Rockets' Francis worthy of All-Star votes he is getting!

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At first glance, the two names stand out like muddy stones on the glittering diamond tennis bracelet that is the NBA All-Star fan balloting that ends on Jan. 13.

Grant Hill of the Orlando Magic is second behind Vince Carter in votes among forwards in the Eastern Conference, despite the fact he played in only 14 games and is out for the season with recurring problems in his ankle.

He obviously won't play, and it brings into question the validity of the fan ballot.

Houston Rockets star Steve Francis is the second-leading vote-getter among Western Conference guards, trailing only Kobe Bryant, despite playing in only 15 games.

If he retains that second spot, Francis will play, for reasons no more obvious than Thursday night.

Francis, in his first start since Nov. 25, when he went down with a ruptured plantar fascia on the bottom of his right foot, equaled his career-high with 36 points. Not only did he score and fuel the sputtering Rockets; Francis' 8-foot floater with just two-tenths of a second left was the game-winner, securing a 99-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

It pushed the Rockets to double-figures in victories, giving a team racked by injuries beyond Francis an enormously disappointing 10-22 record. But they are 9-6 with him, accentuating his value; no calculator is needed to know the numbers add up to 1-16 without him. This is not to suggest Francis, a third-year former All-American from Maryland, is worthy of MVP consideration on a team that isn't going to make the playoffs. But it does validate the All-Star votes he is getting.

On one hand, there is no way that he should start instead of Seattle's Gary Payton, a seven-time All-Star who has led the Sonics from nowhere back into a playoff position with his annually substantial statistics. It does not, however, diminish Francis' talent or value.

Francis, the No. 2 pick overall in the 1999 NBA Draft who forced a trade from Vancouver before his rookie season, is one of those rare players who brings life to a team the moment he steps on the floor. Keep in mind, at a shade under 6-feet-3, he led the Rockets -- and all other NBA guards -- by averaging 7.8 rebounds a game before his injury. Package that with 21.3 points and 5.8 assists, and there can be little argument about what Francis means to the Rockets.

Whether or not he should start in the All-Star Game instead of Payton will be debated all the way to Feb. 10 in Philadelphia when the game is played, and maybe beyond.

Just as long as he doesn't further damage the tissue in his foot over the next month, whether or not he is All-Star quality is no longer an issue. How far he can carry the Rockets the rest of the season will be an interesting sub-plot of Francis' burgeoning talent as the season progresses.





About time "The Franchise" receives some national recognition. I guess the last game validates his importance.

 

One step at a time. This year All-Star, NEXT YEAR MVP.

 

I thought the cover was regional but I saw him on the cover in NYC, Vegas and LA.