I, like any Rox fan, have been prett pleased with the last couple weeks. Personally, I have been even more pleased that the majority of the last few games have been televised nationally, so I have gotten to see each one (NY part 2 3 times, lol) As stated before, I like both Yao and Francis but agree that the future rests on Yao's shoulders. Now I have no doubt, that JVG is trying to make this work and I wish it would, but have any of you started to think that the trade of Francis is inevitable? Whether now, or 2 years, I firmly believe that it will become in our best interest. My other question to you guys is this, If you answered yes to the question before, do you believe that JVG and CD also see this as something that WILL happen down the road?
A bold statement by someone with your Clutchfans nickname. If Francis gets traded, your nickname will become out-of-date. Unless you're named Francis... I believe that Francis' talents do not fit well in Van Gundy's system. His skills will be better utilized in a team without any other major stars simply because he's not a good playmaker and passer.
As of right now i dont see this trade going down but down the line its possible who knows what can happien. IF the rox dont make he playoffs steve will be out the door but they will so i dont know time will tell
Out of date? Well, if Francis 3422's name is a Pentium II, then MadMax's nickname is a 486 running Windows 3.11.
It is easy said than done. SF has a max contract, which team would like to trade for a max contract player with no "clear" position to play?
If Francis' play stays in this depressed state, I think the Rockets could well trade him. I think it would be a failure of the team's to not have him succeed. If he doesn't fit Van Gundy's system, Van Gundy did a poor job building it. I wonder who takes priority in Alexander's eyes: Francis or Van Gundy?
If this were Jersey or Brooklyn, then Francis. If this is most any other franchise then all have to be weighed. SF is excellent, tho, perhaps, not for this team at this time. I can envision SF being traded, and I don't look forward to it. If he is swapped I hope it's to a team more of a fit to his talents. Imagine a Steve - Iverson backcourt? Or a Steve - Kidd one/two? Stevie in a Dallas-like or Sac-like O? If #3 is traded I hope the return is another super player.
I dunno. It's not like he's not getting good looks. He's just not knocking down his shots. And this means defenders lay off of him a bit to protect the lane since his jumper's not falling. Missing from the outside has hurt his offensive game tremendously. I think his defense & attitude have definitely improved, though. What's it gonna take for Steve to start hitting his shots? Is there anything physically wrong with him? (Oh, and the unforced turnovers have to go, Stevie.)
Good question. Easy answer. Chicago. Milwaukee, maybe (but best for them to keep Ford). And the winner: Washington. Steve would be thrilled to play in DC and DC would be thrilled to have him. Granted, playing at home can be a distraction, and Eddie Jordan is possibly as much a stickler as JVG, and Jerry Brickhouse might grumble at having Steve as a teammate (Brickhouse acting like a beeyotch toward Steve when Steve first entered the league). All that aside, they'd love to have him. Gilbert Arenas was recently signed to his contract and because Washington was under the cap to sign said free agent, Arenas is not BYC. While Steve IS BYC, we can take care of that with the trade exception. I'm not saying I want Arenas. He's been injured, and to be honest, I don't know his game very well. But Arenas and some other player (Wash has some decent trade assets) would be all right for us. Or in a 3-way trade. And one way or the other, I, too, believe Steve will not be a Rocket next year. It isn't so much a personal indictment as a simple statement of fact that he doesn't fit this team anymore; and we all know, right or wrong, that Steve would go before Yao.
i think it all depends on how the season ends. if he improves his play after allstar break, or even come up big in the playoffs, then i think he will stay. but if his play continues and cd realizes that we are a better team with a true point guard, and that we are paying a max contrct for someone to be a 3rd option and an average defender, then he is traded.
The only thing he needs to do right now is hitting his shots. If he could shoot again, then his weaknesses could be overlooked. He'd still be a star caliber player for us. We know that he can shoot. His shooting slump is obviously due to the changes of the team and his role. As JV pointed out, it's directly related to JVG. He's is forced to do something that is not his natural game. Is it his problem or the coach's? It's hard to say. There seems to be four possible scenarios: 1. Francis gets his shot back and continue to play his role well within JVG's system. 2. Francis can't get his shot back under JVG's current system and the coach relents and let him do some of his own stuff again (similar to JVG's allowing Yao to leave the low post and shoot from outside). 3. Francis can't get his shot back under JVG's current system and is shipped. 4. Francis can't get his shot back under JVG and JVG is fired. We all hope for #1. If it doesn't happen, my feeling is that #2 is more probable than #3 and #4.
Can anybody say "Damon Stoudamire?" Granted, SF is more talented, but do you all remember when he was tearing up the league his first couple seasons with Toronto on a lottery team where he dominated the ball...he was the next coming of Isiah, remember? Then he went to a team where he was asked to share the ball and execute a structured offense for a perrenial playoff team...we all know how that affected his game and what kind of player he has since become. The scary thing is that Damon's game is actually better suited for a disciplined offense than SF's, as he is a better spot up shooter and more of a linear (doesn't need to dribble 50 times to set himself up) player than SF. It's clearly time to trade SF for a high calibre player(s) that can fit into our system.
Definitely not "inevitable". It depends on the results he and the Rockets achieve over the next two seasons. If he were not so obviously trying to adapt his game as required by the arrival of JVG, Yao, and the zone defense (not necessarily in that order), it would be different and inevitable. But part of the reason for his struggles has to do with the adaptation process. Yes, other players have modified their game some, but all three of those issues require more change from Steve as a PG than of anybody else on this team, including Cat. He is working on it and is enthusiastic about the chance to learn from watching MJ. Whether a Francis trade will occur or not depends on the results of what is clearly a "work in progress." It takes time and unless somebody makes us an offer we can't refuse, I expect them to give him that time. Steve isn't going to be traded during the season this season. (And not just because he's a BYC player). If they don't make the playoffs this season, a Francis trade is a possibility but not a lock. If the Rockets haven't improved significantly by mid-season or by the end of next season, and he is still struggling the way he is now, a trade becomes very possible. But I wouldn't worry about a lowering of trade value even if that happens. Everybody knows what SF is capable of and there will be somebody out there who will believe that any of his struggles are just him having trouble fitting into JVG's system and that he would thrive in theirs. If he continues to maintain a good attitude, he will have trade value. Look at all the head-cases who still have trade value because of their talent. Do I think it's possible? Yes. Inevitable, no. Because I believe the Rockets WILL continue to improve over the next year and a half and that a big part of that improvement will come from the eventual results of Francis' commitment to reach the point where he thrives under JVG, with Yao as a teammate, and even against zone defenses.
Ouch. The Damon Stoudamire comparison does hit a little close to home. I even remember about that time all Rudy T wanted for Christmas was a good PG and many in Houston were coveting Stoudamire.
