Rafer is solid, but the Lakers are too tough

Jerry Tarkanian

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 | 7:23 p.m.

With the NBA Finals starting Thursday, I couldn’t be happier for Orlando Magic guard Rafer Alston, who played for me at Fresno State.

Coming out of high school in New York City, he was way in the shadows of Stephon Marbury. Rafer wasn’t a good student in high school, so he really didn’t have that big a name.

He went to Ventura College, a juco in California, and my son George was coaching at Chaffee College about 40 miles outside of Los Angeles.

So in the state tournament, Chaffee has to play at Ventura. I went up with George’s team and didn’t even know who Rafer was. I sat in the stands and watched that game, and Rafer was really good.

Ventura knocked Chaffee out of the state tournament.

After the game, Rafer came up to me and introduced himself, and we started talking. I wasn’t coaching at the time. He didn’t go back to Ventura and I wondered what had happened to him. He might not have ben eligible.

Then I took the Fresno State job and my assistant, Johnny Welch, and I flew back to New York to watch Rafer play in that famous summer league at Rucker Park.

We went to the game and it was incredible. Richie Adams and Lloyd Daniels were there. It was great. I talked with both of them, but I was shocked at how old Richie looked.

Rafer played so well we recruited him. We got him to go to Fresno City College for one year, and he played for us for one season. He averaged 11 points and more than 7 assists.

He only shot 40 percent from the field, but he has always worked on improving his shot. Milwaukee drafted him and he bounced around in the minor leagues a bit, and he played for Miami and Houston.

What a great ballhandler! They nicknamed him “Skip to my Lou” in New York and he was a legend. He was always the first in the gym and the last to leave, and he was always working on that shot.

I’m happy to see that it’s paid off. I like him a lot. He’s a good guy and very competitive. He plays intense and he’s running the show in Orlando, making good plays and taking the open shot.

But he’s not forcing anything. He’s come a long way. When he went to Houston, I spent four days with the Rockets at their preseason camp. Their top assistant had been my assistant at San Antonio.

I spent a lot of time with Rafer. He did a great job in Houston and played well in Miami before that, but he’s doing an even better job in Orlando.

In Miami, Stan Van Gundy was an assistant coach. When Rafer went to Houston he played for Stan’s brother Jeff. Then Orlando lost Jameer Nelson, and Stan remembered Rafer. Jeff highly recommended him.

I love Rafer’s interviews. He knows basketball. He’s a junkie. He loves the game. But the Lakers are so good, I have to take Los Angeles in six games in the Finals.

I felt Denver could test the Lakers, but the Lakers played so well those last two games. They have so much talent. They can shove it in overdrive whenever they want.

I do like Orlando. Of course, they have Rafer. And Dwight Howard is getting better every day. The Magic played so well against Cleveland, but the Lakers have so damn much talent.

By far, the Lakers have the most talent in the league.

A lot will depend on what Dwight Howard can do. I do love that Mickael Pietrus guy. He’s a great defender. If he can slow down Kobe (Bryant) just a little bit, Orlando would have a shot.

Stan’s done a nice job and he thoroughly outcoached Cleveland boss Mike Brown, even though the Cavaliers had the home-court advantage.

I was shocked the Celtics took the Magic to seven games. That surprised me. I didn’t like that Celtics team at all without Kevin Garnett. I thought Paul Pierce was a lot slower than he was a year ago. And Ray Allen had a great series, then a bad series.

With the Lakers and Magic, and especially Rafer, I am really looking forward to the Finals. Have fun watching the games.