Rocket River...YOUR WELCOME! By the way, my post wasn't directed towards you... unless YOU are one of those people who b****, moan, cry (sniff sniff), whine and panic every time the Rockets lose. Oh wait... this is Rocket River we are talking about!
man, whats up with the steve bashing, did he not have 9 dimes last game. i saw steve pass the ball to yao more than any except jackson for the most part. why isnt anyone talking about mobley jacking up 24 3's in the past two games combined. or why he looks right at yao open in the post, and pass it away. or why when yao sets a pick for him, he goes the other way. do you the steve bashers forget the phoenix game. the point is the future of the rockets is francis, and ming. please drop mobley's jockstrap.
did you have a party when he tore up his knee or did you simply did a little dance of glee? Rocket River
I'm a homer I see some things I like I see other things i don't like I hate the HATRED of Rocket Players on this BBS sometimes Rocket River
Good article on SF and JVG [ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_7300.shtml The Rockets Report By Bill "The Rocket Guy" Ingram for HOOPSWORLD.com Feb 20, 2004, 09:00 The Trade That Didn’t Go Down Today many Rockets fans are waking up somewhat surprised at the fact that Steve Francis is still a Rocket. Let me assure you that there is no need to feel surprised. Jeff Van Gundy made it pretty clear that he was going to stick it through with the group that’s now in place, hoping to see more and more of the moments of brilliance that have them looking to build on a two-game winning streak as they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Trading a player like Steve Francis is more of an undertaking than it would seem to the casual fan, and the shake-up that would have ensued would have set the team back for at least a month. The Rockets’ chemistry is volatile at best, but at least everyone on the team has been with the team and knows what’s expected . . .even if they don’t always do what’s expected. Iverson for Francis. Yes, Iverson is on the outs with his new coach. Big shock. Interim head coach Chris Ford benched Ivy for skipping a practice, Ivy lashed out in the media, blah, blah, blah. This is a tired old story, one that sent Larry Brown to Detroit and kept teams from showing much interest in acquiring the league’s second-largest egomaniac (behind Gary Payton). Iverson was on the block, but there is absolutely no way Jeff Van Gundy would pull a deal to land him. Francis is a selfish player and does his own thing, but Iverson redefines the term “selfish.” Yao Ming would never see the ball if Iverson were running the show. At least Francis is starting to figure out that the 7’5” guy shoots a pretty good percentage and seems to have an inherent advantage over most other players. Francis may be slow to catch on, but he’s not a complete moron. I’m not so sure about Iverson. Iverson for Billups. If you ever find yourself reading Chad Ford, understand that you are taking a trip into the Twilight Zone. If you take him seriously you may as well believe that an alien abducted Janet Jackson and forced her to show her flappy flabby boob during the Super Bowl – or whatever the tabloids are saying today. Chad Ford is the National Inquirer of the NBA world, right up there with Peter Vecsey. Take him seriously at your own risk. Larry Brown chose Detroit over Houston because he believed that Chauncey Billups was more teachable than Steve Francis. Do you seriously think he would then trade Billups for Francis? Apply a little logic here, people. I’m not saying Steve is a lifetime Rocket. In fact, I’d put money on him being in a different uniform next season. The Rockets need a point guard who will pass first and shoot second. Steve will never be that kind of point guard. The only person who hasn’t figured out his true position – off guard – is Steve. Jeff Van Gundy has put up with Steve’s antics only because he has no choice this season. He will let Francis shoot the Rockets right out of playoff contention, if necessary, to facilitate a complete makeover for the team next season. Van Gundy will build around Yao, Jim Jackson, Cuttino Mobley, Kelvin Cato, and Maurice Taylor. If you add a true point guard to that lineup the rest of the squad won’t matter much. And so the Rockets enter the stretch run with the same familiar faces they had before the deadline. When they play well, they’re unstoppable. When they play poorly, they are difficult to stomach. Steve Francis is not a smart player, and his leadership is reflected in the overall play of the team. The point guard is the instigator and sets the tone, even when he’s not the star player. Look at Tony Parker in San Antonio. He isn’t the star, and he takes some criticism from outside the team, but Parker understands Popovich’s game plan and he runs it relentlessly. You feed Tim Duncan. Then you feed him again. Then you feed him again. After that you feed him again. And again. Seems simple, right? The only way Steve Francis keeps his locker in Toyota Center is if he can adapt Parker’s mentality. Yeah, right. Bill “The Rocket Guy” Ingram is Senior Editor for NEWS@ HOOPSWORLD.COM and covers the Mavs, Rockets, and Spurs for Basketball News Services.
