Why not? The mistakes he made 5 years ago are still the same mistakes he makes now. He hasn't improved in the decision making department since. If anything, it just futhers the case against him. Moving Steve to the two would give him just cause to take over the game. And when Steve trys to take over the game, the rest of the team suffers. I think this is a solid example of what happens with him in this role. Don't get me wrong, I think Steve is better suited for the sg role versus the pg, but I think we have a better sg in Mobley. Imo, Steve is a tweener. Because of this and his mentality, and Mobley and his contract, and Yao, I think that he is expendable.
While I'm not inclined to side with egn on this topic, I'd like to see with an analysis of SF's game from Maryland with a different conclusion. I think egn makes some striking arguments that no one so far has really attacked head on. DoD makes a valid point about generalizing from one game, but does anyone have an alternate perspective?
Above you state that he hasn't improved in the decision-making department. If moved to the SG position, the necessity for decision-making on his part will be reduced. It's as if you're trying to take his flaws as a PG and show why he'll never be a good SG as a result. Regarding the rest of the team suffering when Steve tries to take over a game, outside of Mobley, who else on this team do you see even attempting to do that? Steve has rarely tried to take over a game this season unless the rest of the team is doing squat. He usually waits until the 3rd or 4th quarter to even attempt it - and as I said, that's after the Yao Ming's of the world have proven they can't free themselves in the paint for baskets, the Jim Jacksons of the world show they don't have a jumpshot working, and the Kelvin Cato's of the world have proven their hands don't function. I agree that he'd be a better SG than PG, but again... digging up 1 game from 5 years ago sure isn't really revealing anything - especially a college game with different players and different offenses where different expectations were put on him. If I could find a single game where Steve performed great, does that make him a good "whatever role he played in that game"? After all, the good things he may have done in that game may still be good things he does now.
It is true, and I do agree with you in that his decision making will be reduced, but moving Steve to the two-guard would give him just cause to take over games. I am not opposed to a player outside of Yao taking over a game, I just do not think Steve has the ability to. For one, Steve does not have the ability to be unguardable. And two, many times Francis goes beyond his limitations while trying to take over. Chaos occurs when he is trying to do things that he simply cannot do! For instance, take Tracy McGrady. Tracy, though not as complete a player when compared with Kobe (due to his lack of defense), on the offensive side of the ball, is virtually unstopable. And even though the Orlando team revolves around T-Mac, he knows what he can and cannot do. He's not trying to go beyond his limits out there. No, I am just showing that he will still make the same mistakes at the two as he does at the point. And again yes, it will be less prevalent, but moving him to the two is not a magic solution. His sloppy play is not just going to disappear. Like I said before, giving Steve just cause to do things he cannot do (i.e. take over) will only compound the problem. Many like to compare him with Iverson due to his size and lack of point guard ability, but there is one big difference between the two: Iverson has the ability to be unstoppable. It's not just "1 game from 5 years ago", as you say. It's just one more game combined with a long line of many games in which the same problems have remained constant. And judging from Francis' inability to improve his decision making in those five years, moving him to the shooting guard does not magically make him a better decision maker. He is what he is...... and that my friend is........inconsistant. And what I am saying is that moving him to the off-guard role will only compound our problems. In that he will be more inclined to take the game over, which he cannot do, and the poor decision making (i.e. bad passing or not passing, excessive dribbling, turnovers, and mental mistakes) will still occur, but they will come from our two instead of our point when he trys to be something he's not! Nevermind his lack of size and the fact that he's a liability on defense. And that's the bottom line!
Again... based upon what? In Van Gundy's offense, Steve and our current SG, Cuttino Mobley seem to have been granted the right to attempt to take over a game if nobody else is getting it done. I have yet to see in any recent games where Steve or Cuttino has taken it upon themselves to just outright take over games under any other circumstance. JVG's offense doesn't seem to dictate it, nor does the play of either of our G's prove your point. This seems like nothing more than a "hunch" on your part, but even a hunch needs some type of basis for belief. I don't see that basis this year, and as a matter of fact, Steve has proven exactly the opposite and Cuttino has done the same. They seem to be listening to what JVG wants them to do - play in control for the most part, but take over when necessary. I didn't necessarily say that - you did. You offered that 1 game as "proof". Your quote, not mine. I jumped on that assertion, not echoed it. I still say you have no proof, but rather a hunch. And the hunch is based upon faulty beliefs. I can sympathize with your beliefs - I'm not sure Francis would be a great SG, either, but I don't know that. I don't know how JVG would adjust his offense if Francis were to be the SG. I don't know how much Francis would adjust his offense. I don't know how much Francis would handle the ball in such an offense even though he would be an SG and not a PG. There are too many variables, and I'm sorry, one game from his college days 5 years ago in a far-removed offensive scheme with totally different players and expectations just isn't proof of anything to me...
Come on mod., use your head! Based on the fact that shooting guards shoot the ball, and quite frequently at that. And especially a shooting guard that is getting paid max money. But if you want to lessen his role on this team and have him take a backseat as a shooting guard, then you need to ask yourself this question: What do I want a maxed out player, playing a diminished role at the two, for? I don't know about you, but if I have a maxed-out player playing the shooting guard role (especially in the west), I sure as hell want my guy to be able to take over the game when needed. And I can tell you what I don't want. I don't want my maxed-out shooting guard to be undersized, guardable, turnover prone, an inconsistant shooter, over dribbler, lazy defender, poor decision maker, and a bad passer who lacks the ability to take a game over. Especially in the west. I guess every opinion everyone has ever had is a "hunch". It does not mean that it is bad. Every opinion could be considered a "hunch" until an action is taken or facts are presented otherwise. And that is exactly what I am doing. I guess Jerry West had a "hunch" about trading for Kobe Bryant. Or Don Nelson had a "hunch" about Nowitzki and Nash. Or LeBron James, or Joe Dumars drafting Milicic instead of Anthony, or even the Rockets and Eddie Griffin. If you don't like my opinion, just say that you don't agree with it. But don't come to me with this "hunch" angle because it is pretty irrelevant. That was your quote! It was your quote that tried to summarize what I had said. Are you insinuating that this is "faulty"? "....., guardable, turnover prone, an inconsistant shooter, over dribbler, lazy defender, poor decision maker, and a bad passer who lacks the ability to take a game over."
I question whether egn even watches rockets games. IF you did watch the games, you would see Francis distributing the ball to the team, only to come up with no results. Then in the 3rd/4th quarter you see him, I guess in your words "take over the game" out of necessity in my opinion. You fickle rockets "fans" fail to realize that the team is in the midst of a offensive overhaul. No one is comfortable with the offensive system, and it may take some time. But then again, once Francis and team start becoming more comfortable, all the Francis bashers will hop on the bandwagon and act like they had no part to do with anything. Where are all those Cuttino bashers? I haven't seen a trade a Cuttino thread in a long time. These bandwagoners are hilarious
Wow, this kid is just begging for a Clutch beatdown session. A few observations... 1. I think egn's credibility took a nosedive when he was called on something obvious and he responded by saying that the boxscore was incorrect. 2. hoosier needs to stop riding egn's jock. 3. Donatello posted four times in a row to show off his spelling skills with continued use of the "U r a Gnias" insult. 4. egn's entire argument that Francis is 'bad' is his analysis of a Maryland game that took place FIVE YEARS AGO. He also makes a passing reference to Steve's All-Star voting popularity. Right... and Yao started the game based on merit, right?
Steve had a great game tonight. He made great decisions on the floor, played pretty good defense and help defense, got the ball to the open man, collected 7 assists, got 9 rebounds, scored 22 pts, only 2 turnovers, got 2 steals. Man, I know it's only one game, but since one game is "proof" (again, your quote, not mine), you were wrong. As for your max'd out player comments. If I have a max'd out player on my team that helps me win a championship by taking a step back, then yes, I can live with it. During the championship runs, Hakeem actually took a step back by having more faith in those around him and getting rid of the belief that he was the team. If Francis can get the players around him involved more by taking a step back, then I'm all for it. So if Francis takes over a game, it's bad and if he takes a step back and tries not to take over a game (and in a reduced role), it's bad. Interesting. Hmmm... didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I said I could agree with your opinion if I actually saw some long-term evidence of how JVG would use Francis as a SG. I said you trying to dig up a 5 year old game as "proof" (again, your quote, not mine! ) was weak. Whether you translate that to being in agreement or disagreement is up to you - I couldn't care less.
