Francis dissed by ticker

Dont listen to what they say.

Francis had almost everything going in for him.

Gp had almost every shot missed but most of his points came from layups after layups. He gets such easy baskets.

 

I think the article is talking about Stevie being "no match" during crunch time to Gary Payton.

Stevie was active all night long, but Payton just hit 3 or 4 straight shots at crunch time where the Rockets were close in score, which made him look much better than Stevie in this game, which is not the fact.

If it is a rookie vs. a superstar, Francis is NOT "no match".

 

Francis was hitting his shots from 12-15 feet out on the left side of the court. He got a couple baskets and the foul as well.

Payton, like Francis3 said basically ran lay-up drills. He got easy baskets because noone would step out to help Steve when Payton got by him. Too many times GP would go around a high pick and just walk it in.

Oh, a little defensive rebounding might have helped us win too.

------------------
We don't need no stinking badges!!! We need some stinking WINS!!!

 

No kidding, there were was a time where the Sonics got five consecutive chances to hit a field goal. Also, it took us half of the first quarter until we finally had a rebound.

 

You replace Seattles powerforward and center with Rogers and Bullard and Francis gets alot more than 27 points. Francis took like 16-17 shots Payton took like 29. Sure Payton had better numbers but the Rockets had everything and I mean everything except the 3-point shot going against them tonight.

 

Francis shot the ball 14 times and goes to the line like 8 times and gets 27 points.

Allen Iverson shoots the ball 45 times, goes to the line 15 times and scores about 32.

Francis doesnt play like a rookie, he is so easy to coach. What a player he is. Fun watching him play.

 

you're totally right francis3, francis is the least expensive superstar in the game. when he's on, he's 75% from the field, and everywhere on the floor, I love the guy!

 

I'm starting to wish he'd be more aggressive and take more shots. I know he is trying to get his teammates involved and I love the guy for his unselfish play, but the way he shoots that 15 footer from the left side of the free throw line is great.

------------------
We don't need no stinking badges!!! We need some stinking WINS!!!

 

Francis can't do everything. He can't play interior defense, go for rebounds, and guard the glove at the same time.
Let's face it, there was no way we were going to win last night without Cato. Olajuwon, Barkley, Massenburg, and now Cato. Man, we need some serious help on the front line. And would someone please tell Kenny Thomas to stop throwing up horrible 3 point attempts.

 

Don't pay to much attention to it. Besides I thought Francis was voted for the month of December?

Randall

 

Steve versus Gary

Well, the game I watched last night, Stevie was ahead on playmaking throughout the game. He was happening and doing it. He was working to be sure, not a lot of easy stuff, but he was in a groove midway through the game. He was an effective PG. Actually I thought he played a much more classic game as PG than the supposed "best true point guard" in the game today,as chronicled by the "sports authorities". Coverage, movement, facing up when neded, pressing deep, laying off just right, assists to teammates, taking his shots, sprint fast breeaks, sprint defensive returns. man he did it all.

Trash Talk
Gary won the trash talk. Francis out classed him by picking his moments to trash back. But Payton just never shut up. like what else is new?

Fourth Quarter
In the later part of the fourth quarter Payton clearly made his mark. But please note: No one else touched that ball for Seattle. if you give Payton the ball as often as he had it, and do nothing to shut him down, .... weakside help, splitting off, probe side defense, double down on a high pick, a forward cutting off the baseline, playing "tweeners' with your man sitting at the arc, something to break up the possession, then someone of Payton's calibre is going to score. Everytime down the court. Steve was all alone out there in the fourth trying todefend the only guy who had the ball for the last ten minutes.

You can't fault Francis for that game. we needed some guard D late and some interior defense early.

 

Exactly, popeye. Was it Francis' fault that we made Seattle's pick-and-roll look better than Utah's? Hardly.

------------------
A broken coffeepot in the dishwasher is worth five stitches in the wrist.

 

Francis played a GP as well as anyone could ask for. The fourth quarter run can be attributed to no inside help, and the Wizards walking coma. Was that three straight turn overs for him in the beginning of the quarter. Francis made GPs numbers and play a wash with his own contributions. What more can you ask for? For the most part it was a well played game, with a brain fart in the 4th...again. It was nice however to actually hear the crowd over the TV. When this team runs and creates the extra pass in the half court offense, it produces. When they try to isolate....bad things man...bad things...