What happened to Rafer Alston?

[Donkeybong]

He went from starting in the NBA finals last season, to being suspended indefinitely from the Heat.

Am I missing something? He seemed like a pretty solid player last year in the Finals, before SVG fucked up the whole thing.

[sribb43]

Skip to my Lou thinks he is better than he really is...at best, he is a backup PG on shitty team

[Kai]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/65183/20100307/heat_suspend_alston_indefinitely/

Heat Suspend Alston Indefinitely

The Miami Heat announced Saturday that Rafer Alston, while having made contact with the team via text message, has made himself otherwise unavailable to the team.

As a result he has been suspended indefinitely.

Alston, who is in his 11th NBA season, was signed as a free agent by the HEAT on January 7, 2010. He has appeared in 52 games this season (38 starts) with the HEAT and New Jersey Nets and has averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 0.96 steals and 27.3 minutes. He started all 25 games in which he appeared for Miami this season and averaged 6.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 0.92 steals and 26.2 minutes.

[noob cake]

He went from starting in the NBA finals last season, to being suspended indefinitely from the Heat.

Am I missing something? He seemed like a pretty solid player last year in the Finals, before SVG fucked up the whole thing.

Fact: Skip is better than your bench PG
Fact: Skip can't shoot worth a damn
Fact: Skip shouldn't start for anyone

[duhoh]

Fact: Skip is better than your PG
Fact: Skip can't shoot worth a damn
Fact: Skip shouldn't start for anyone

fify

[Indazone]

Skip sucks balls but he is better than the average bench player and can run the offense. Should never be allowed to shoot.

[duncan228]

Spoelstra calls Alston situation ‘unfortunate’ (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heat-alstonsuspended&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Suspended point guard Rafer Alston did not practice again with the Miami Heat, and his second stint with the team appears over.

His lone communication with the team in several days has been through text messaging.

“It’s unfortunate because we’re going through a major playoff push right now,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday. “And what we’ve emphasized since the very first day of training camp is purity. You’re either in or you’re out. And I guess he’s declared that he’s out. So we know who our group is now.”

Spoelstra said the Heat have spent the past few days deciding who, if anyone, they would sign to replace Alston, who remains on the roster. Without him, the Heat have only two point guards, Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers, though Dwyane Wade logs plenty of minutes at the position.

Alston has not responded to requests for comment. He said before Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers that he had been removed from the starting lineup, but gave no indication he planned to leave the team.

The Heat entered Monday holding the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, 1 1/2 games behind No. 5 Milwaukee and a game ahead of No. 9 Charlotte. Miami visits the Bobcats on Tuesday night.

“We’ve got games to play,” Wade said. “We’ve got to focus on who’s here and what we’re doing.”

Alston started March 2 against Golden State, played the first 6 1/2 minutes, then appeared to be upset when taken out. He did not play again in that game nor in Thursday’s game against the Lakers.

He was not at the arena for Saturday’s win over Atlanta, and the Heat announced his suspension about two hours after the game.

“I really don’t know what’s going on,” Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. “I just know I haven’t seen him. It’s not really a distraction. Nobody knows anything about that situation. I know we’ve won three in a row and we’ve got to move forward.”

[Indazone]

I guess it's too late for anyone to sign him now...is he done? Will he play next season and for whom?

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-03-12/sports/sfl-miami-heat-rafer-alston-s031210_1_mario-chalmers-suspended-heat-president-pat-riley

Heat's Alston suspended for season, removed from roster
March 12, 2010|By Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel
MIAMI — Rafer Alston's sudden departure from the Miami Heat took another twist Friday night, when the veteran point guard was placed on the NBA's Suspended List, and therefore suspended for the balance of the season without the possibility of a return.

Alston left the team a week ago after being demoted from his starting role. His only contact with the team since has been a text message to a team trainer that he would not be reporting.

He since has mentioned a recent suicide attempt by his twin sister as a contributing factor to his departure.

"While we are aware, through media reports, of the personal issue that Rafer is going through, we still have not heard from him," Heat President Pat Riley said in a statement issued after Friday night's 108-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls at AmericanAirlines Arena. "As stated before, our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family during this time, but we are at the point where we must move forward with the rest of the season during our playoff push.

"Therefore, we are placing Rafer on the suspended list and suspending him for the remainder of the season. We wish Rafer nothing but the best and thank him for his contributions."

While Alston already had been suspended without pay, the latest move removes him from the team's roster, leaving the team with 13 players, two below the league maximum.

The Heat has yet to sign a replacement, with starter Carlos Arroyo and backup Mario Chalmers the only point guards on the roster.

Alston appeared in 25 games with the Heat, starting each, after arriving in as free agent in January following a buyout from the New Jersey Nets, averaging 6.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 26.2 minutes.

[DaDakota]

He sucked his way right out of the league.

DD

[lefty]

Skip was a good fit for Orlando during the 2009 playoffs

And then SVG decided to play Jameer Nelson in the Finals :pctoss