that's where you went wrong. we don't have a big three..maybe a slightly-bigger-than-small three. they're not consistent enough to be deemed 'our big three'
The Rockets will trade Stevie and our team will be better for it --- Stevie will move to Shooting guard on his new team and will put up 25 a night. It's a win - win situation.
This drives me frickin crazy also and I have a feeling that if none of the Rockets would rush to help him off the ground he would continue to lay there even after the ball came back in play. It's clear that Steve doesn't fit JVG structured offense and needs to go. I just hope that the Rockets will get good value in return when they move him this offseason. The high #1 intrigues me only if that pick will net us Emeka Okafor. I could see a team like the Bulls or Magic willing to give up their #1's for a player like Francis. They are young teams and would be more interested in established veteran players IMO. Emeka Okafor is a hard nosed, defensive minded player who draws comparisons to Ben Wallace. He's a Junior so he's NBA ready, and he would be a nice player to have playing beside Yao for the next 10 years. Also, he's a Houston boy. That's enough of my Okafor rant. Thanks for the info Doc, it's always appreciated.
good to hear from ya Doc. keep up the inside job, it's much appreciated. oh yeah..... steve is a stubborn moron.
I think the aparent distance of the off-season has tempered this thread's impact considerably. Like it or not, we're stuck with this team for the duration of the season, and it's in our best interests to cheer the return to the post-season. When we're knocked out of the first round, there will be plenty of time to slam the door on Steve's backside on his way out of town. But thanks for the info Doc. DH
For years Doc has wanted to move Francis, and I've always been like, 'you're crazy... we got to move Mobley and at worst move Steve to the 2'... now though it's just become clear he was right. Steve has always been turnover-prone and has never been a "true" point guard, but you lived with that in a lot of ways because he was such a good scorer. Before, at worst people wanted to move him to the 'two', not trade him. Now though, it's really simple why most everyone has seen that he needs to go: - Suddenly the worst shooter on the team - Still taking more shots than anyone - Just started a max contract deal (this makes everything even more frustrating) This makes his high turnovers and inability to run a fast break just intolerable. We've got to get some guys who can consistently shoot the ball and not get freaked out by a press or the thought of leading a 3-on-1 break. From the sad-but-true department, I would love an in-his-prime Kenny Smith right about now.
This is Steve's fifth year in Houston, and he's actually regressed in terms of playmaking and shooting. He's been given numerous opportunities to become a better team player. He struggles on the break, and has difficulty finding open men. I think the only way Francis can save his job with a lights out 1st round performance. If we make an early exit, it becomes clear that he is not a good fit on the Rockets. Until then expect more dribbling, lazy passes, and 3 point bricks. Since Van Gundy is so keen on ex-Knicks, maybe we should give old Derek Harper a call.
I think our first need is true point guard who can shoot and defend. Secondly we need a physical four who can score in the paint, step out to shoot and make entry passes to Yao. He doesn't have to be a "star" player. A tall 3 who can shoot and defend guys like Kirilenko,Marion,Peja,Dirk would be my 3rd choice. Steve is not a point guard nor is he is a 2.He could have trading value to a team that needs a volume scorer but I wouldn't give him up for role players that fit our needs. I'm not saying he can get us a star player but if he leaves we will need quality in return. Glad to see you back Doc.
just wanted to back this up.... games where he has shot under 30% @Phi 3-17 @Por 2-9 @N.O 3-12 @SAS 5-17 vs GSW 1-11 vs NYK 4-14 @ ORL 3-11 @ Mia 2-9 vs Sac 3-17 @ Dal 3-11 vs Atl 5-20 vs Cle 2-11 vs Sea 4-18 vs Phoe 3-15 vs 2002-2003 (up to same point of the season) @ Phoe 5-18 vs LAC 5-18 vs GSW 5-19 @ SAS 1-12 vs Dal 2-13 @ LAL 4-19 @ WAS 1-13 Francis has had 14 of these games this season compared to only 7 at this point last season. Uncalled for from a max player. And put me on the list of fans that would not be upset if he was traded.
I think the loss of last night was largely due to bad coaching. In the last quarter, JVG was too late to sent YM in to change the momentum. JVG should let YM play the time the other starters play. YM could do it. Sometimes, benching YM ruin the sound strategy. If everybody think we should trade Steve, why not let him be on the bench to see if the rest play better without him.
Am pretty much in agreement. Was never rock solid against moving Steve, but always felt it would be the least profitable alternative. Would like to add this aspect, though; I also gave Steve the benefit of the doubt because of the difficulty inhernet in the transition he was attempting to make; from that of the go to guy on a poor team to more of a secondary guy on a center oriented team. I believed that this wouldn;t be a smooth ride, but felt that Steve's talent, the probability that we wouldn;t land another young star in return, and the fact that he seemed to be trying and cared about winning made roughing it out the best option. But the latter apsect was contingent on his character and priorities, which I assumed, from all I heard, were about the team and winning. I chalked up what seemed to be selfish play to the habits he had developed and learned to trust under previous coaching, and assumed/hoped his character and desire to win would see him through. But then came the SuperBowl...and the comments afterwards. Unlike many, I didn;t see that this would lead to an immeditate implosion of the team, but my dismay was as profound, only less immediate, as it was a revalation about the real nature of Steve's priorities, and threw a whole new light on his selfish play. Steve, it became apparent, was not the die for a win, do anything for the team kind of guy he would need to be to make the difficult transition JVG was asking of him, but something less, something more akin to what many of us hate about the modern baller. That revalation coupled with the fact that there has been very little evident progress this year, merely a continutation of the same pattern; brief flurries of team oriented play offset by periods of mind numbing selfhishness, and games of dominant athletic marvels sprinkled among weeks of mediocre at best perfomance. The fact that he speaks highly of Yao, and often says all the right things seems more hollow now, and inspires less hope.
I may have only found this site because of Yao Ming, but I have been watching the Rockets since their inaugural season. Thanks Doc Rocket for coming back and drawing in the cream of the crop to a thread that you don't have to feel stupid for reading. Yeah I love Steve, but I've just wanted a point guard for two years. I'm beginning to think A-Train's about right. A few injuries, poor dispositions, Oakley and distrust is going to be worse for us than our road record versus the WC may have pointed to. I still think as most do here; we'll make it into the playoffs. But it's going to be hard for me to celebrate, because this team just doesn't work together. CD/Rudy bashers well, they'll chime in, but there was a lot of bad luck associated with their decisions. And those decisions and bad luck brought us Yao Ming. I want a dominant center in Houston - we have one, again - the other chips can fall where they may.
So what about the fact that Yao did not get a shot for almost 9 minutes in the 3rd quarter? Also, he did not even touch the ball for at least the first 5 possessions of the 2nd half. Should the coach have to continually pound it into their heads that Yao should get a few shots? Doesn't this team perform better when Yao gets touches? Shouldn't it be the guards responsibility to acknowledge that Yao shoots the highest percentage on the team? Shouldn't this be second nature by now? Even last night when Yao was not shooting well, he was still doing better than Francis and Jackson. Successful teams do not need the coach screaming at them to get the ball to their best player.
if getting to the 2nd round is our goal for next year then we have to trade Steve for veterans with playoff experience. Francis + Cato to Kings for Bobby Jackson + Chris Webber If we can wait another year or two then trade him for young talent with superstar potential like Okafor or Chris Bosh.
Those kind of situations can drive you crazy when you're in good position to score and your point guard is busy thinking how to show off or the fans love him.. damn selfish guards.
I don;t know who will own Okafor's rights, but am confused as to what you feel the motivation would be for Sacramento to make this trade, or for Toronto to trade a future Garnett like star for a troubled tweener who can jump.
