Micheal Jordan - 7,474 playoff minutes Larry Bird - 6,886 playoff minutes Hakeem Olajuwon - 5,749 playoff minutes Charles Barkley - 4,849 playoff minutes Playing 48 mpg, Steve Francis will have to play in 100 playoff games just to catch Barkley. There are 336 minutes in a 7 game series. Francis will have to play every minute of 14 7-games series' to catch Barkley. I'll cut him some slack after his 2nd 7 game series.
thiis is the first time that steve has an off the court problem. In a five year carrer, your bound to get into one problem?
If you aspired to greatness, what would be the yardstick you would measure yourself by? I may have this incorrect, but what problems were created by MJ, Bird, Dream, Sir Charles, Magic or Zeke in their first 5 years? Did not all of their "issues" surface long after they had performed in many playoff games? Is the missed flight the only one problem or do we count the "I won't play for Vancouver" attitude?
SF didn't miss anything but a plane flight from a city 1 hour away 28+ hours before the game. To watch the game on TV, NOT attend anything game or practice related. They could have let him and any others fly in the next morning in plenty of time for any morning shoot around. They could have fined him the amount of a missed game and probably not lost. Result? SF - same amount of money lost JvG - doensn't get to stroke his ego doesn't get to start his boy - the washed up MJ doesn't have players who are tanking to defend their boy doesn't get the L, by his own stupidity and ego
ricerocket -- you're missing the point entirely...the point is that he openly defied his coach. whether that involves going to the end of the bench at a game when you find out you're not going to be the one taking the last shot (pippen) or willfully not travelling with your team so you can hang out and party while they're all doing their job....it's the same message. he cares more about himself and his parties and everything else than he does about this team...the proof is in the pudding.
OK now, this is getting silly. I think that it's time for EVERYONE to step back and try to regain some semblance of objectivity. F4P: so SF can do no wrong in your book well that's your perogative. If you want to believe that somehow, some way, he is the "chosen one" that will lead this team to the NBA title, well that's your perogative also. But to continue to vehemently attack others ("lesser minds") who fail to share your steadfast devotion to SF is being rather uncivil. The truth is that SF has become somewhat of a lightning rod in this our season of discontent. His conduct this past weekend nonewithstanding, he has YET to deliver on his promise and potential. After 4 1/2 years, he's nowhere close to becoming a complete player - a TRUE franchise player to build a team around. If fans are disgruntled with SF well maybe, just maybe that's what 4 years in the NBA lottery will do for you. It's become hard to continue to believe in this team when they keep upchucking on the court like the past 4 games. They have changed coaches, players - everything but the boobs in the front office yet the product on the court continues to stink. At some point you simply have to quit making excuses for SF & Co. and start looking at the bottom line. It's all about RESULTS. That's been the message that JVG has been preaching from Day One. SF simply doesn't get it - he's never been held accountable for his lack of progress and development on the court until this year by JVG. Only someone who really did not give a damn about his team would have pulled the stunt he pulled on Sunday. To compound the matter, he then gets his agent to LIE about what happened - he doesn't even have the guts to admit he was wrong. I'm sorry but that dog just won't hunt. THIS is the guy on whom you want to stake the future of this franchise? SF has run out of BS room. You can tell a lot about a player in how they react to adversity. I think we're seeing the true nature of "Stevie Franchise" and it's not exactly what some people want to see. I'll say this: From this point forward, SF had better get his head straighten out and start PRODUCING on the court because until he does so, he's the one with the "lesser mind".
i cant believe i actually read this garbage. the flight was set for sun night. francis knew that. if EVERYONE ELSE could make the flight, why couldn't francis? he's supposed to be the "leader" and "captain" of this team. i guess he doesn't believe in leading by example.... when francis leaves, here's hoping he takes you with him.
I bet Steve was already mad at JVG for saying they lost heart. I have never seen Steve lacking heart or effort out on the court. Then JVG says nobody can go to the superbowl when they all could of went and made it to Phoenix in plenty of time for the morning shoot around. I would be a bit pissed off with the coach too.
Ooops... What I meant to say above was, that team chemistry is a bigger issue. I don't condone insubordination, and this definitely fits the bill. Team had a scheduled flight, Steve says "I have something to take care of... I'll catch a later flight", JVG says no, and if you miss this flight you're suspended". Now whether or not I or anyone else feel like JVG was being unreasonable here, Steve's response should have been to have his but on the flight. He doesn't and we are destroyed by a sub-par Phoenix team, on a night when just about everyone had a bad shooting night and no ones heart seemed to really be in the game (evidenced by our lack of defensive effort). Is the team silently sending a message that they too feel that JVG was unreasonable and Steve should have been allowed to catch a later flight? I truly hope not, but the timing for this could not have been worse considering JVG's earlier questionings of his teams heart.
Steve could MAKE the flight. Why was the flight in contridiction to the Rockets organization and players being able to stay in Houston and take advantage of the many opportunities their on numerous levels. Whay did sitting in hotel watching the game have to do with helping the team" It is all about JVG trying to stroke his ego and show who's the boss at the expense of many other lost opportunities. SF weighed the opportuity costs. The Rockets blew it by not just fining him and letting him play and getting the win. I'm not defending SF soi much as I'm saying was a bad decision on two parts by the coach: Don't schedule the flight at the unnecessary time; Don't suspend him - fine him - get the win This smacks of JvG on his typical power trip. What's next? Does he wrap himself around Yao's leg like he did Mourning?
I too agree that this could have been avoided. It was a forseeable event. Both parties should have arrived at a middle ground for some kind of a win-win situation. and it could have been done before the season. But essentially what you have is neither party backing down from their position. Because Francis does not have a track record of playing hookie, nor does the rest of the team, it would seem logical that everyone could be a part of the show that Houston was putting on. In exchange for that perhap Van gudy could have gotten an extra practice or workout in exchange. Totally avoidable from both parties persepective. What happened reflects poorly on the organization as much as it does Steve Francis. What happened was that both parties lose. Both parties could have won in this situation.
What I would like to know is how far in advance is the teams travel plans made. If the situation is when they normally have a game in Phoenix they fly out the day of the game, then after having the 3 game losing streak JVG decides to reel in the team, I have no problem with Steve did. If the travel plans were made in advance, then Steve decided to not show up, then he deserves heat for this one action. And I’m sure Steve is upset about the no heart comment. Steve grew up without his parents, raised by his grandmother in a very bad part of town, plays high school basketball briefly during his freshman year, goes to juco, becomes a juco all-American, goes to Maryland, becomes an all-American, gets drafted #2 in the nba draft, graduates from the university of Maryland, donates money and time to his school and he has no heart??????? But JVG who quits on his team when times get tough has the nerve to pass judgment??? I would have no problem with Steve demanding a public apology from JVG. Critize some basketball skills or IQ but questioning someone’s heart is low and classless.
I have been reading the posts here and am truly amazed at how some of you can sit here and still defend Steve's actions. I mean how do you defend the fact that he willingly defied his coach by not making the flight, broke team rules by not making the flight, showed a complete lack of class and leadership by putting the Super Bowl before his team mates.....should I go on? He is labeled as the team captain, but that is all it is, a label.... A captain of the team should be the first one at the plane and confronting anyone who is late for the flight. A team captain should be challenging the team and questioning thier heart. A team captain would not put the Super Bowl before his teams needs in the midst of a three game losing streak. There are other examples I could give but I think my point is driven home. Now having said that, I know the SF lovers are going to try and bash this post but go ahead, you can try and justify his actions, say he is a great athlete, etc. There are skeletons in everyones closet; Majic Johnson was notorious for chasing women, Larry Bird was often seen in bars and started many a bar fight, Robert Parish was blunt smokin' machin, Michael Jordan was a compulsive gambler....get my point. The difference is that they all have rings on there fingers because they were team leaders, brought it every night, busted there butts in practice, before practice, after practice etc... Maybe he can change only time will tell...
Exactly. It doesn't matter how far in advance the plan was made, other than it shouldn't have been scheduled then.
wtf? how is jvg at fault? surely steve doesn't have to lie about the issue. the whole "my word over yours" thing with vg sounds like somebody with an ego. the dude just lied to you, ricerocket... and you don't blame him? in your career, ricerocket, are you lucky enough to be your own boss? if not, have you ever had your employer ask something of you that you thought was completely ridiculous... but you did it anyway? and i'm sure you didn't get paid $100,000/48 mins to do it... or did you? perspectives are a tad bit different, but you do get the point.
OK kid, your midterm has just been postponed, since I know you all are busy partying during the superbowl week.
If SF3 had enjoyed Football more than Basketball when ROX lost 3 streak games, I don't think that SF3 could lift ROX even if he could play against SUNs.
