Iverson did it, and he's shorter with a smaller vertical leap. Well, Steve is 6'3" and has a 42" vertical leap. Who's the tallest 2 guard out there? Penny? But 2 guards should be at least 6'5" I don't disagree, except with the exception of Iverson and Francis. Few guys are natural scorers and Francis is one, I say get another point guard. Francis can go out and get close to 30 points night in and night out. Heck Drew has done a decent job at the point. It's all about putting up the best team possible. If you can upgrade you overall team, I say do it. ------------------
I agree that Francis is optimally a 2 guard... but that was part of the reason Francis refused to play for Vancouver. He prefers the point. Besides, we don't have anyone who can play the position better right now, anyway. We can always hope he'll cut down his turnovers... something has to change, we can't have a PG with a turnover/assist ratio of 6.5/3.9. That's not acceptable. ------------------ [This message has been edited by haven (edited April 04, 2000).]
Vince, I just posted something similar in a different thread. Stevie has too much game to try to keep every else involved. I think we need to do one of 2 things: Find a big PG who can D up on a bigger SG or find a point forward (like Anthony Mason) who we can run the offense through. Stevie is a great player. He has too much offensive game to play the point with this team. I could see him playint the point if we had a good offensive team who could get off their own shots, but we need Stevie to score and when he is the PG he needs to keep others involved (he seemed to do a nice job of keeping everyone involved in the 1st half). ------------------
Hard to say....he would succeed in either role. But he has a lot to learn at the point guard spot. If he moved to SG, he may fit right in immediately. I prefer him to learn the point and run the show, however. OH, and I think Allan Houston is the tallest SG at 6'10".....of course, I have heard announcers and such classify his height all over the charts...so who knows how tall he really is. ------------------ HOOP-T Hey Shaq, Acme called, and they want their bricks back!
As long as Steve still does the monstrous flying dunks ( like when he made the fool out of Big Country last night ) I don't care what position he plays. Whether he is labeled as a 1 or a 2, he'll still probably play both positions. ------------------
Be patient. With time and experience his TOs will go down and his assists will go up. This is his rookie season. He wants to be a PG, he's sufficiently good that he should be humored, so give him some time to learn the position. Of course, he'd make a great SG, but, with some practice, he'll make a great PG too. Switching him would create too much of a headache -- displaced Anderson and Mobley, a disgruntled Francis, people complaining that Drew is our starting PG, etc. ------------------
Good thread. Francis wants to be a point guard and he has got the skills to break down a defense (which is something the Rockets have not had for quite a while.) I predict that this season will be his lowest assists per game and his highest turnovers per game averages for his career. I just would not want to take the rock out of his hand. ------------------
Ask Isiah, Magic, GP or Marbury if a point guard isn't doing his job when he scores. I think there is no question in my mind Francis causes opponents more havoc playing the point than any other positions. He is just a rookie on a team that needs to finish the season with a few more close losses. If he leads the league in TO the next few years, after he has more seasoning and his teammates have had more time to feel him out, then this might become a worthwhile debate. Right now it is no contest, Stevie is a point, and one of the best ones in the league at that. Should have read the more recent posts, ditto to JV & NoWorries. [This message has been edited by sir scarvajal (edited April 05, 2000).]
His turnover/assist ratio just doesn't support your point. Compared to other excellent young guards, it sucks. Now, i know that he didn't play the poing at Maryland. Given that, I'd allow him a bad ratio, but expect it to be IMPROVING. It's not, it's getting worse. Francis is a 2. Get over it. ------------------
Wanting Francis to be a SG is a win-now attitude. You don't want to allow the team any time to learn or get better, you want results immediately. Be patient, you'll get results out of him yet. Just because he doesn't have the assists now doesn't mean he'll never get them. He'll get them after he's had more experience at the point. In any case, just as the Rockets won't win now, Francis won't play SG. You say he should be a SG, but it just ain't gonna happen. Get over it. ------------------
I'm not saying he WILL be a SG, I'm saying he should. Hypotheticals aren't exactly rare on this BBS . Can you find another quality PG with aturnover/assist ratio similar to Francis? I tried, and couldn't. Why should he improve his ratio, when he hasn't all year? I hope he proves me wrong... but there's no shame in being a SG. It doesn't diminish a player... just ask Phil Jackson who he has to thank for his current fame . ------------------
HOOP-T, there is no way that allan houston is 6'10" he's 6'6" or 6'7" at best. ------------------ "Don't they get cable in Canada ?" Keith olbermann, after watching hakeem block terry catledge's shot 5 times.
Steve Smith's 6'8" Penny Hardaway is 6'7" Plus, with Sprewell and Houston can you really tell who's playing SF and who's playing SG? ------------------ I have a dream.........his name's Hakeem.
If Francis is moved to a SG position, then the Rockets have to go out for a taller point guard. Who fits that bill? Maybe Penny Hardaway, but most of you guys are soured on him (plus he's under contract). Who else is there? Frankly Francis at the SG can really put the Rockets at a disadvantage against the bigger SG if there is not some big body to put on them. Actually, I who do play a lot of basketball, 2" is a world of Difference when your defending the opponent. But, can Francis' leaping ability overcome that? One thing is for sure, if Francis is moved to the 2Guard he will score 25K to 30K points and 5K assists in his career. If he stays at PG he will get 15K points and 8 to 9K assists. The up side is SG. ------------------
The biggest jump you normally see is between a player's rookie and second season. If you accept that axiom, then let Francis play another season (or a part thereof) and compare season to season stats to see if he has improved. And frankly, if he is not able to become a better PG in the coming years, I don't think he'll become a better SG either. Playing at his current level as a rookie with great potential is fine, but in a few years, the potential talk will go away and he'll have to have learned something. ------------------