FOX Sports - Rockets aren't getting the same ol' Francis

Way back in his first go-round in Houston (1999-2004), Stevie Francis had as much sheer talent as any other point guard in the league.

He could push, penetrate and dish.

He was quick up and down the court, especially with the ball in his hands.

He used his cross-over dribble (going either way) to establish a rhythm for his jump shot.

He was a dangerous 3-point shooter.

He always played with great energy and emotion.

He was a big jumper and a surprising rebounder for a guard.

He had lightning hands on defense and played the passing lanes to perfection.

He could even post-up smaller guards — scoring mostly with a right-handed jump hook over his left shoulder.

But that was then.

Nowadays, Francis is 30 years old, has arthritic knees, and is coming off a blighted season and a half with the Knicks. And the holes in his game are more pronounced.

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To whit:

His off-ball defense is faulty in that he is liable to turn his head and lose sight of his man.

He has trouble defending screen/rolls.

He gets caught with the ball in the lane much too frequently and also lingers near the offensive boards, which creates poor court balance.

His decision-making in the endgame has become highly questionable.

He also tends to miss any clutch shot he's allowed to unleash.

And his defense depends more and more on reckless gambling.

Add up all the past-pluses and present-minuses and it's understandable why the Trailblazers were willing to spend over $30 million to relinquish his rights.

What, then, can the Rockets expect from the second-coming of Stevie Franchise?

Most importantly, Francis must get the main minutes at the point or he'll pout and gripe — just as he did in New York. This means that the Rockets have to make a full-time commitment to him. Which means that there's probably no room on the roster for either Mike James or Rafer Alston — both of whom will also prove to be profoundly unhappy should they be forced to play off the bench. The most harmonious lineup behind Francis just might be rookie Aaron Brooks and John Lucas III. Or perhaps the Rockets should hedge their bet and hang on to either Alston or James to protect themselves should Francis falter.

Re-signing Francis, then, necessitates one or more trades to dislodge the log-jam at the point.

Assuming that Houston manages to balance its roster, Francis will become the primary ball-carrier and set-up man. Getting him to look to pass before he looks to dribble, however, and to give up the ball in timely fashion might take some doing on the part of Rick Adelman and his staff. In the past, the only passes Francis relished making were assist passes.

Francis' forays into the paint will be greatly inhibited by the massive presence of Yao Ming, but when the big man is taking a blow, Francis will give the Rockets another creator/scorer to complement Tracy McGrady. It should be noted, though, that Francis is a better pull-up shooter and dime-dropper than he is a finisher.

And do the Rockets really need Francis on roller skates to front their defense?
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Still, he could easily turn out to be a big plus for Houston. But only if:

# He can accept being a third option on offense who will rarely be required to take clutch shots.
# He can adjust to being more of a facilitator than an attacker.
# He can play with more discipline and precision than he ever has before.
# He can somehow regain even a semblance of the quick-handed, pressure defense that he brought with him into the league.
# And, most importantly, if his body holds up.

While Francis certainly won't be enough to make the Rockets a serious contender for a championship, at best he'll be able to relieve T-Mac of major ball-handling responsibilities, while also exploding for a couple of dozen points every so often.

Returning to Houston gives Francis one last chance to become a mature player and totally embrace a reduced role. He's certainly older, but it remains to be seen if he's any wiser.

 

Sorry for not including the link on the source....

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7041774

Please lock this up if thisd came up earlier....I am sleepy.....

 

my bad everyone....

Clutch...please lock the thread...THANKS!