Interesting Francis Article

Francis cranks up the wattage through subtle means
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle


Michael Jordan granted an audience to teach Steve Francis, among other things, how champions don't just play, or even play well, but win.

Jerry West spent more than an hour in Francis' ear, talking about leadership and greatness. John Lucas, too, weighed in, demanding Francis raise his standards.

Even players around the NBA, peers and opponents, told him he could be more, that it was time to be more.

Francis was insatiable. Unable to play while he waited for his surgically repaired right shoulder to heal, he could not get enough of at least talking about basketball. He planned and prepared for months, all for those moments that demanded he become more than he had been before.

Francis had been a star for three seasons. He was an All-Star last season.

But with an impressive start to this season behind him, Francis was more on Tuesday.

"I sat around for four months without being able to play," Francis said. "I'm talking about literally sitting around, watching, listening, watching the playoffs, watching the World games, and also working on instinctive stuff offensively. And I think it made a difference. I feel I am a better player."

There were many differences that came together Tuesday when, with an obviously sore lower back, Francis scored his team's last 14 points to carry the Rockets to an 86-83 comeback win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Francis has been more poised and less frantic while running the offense. Rather than be a mass of quick-twitch energy bouncing around the court, he has called on his explosiveness-on-demand to fit the occasion. He has run a cleaner fast break. He has taken simple, unadorned jump shots. Coaches have praised his decision-making, and until challenging Rasheed Wallace on Tuesday, he had avoided the hits he seemed to invite for three years.

But on Tuesday, the subtle changes made way for a sudden explosion. All those months of learning about excellence came together.

"You could see it in his eyes," Rockets forward Glen Rice said. "He was not going to let us lose in that ballgame. He was going to do anything in his power to make sure we were going to win.

"It's OK to talk about him and the MVP. The guy is going out and proving it night in and night out. The simple fact he's doing a lot of scoring, that's great. But you have to look at the other things he's doing. He rebounds. He has that tough mentality, that no-quit attitude. When someone has those ingredients, it's easy to label them a superstar."

Similar sentiments have been expressed since the season opener, in which Francis scored a career-high 39 points. He has averaged 30.3 points per game, a large jump from 21.6 last season. He has made 51.6 percent of his shots and 43.8 percent of his 3-pointers. Last season, he made 41.7 percent of his shots and 32.4 percent of his treys.

"He's a special player," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "We felt that all along with him. That's why we made the trade (a three-team, 11-player deal). That's why we signed the contract (the richest in franchise history).

"He's got that special talent."

But there is one member of the Rockets who is not comfortable with Francis' play.

"I just want it (scoring so much) to stop," Francis said. "Or maybe not to stop, but for some reason, it seems everybody thinks I'm trying to go out and score. I am not trying to score 30 points. It just happens.

"We've got so many weapons. Coming into this season, one thing I thought about was how many guys we have that can score. Now is the time to get those guys the ball as they slowly get healthy, but also not turn anything down. For me, I don't want to hold back on what I've been working on.

"Hopefully, it will balance out more. You never know, but I hope that it does."

Tomjanovich, however, has no complaints with how Francis has run the offense. His assists are down to 5.5 per game. But Tomjanovich said his assistant coaches count "correct decisions" and that those are way up.

With the Rockets' primary frontcourt perimeter shooters either out or struggling, teams have used zone defenses more than even last season, giving Francis outside shots by taking away the lane, where he can create. Even when not playing zones, most have backed off him, giving him perimeter shots but sending defensive help to interfere with playmaking.

"His decision-making percentage is very good," Tomjanovich said. "It's not about assists. It's did you throw the ball to the right guy? This is not statistics. Here's a situation: This guy is here, so you threw it there. Was it the right pass? Sometimes it is, but you don't get an assist because he threw it to the next guy."

The "next guy" is not collecting many assists, either.

The Rockets rank 28th in the league in assists. But the only regulars besides Francis who have made more than 40 percent of their shots, Kenny Thomas and Cuttino Mobley, score off their own dribble, taking away assist opportunities.

Eddie Griffin is making 38.9 percent of his shots. Rice has made 25 percent of his attempts. Maurice Taylor made one of six shots in his only game. Yao Ming has made 44.4 percent of his shots, but he only has eight field goals.

"I think I pass the ball a lot," Francis said. "I get double-teamed a lot. It's not me making the home run pass. It's me making the pass, and then somebody else gets the assist.

"They're zoning. They're double-teaming. They're locking it up. As much as I want to get to the bucket, whatever opens up, that's what I'll take."

But in a sense, that is just what he learned with all those offseason talks.

West and Jordan told Francis to set up his teammates, then pick his spots to take over. Others could be measured by statistics, he was told. He could leave them and be measured by a tougher standard, their standard.

"I really don't care what I do," Francis said, "as long as we win. I just want to win. I want to win so bad."

(Sorry if this has already been posted.)