fire Nate; hire Rick Adelman
(time and money cures all wounds)
trade for Iggy
goal for next year: go year without using hardship exemption

by thomasikehara on May 7, 2011 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh I think you're playing around with that "irony" thing I've heard about

because of course I meant that the IDEA was a total non-starter

but now that the Blazers are in their off-season I guess this site will be overrun with all kinds of goofy and unrealistic ideas…..and this will go on for a long long time.

ignacio

by ignacio on May 7, 2011 8:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Well you figure he’s going to at least get a Steve Blake-level deal, and with the Blazers over the cap, I don’t think he’s worth the contract + luxury tax hit.

I can see the Blazers going two ways (with the caveat that have not researched the feasability of either option):

1. Obtain the PGOTF and keep Miller so he can groom him for a year;
2. Keep Miller as the primary option, obtain at veteran backup at the veteran’s minimum (assuming that’s still available under the new CBA), and continue trying to groom Johnson or Mills as a backup PG. This option delays the long term PG solution for another year.

I can’t see the Blazers going with a veteran who would be at or near a midlevel salary to fill the PG hole… that would only make sense if they were already a top five team needing to fill a rotation spot, not a top ten team that needs to upgrade several areas of their roster including PG.

"Ted Thompson's running Brett Favre out of Green Bay was the biggest mistake by a GM in the history of the league."

-Skip Bayless, November 2008

by The Cactus Leaguer on May 7, 2011 4:28 PM PDT reply actions

Scratch that

I just looked him up – yikes, he turns 35 in July and played in China last year… thought he was still messing around in Houston or wherever. Well if they can’t find anyone better at the veteran’s minimum and he’s cleaned up his act, then maybe he’s not a bad insurance pickup. Certainly not the upgrade we need though.

"Ted Thompson's running Brett Favre out of Green Bay was the biggest mistake by a GM in the history of the league."

-Skip Bayless, November 2008

by The Cactus Leaguer on May 7, 2011 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Lessee...

35 years old, can’t shoot, been out of the league for a while, not a good reputation.

On the plus side….

Nope.

by Corwin71 on May 7, 2011 4:42 PM PDT reply actions

rafer alston is alway the guy to bring up when someone says we should bring in a guy because he started on a finals team

Fire Nate; hire Rick Adelman
(time and money cures all wounds)
trade for Iggy
goal for next year: go year without using hardship exemption

by thomasikehara on May 7, 2011 5:31 PM PDT reply actions

At that rate, Jason "White Chocolate" Williams' name will be bandied around next.

"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."

by AK1984 on May 7, 2011 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions

OMG IS HE AVAILABLE!?!?!?

(fans face frantically with hand)

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on May 13, 2011 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions

The Blazers need....

A lot more than just a solid back up point guard. Alston is good but there’s probably a lot better back up point guards the Blazers can sign. Was Alston even on a team last season? Look, the Blazers need another STAR on their team before they can be considered a contender so I don’t even want to hear about role players. If we’re talking about speed in the back court why not just see how Armon Johnson or Patty Mills develop in the off season?

by Aaron Sass on May 8, 2011 4:07 PM PDT reply actions

absolutely not

Rafer Alston was never a significant upgrade on Patty Mills/Armon Johnson in the first place. And he’s been out of the league how long?

Whatever. Alston’s not better than a replacement-level player. Plenty of D-League guys are better. We’re only a year or two away from seeing guys who are starting, but corpses, being simply cut and replaced with D-League guys making the minimum.

M, period. Fresh, comma.

by manzell on May 9, 2011 12:27 PM PDT reply actions