I haven't given up on Steve, but he's certainly not untouchable to me new coach\offense\uniforms or not. Steve at PG -> There are better PGs Steve at SG -> There are better SGs What I'm now looking for from Steve is chemistry in a system where Yao is the hub. If he can't blend in, trade him (and others), and find some players who can blend in. Once again, there are better players out there, no need to keep waiting on Steve.
I would trade him now if there was another "franchise" player on the block(ie, Kidd, Vince, Brand, JOneal, whoever). Maybe for good players + a pick if the pick is high enough. But I know the rox would never do that. I wouldn't want to trade him for crap like we did with Pip tho. I'd rather wait out Stevies contract and hope he eventually "gets it".
Sorry to the Fans that follow Steve Francis. He isn't a Point Guard and will be eaten alive as an NBA Shooting Guard in at least 50% of the Games. We need a complete removal of the Rockets serious problems. Either Trade Yao Ming or the Guards! We must decide what type of team are we going to have and then get players that play that type of Game. There is an alternative:- Our players listen to and obay the Coach,then stop doing there own thing on the court. This could work out if the Coach is demanding Team play above all personal aspirations!
Look, they've only played together one year, I will even give Rudy that excuse. And as far as listening to the coach, How many times does somebody have to write that Steve took less shots per game as the season progressed.
IF we have Larry Brown, I give Steve 1/2 a year. Right to the trading deadline. I completely trust Brown if he dumps him. I'd guess Brown would try Steve out for 1 and 1/2 years, though. Trade midseason second year for whatever Brown wants to make Ming win.
trading steve in less than 2 years puts yao ming in a position where he has to carry the team. . . . . . . . . . . . . unless you're trading for vince, that is.
"I may be in the minority, but I'm more than willing to wait 3 years for this team to develop into a championship-caliber team. It's worth the wait. How long did we have to wait before with Hakeem? Just thinking about the potential of this team with all the raw talent it has..." Answer: Francis is no Hakeem and unless he changes his attitude he never will be.
I always thinks, Does Steve really deserve the Max Contract? Is it another bad big deal for Rockects?
I think Steve really improved a lot this year, and especially the second half of the year made every effort to pass and get his teammates involved. His TO's also dropped a lot the second half of the year. I think we don't even start the Steve F. countdown until either his teammates put forths something close to the effort that Steve does, or he gets new teammates that will. Once we see that, then it will be ok to start the countdown for Steve. Right now night in and night out, Steve is one of the only ones that dives on the floor for balls, leaps out of bounds trying to save them, and works hard on the glass for rebounds. Sometimes another teammate will put forth a decent effort as well, but so many times the team does not play with the energy and effort that Francis does. I don't expect them to be able to do all the things that Steve does, but I would like to see the effort.
I always thinks, Does Steve really deserve the Max Contract? Is it another bad big deal for Rockects?
follow up question for both "fast forward" threads. If a new coach and back court changes don't produce more than a quick spanking in the 1st round, who do you have the least patience for: 1. If we go with the Rookie Coach X and not Brown, I'll always have less patience for Coach X than Steve Francis 2. No matter who the coach is, I'll always have less patience for Steve Francis than a coach 3. Larry Brown is no more special than Rudy or anyone else, all always have less patience for the coach than Steve Francis
heypartner, You might want to clarify that question a bit. I mean, even a "1 & Done" in the playoffs next year, for example, is an improvement. If anything, that would be an encouraging development. Now, after 3 years, that's another story...
I'm not following...if we need drastic changes like fire the change and blowing up the team, that is *because* we expect one and done *this* year, right? In other words, we really should be a second round team next year. #8 seed and pasted in the playoffs isn't going to cut it in my book anymore than "barely" missing the playoffs this year is. I mean, with Utah likely folding without Stockton and Malone leaving (presumably), then that makes us a #8 seed by default, right? I'll leave it to you to clarify the question, more.
Why do people think L. Brown will save this team? Did he get Mutombo from the Hawks, then failed miserably? I believe Brown & Phily fans were talking about the title after the trade, now Mutombo is playing for the Nets. If he failed to produce with AI/Mutombo/Snow, why do you think he can produce with Francis/Yao/???
Okay maybe, Stevie is doin what it takes to make the playoffs, but his supporting cast is asleep so much that it cant be done 1 on 5. You got a pot head pf who just stands at the three point line, you gotta a wanna be all-star who just does it for the numbers, you got the worst back up point gaurd in the history of the nba, you got worn out legged Glen Rice, and then you got poor ol stevie, who wants it so bad, but cant becasue his teamates are all on pot...
LOL. It's ridiculous. Even if we can't make the playoffs next year or the year after, you still give him time? Just because he has those 20/6/6 numbers and hit a clutch shot once in a while? If things don't work out, you gonna move on. Grant Hill, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury have all been traded and their teams all got better after the trades.
Blame the supporting cast and role players all you want. They don't have much trade value and would only get us back similar level role players. When things don't work out for a long time, more often than not, the guy with biggest contract and trade stock will be traded. And yeah you don't think Francis has as much responsibility for not making the playoffs as those role players? You don't think he needs to improve big time? But you don't wait a guy to improve forever.
dude francis isnt the the MIAN problem on this team. Hes been trying to hep the team all he can. Comon they arnt going to trade steve over the offseason. As of rght now steve and yao are both untouchable. Most likely if you wanna point the finger its the coaching staff, and Mobley.