I'm still not convinced Steve is our franchise guard. I mean, come on.. this bait and switch thing happens all the time in the playoffs. It means nothing if we can't get this production out of him at least one night a week.
The 4 games that have been played in the playoffs so far are much, much more important than the 82 games during the regular season. I can't believe the team would trade Francis after the postseason he's had. Not just the near triple-double averages, I'm talking about the leadership and the heart and the clutch play he's shown. He's dominated an all-star PG in Gary Payton and been the best player in the series through 4 games. Without Steve, the Rockets would have gone down meekly like the Grizzlies and the Celtics. Someone has to step up in the playoffs, when the games count, and he's done that where others have not.
i see your point. but similarly you could argue that the glove has turned into the sieve (i think somebody said that). meanwhile... when Fisher is out there, they appear evenly matched, no?
I posted this in the other thread that questioned Yao attitude, but it looks like its more suited for this thread. Anyways I agree with juggie and nick and almu, that yao will never be able to dominate like we always expect him to. this is because of his respect for his teamates that have been there longer. If we got rid of steve and cat, would yao become "the man" and dominate. Maybe, maybe not, but we will never know unless steve is gone or we get a pg that will give him the ball everytime in the post. It is going to be a big risk if we trade away steve and make yao the centerpiece of this team because in my opinion Yao is not ready to take a team on his back for 82 games in a season. He stills needs a strong presence in steve to help him develop and lead the team. But the writing has been on the wall for a long time. How many times have we seen Yao and SF have superb games in the same game. Only one time that they have both scored 25 pts or more in the same game if i recall correctly. Their games do not mesh period, either one of them has a good game at the expense of the others strengths. For example yesterday when we made our run to get back into the game, yao was left on the bench while we let steve do his thing and when he did he became steve of old when he jacked up that horrible shot on our last possesion. JVG wants team ball and not 1vs5 offense. Would I be willing to trade SF for lesser talent, but for pieces that fit with yaos game. Yes I would, because the potential rewards would be greater then the risk. In this era of BBall only two types of players can lead their team to championships: people named micheal jordan and dominant low post players.
I wouldn't be willing to trade SF because I don't think Yao is ready to be dominant yet. I would wait until Yao gets better before thinking about trading SF.
If we get a strong PF this offseason, and if keeping steve means we have to put up with 82 games of mediocre basketball to get a #4 or #3 seed (with a strong PF we can) and then steve all of a sudden turns it on in the post-season with this "bait and switch", i'm happy as hell. Usually people rave about guys who turn it on in the post-season, only on a rockets board will people b**** about the fact that steve has turned it on in the postseason and use that against him. I guess all you people would rather have a great steve during the regular season and have him disappear during the postseason, no?
so you'd take a point guard that doesn't exist and who the only guy even close to is jason kidd. so, the plan is either trade steve for a nonexistent player and/or jason kidd. CD will get right on that. when Fisher is out there, they appear evenly matched, no? they were so evenly matched yesterday that fisher forgot to score.
MM, I hear you. I flip flop on Francis for I don't know how many times. I hope this is not another of the "now he got it, now he don't" act.
That's what I was thinking too. Assists are down generally in the NBA, Steve still rates in the top 10 in APG. I love all these people who say "Yeah, well all I want is a PG who can give us 10-12 PPG, 8-10APG, defend well, and shoot the 3". They grown on trees, obviously.
I've said for a while that I think they need to trade away their core, but the way that Francis has been playing, I don't think it would be the best idea to go through with it now. Especially now that he has shown that he can co-exist with Yao. I don't think that it would be a good idea to trade Mobley either because he has shown just how well he can play D. I think if he continues to grow in this department (ala shutting down Kobe) then he is definitely worth keeping. Unless Houston is able to get a really awesome player, I think the following players should stay on this team... Keepers: Francis, Yao, Mobley, Jackson, Cato Must Trade: Maurice Taylor, I think Cato should probably move to the bench. During the offseason we need to play FA a little bit, and see if we can use our trade exemption. To round this team out I think we need a power forward that is good all-around (D and O). The major thing that this team needed was just a little taste of the playoffs to breathe some life into this organization. Its hard for a team without any previous playoff experience to just come right in and play very well (i.e. Denver and Memphis). Let alone to competitively play against the Lakers. With this valuable experience, I think the Rockets are going to be a much improved team next year.
The problem is that Steve isn't consistent. He makes a big shot to tie the game, then decides to heave up an airball that's 5 feet wide of the goal the next time. Then in overtime he gets ripped by Kobe, and loses the ball like a fool the next time. Steve's game would fit in perfectly in the East, where he could carry a team like Milwaukee or Boston through the playoffs in a 1-4 offense built around him. I say, if the right deal comes around, we send him on his way. He's had a long trial in Houston, but he's not able to carry the team through long stretches. The latter being said, if the right deal comes around this summer, we should jump on it. His stock's reasonably high right now, and a decent package could net Houston another star in return. The following guys will probably be shopped around this summer: Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.
I agreed with you. Mo T threw a really bad pass out of bound when he was double teamed and could not get his shot off. Mo T should work on his other skills, like hitting a jumpshot or passing in the right angle and the right time.
