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An excellent article about poor PG play, and yes, that includes Francis.

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by DaDakota, Nov 29, 2001.

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  1. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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  2. Wakko67

    Wakko67 Contributing Member

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    I read that article too and some of the things that the writer talks about, Steve does.

    - Going inside to kick it out to shooters
    - Going inside, drawing the defense and passing to Kevin.
    - On the few fast breaks they get Steve rarely takes the shot himself if someone runs with him.
    - Also if Cato happens to play well he gets rewarded with an alley-oop, Willis with a lay-up.

    Also in Steve's defense, it's not easy to get assists if no one's hitting their shots. In truth he could get better, but he's not that bad. Even the writer doesn't give him too criticism.

    BTW I don't like marbury and the writer knows what he's talking about concerning stephon, but it must be pointed out that he usually has good assist numbers. I haven't seen him play enough to know if they're cheap assists or "mega-assists," but he does get his.
     
  3. Live

    Live Member

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    Pretty good article, though I don't think a lot of people on this board will agree with him, especially the "...his coach lets him play one-on-one..." comment.

    Increase the overall talent level surrounding Steve, and maybe his decision-making improves as his trust in his teammates grows.

    The artlicle's right on the mark.
     
  4. O-dawg

    O-dawg Contributing Member
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    Okay. I've had about enough of this. It's the same thing with you every year Dada'. You complain and complain about how the Rockets gaurds (especially Francis) are just not "smart" enough and don't pass the ball, while keeping your blinders on to the offense that the Rockets run and the Coach who calls the plays... Damn it if your going to critisize and harp on one then you have to do the same with the other.

    Our offensive scheme is just as much to blame as our gaurds. Or are you going to tell me that the ISO\Pick-n-roll is designed to get the ball in the hands of an open cutter. If so then where the hell is the cutter... right there is none. Why? because there is no motion in our offense. Period. When Steve or Cuttino come of that pick (which is never set correctly) it is either for a pull-up shot, a drive, dish to the man setting a pick (which is almost never there, because every team but us switches and\or steps out) , or hope that we draw the defense in some for an open three (which we can't seem to hit with any consistency).

    Hell Dada' even the article itself places some of the blame on Rudy and his crappy offense, or did you have your blinders on for this little tid bit as well...

    Francis worries me, because his coach encourages one-on-one basketball -- and rightly so, because it gives a mediocre, undersized team a better chance to win -- but that offense has turned Francis into a "shoot-first" guy.

    Well...
     
  5. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    O-Dawg,

    Francis does pass ok, but he is a POINT GUARD, if he is going to play POINT GUARD, then he should be getting more people involved early in the game and take over late.

    The offense is **** right now, and guess who is running it? Yep, FRANCIS !!!! Rudy can not play the game for them. Look at Steve's assist to TO ratio...it is HORRIBLE for a POINT GUARD !!!

    Steve is an amazing talent, but he is far from a finished product, and still plays like he is in Junior College far too often.

    My problem is that he is trying TOO hard, and not letting the game come to him. Heck, watch Tony Parker, he is a headier ballplayer then Steve ALREADY !!!

    Steve needs to pass first, shoot second...or trade Mobley and move Francis to the 2 guard.

    DaDakota
     
  6. TheReasonSF3

    TheReasonSF3 Member

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    I'm tired of all of this bashing of Seve. He is a very unselfish player. He is only averaging 15 shot attempts per game. Mobley I agree shoots to much, almost every time he gets the ball, but Steve has always been an unselfish player. Maybe if guys like Rice start hitting jumpers Steve's assist average will go up. I'm not dissing Rice though. Rice just need's to find his shot. DaDakota he is a point guard, but if no one's shooting the ball well you should want Steve to take a good amount of shots. His percentage isn't low, it's higher than most of the other guys on the Rockets. This is totally off topic but I'm thinking of changing my username to something about the Franchise. I like Mo and Moochie, but Steve is my favorite player ever and all this Franchise bashing is pissing me off. Steve is the best point guard in the game. Mobley is a star but needs to pass more, Steve passes enough. I haven't even read that article yet, since it insults Steve, and I probably won't read it ever. IF NO ONE ELSE CAN SCORE, WHY SHOULD STEVE PASS IT AND NOT SHOOT!!! There are only 2 Rockets that have a higher shooting percentage then Wink. Cato (49%) and Kenny Thomas (48%)!
     
  7. rimbaud

    rimbaud Contributing Member
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    Shots per game, FG%

    Disliked by the article:

    Davis- 16.5, 51
    Marbury- 15.8, 50%
    Francis- 15.8, 44%

    Liked by the article:

    Kidd- 13.4, 33%
    Miller- 12.8, 44%
    Tinsley- 10.3, 37%
    Parker- 9.8, 39%
    Jackson- 7.8, 36%
     
  8. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    Why are people so bent on getting Mobley out of here, and are in a hurry to move Francis to the 2-guard spot? We have one of the best backcourts in the league, there are tons of teams that would KILL for a backcourt like this, and people want to break it up! Mobley doesn't pass enough? He's a shooting guard! Francis will have to pass more, but that comes with time, he has new teammates and he is learning. He isn't experienced like Kidd, so it's taking him a little longer. You need have some patience. 3 of the 5 guys in the starting lineup weren't starting last year. We have a rebuilt frontline, new offensive weapons, a ton of young guys on the bench, and have to get everybody involved in a short amount of time. We're not even a month into the season. And Francis and Mobley have been banged up since the start of the season. It's unreasonable to expect them to play like veterans. People say he isn't heady enough, but half the people want him to be the go-to guy, to be the main offensive weapon ahead of Mobley, on the other hand they want him to be a pass first PG so he's in a no-win situation.
     
  9. Sane

    Sane Member

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    There are 2 sides to this argument.

    One one hand, we want Francis to be the POINT guard, and to pass-first. This is not entirely unreasonable.

    BUT, if Francis becomes the traditional point guard that some are asking him to be, then we are losing one of our offensive weapons. We can't afford to have Francis averaging less than 20ppg. We just can't, because we don't have that much offense.


    Now, much of this can be blamed on Rudy's system. But, basically, Rudy is using efficiency to the max. Also, Francis REALLY wants to win. So he's gonna do whatever it takes to succeed.

    Here's what I think. When we finally have 2 offensive weapons other than Mobley on the floor, then Steve is gonna become the complete PG. Until then, we have no choice but to ask Steve to carry the offensive load.


    What I'm hoping for is that Griffin, Mo Taylor and Mobley are on the floor at the same time, and Steve can finally pass to someone other than Mobley.

    I'm not saying Steve is using the amount of offense he can turn to in Glen Rice and Kenny Thomas, but he can make a tiny case about it.
     
  10. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    Sane,

    Have you noticed that when Francis runs the offense, Cuttino Mobley stands in Shandon's dreaded far corner most of the game. How exactly is Stevie passing only to Cuttino?

    If you are going to make a point, please don't exaggerate. Besides, if Francis was passing to Cuttino a lot, Francis would have a lot more than 5.8 assists per game. sheesh.
     
  11. Sane

    Sane Member

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    well SORRY. Why didn't you batter me with a bigger stick? lol


    I wasn't trying to exaggerate. You maybe right. Mobley creates his own shot. But that wasn't my point at all. What I was trying to say was that we don't have many scoring threats, and with Rice shooting so poorly, he's pretty much the only one.

    Out of the Rockets' 15 or so games, I've seen 12 I think. It's become very clear that Francis is doing sometihng wrong. he hasn't got the right balance, and I thought it would be nice to say that he doesn't have as many options as Jamaal Tinsley.
     
  12. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    thanks for cooperating, sane, you're a good sport.

    I have another truism to say about Jamaal Tinsley. Iowa State ran a 4 out 1 offense with Marcus Fizer and two other guards. And I would presume that they didn't change all that much last year. That is the same offense we run.

    Yet, Tinsley made an immediate change to a new NBA offense. Fancy that.
     
  13. vj23k

    vj23k Contributing Member

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