The only reason not breaking them up is purely sentimental. Basketball is still a business. Sorry to say that but true.
Actually there are more reasons that or at least there could be. We don't know what we can get in return. They have a real chance to make it to the playoffs. Once there we may see more reasons not to break them up. Once the season is over, maybe consider it, but don't rush and sell for under value.
I agree that SF has improved somewhat lately, but I still couldnt perceive him as an efficient pg for this team. In order to maximize Yao's potential, we desperately need a pg who can pass and nail that open jumper. I simpily dont buy the idea in moving SF to the 2. He is just too short and would be a much more defensive liability in that position. Let hope we go deep in the playoff, so we can get a better trade value on him.
come to think about it, i dont know why i argue about trades, JVG and CD is the one who decides it. Im sure they will do whats best for the team, hopefully. JVG seems smart, but CD i dont know.
It's been said by a few senior members that a max player should be scoring more. I disagree. A max player should be someone you can go to at the end of games and can deliver...and for the most part Steve has delievered with clutch shots/kick outs the past 4-5 years. He has always had the ability to suck in defensive players...it's just that this year he is dishing it off more. I don't contend that Steve is worth 85mil right now...but I can see the potential. Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and Jason Kidd were franchise (max type) guys that dominated the game from the perimeter without scoring. Steve Francis does not have the court vision that they do, but has other qualities...he has the ability to command a defense that the other guys can't. He's a good rebounder...hustle, energy guy. The three players I mention have been successful because of their basketball smarts and ability to USE the other players around them for the ultimate goal of winning...yes, winning is what franchise guys do...it's not scoring. The only obstacle I see to a championship?--turnovers. We can win with Steve Francis averaging 6-7 shot attempts a game. We can't win if he averages 6-7 turnovers. Bad decision making and habits, as well as focus are the key contributing factors to turning the ball over. If J-Will from Memphis can learn to take care of the ball there is no reason that Steve Francis can't as well. And I predict that as soon as he leads the pack in taking care of the ball, it will be contagious and the other players will see the value of the ball as well. If I say to myself, "I will not turn the ball over this game" that doesn't mean I'll not turn it over. There are steps...thought and preparation that I would have to go through. A coach can yell and scream, but it starts with each of the Rockets asking themselves. What can I do to help not turn the ball over? What am I fundamentally doing wrong? The coaches can help them see what their doing wrong and what they can do to minimize it....each of our players turn it over for different reasons. Anyway enough preaching for today...
that the thing that bothers me to. Steve does not have good court vision, and passing abilites, hence the turnovers. We cant win a chamionpship when someone turns over the ball so much.
I can't wait to see Yao being surrounded by even better players. I am talking about good fundamental players that play the game the way it should be played. Players that knows what they're doing, don't turnover the ball for no reason, and can make consistent shot from outside. Players that are smart. This Rockets only have a couple of those players....Jim Jackson are one of them. But unfortunately Francis and Mobley ain't that kind of players. FRancis and Mobley fit into the erratic street ballers type of offense. They thrive in those type of offense...sort of Mavs and Kings' type of offense.
Steve's trying hard. Lately, his shot attempts have gone down and assists have gone up. TO's and FG% are still problems. Today game against the defensively weak Mavs is an example that he really struggles to become a decent PG. If he can do 16 ppg, 42%fg, 6rpg, 7 apg, 3 TO by playoff time, Rox are golden.
Hustle? Mark Madsen provides hustle, that doesn't mean you pay him $10 million per season. Francis's weaknesses are the things we need to be strengths in a point guard. He can hustle and rebound and make circus shots all the live long day, but that doesn't change the fact that he is not a good spot up shooter, does not have good court vision, and does not take care of the ball.
If Steve makes some changes as Ellieot said and play team ball, he will be solid partener with Yao in the years to win chimpionship.I like both Yao and Steve play together to win the NBA title if they both help each other in the game.
After watching today's game, I'm convinced that the BEST complimentary PG for Yao is Steve Nash. I mean, the guy can do all that Francis can do, penetrating and create his own shot, while being a MUCH BETTER passer and shooter. I believe he is a FA this offseason. I'd trade anyone not named Yao for this guy in a Sign and Trade. Heck, I'd take on Antoine Walker's crappy contract for the guy. Of course, it's probably just a pipe dream, but damn that would be sweet.
Please no Antonie on the Rockets team. He is gonna shoot Houston out of any playoff series unless JVG benches him. However, I really don't want to break Yao-Steve combo. Let's bring in a PG in the mode of Brent Berry and move SF3 to 2. Use Cat + Mo for someone like Rasheed and this team is set. Sometimes I do hate SF, but he is making significant progress and has tuned down his game dramatically. Even if he did not bring his A game in today, he made several key plays in the 4th, including the pass to Yao for the goto basket.
I think Steve's value in the past was these things 1. Jump Shot, despite horrid shooting this year, his mid range jumper was money in the past and his 3 pT % was typically higher than 35%. 2. Finish, Somebody have said that no one in the NBA can really guard some one else in the league one on one, while that might me a little exaggerated, it does have some truth to it. A lot of players that penetrate well, but the ones that can finish on consistent bases are the ones that are going to be franchise players. Steve use to finish his penetrations, usually with a flush. 3. Determination and the Will to win. Steve had that aura of superstardom when he first came in the league, those that didnt' follow the Rox his rookie and sophmore year might not know how it felt. It was something intagible. You could see the hunger in his eyes and game and you feel he could lead the team back to the top. His play recently lost all of that. 1. His shot is gone, maybe he's crashing under the media and fans pressure and thinking too much when he shoots. Whatever the reason, his shot is gone. 2. He does circus shots instead of going to the hole with authority now, maybe he's afraid to get injured now that he's gotten his contract. Whatever the reason, he doesn't finish like he use to and is looking for the fouls instead of earning them. 3. I still see the determination and the will to win, but I also see fear in his game. Once again, I think the confidence is gone. There is just not the same fire he had in the past. When I first came to the States, I had the fear of forgetting how to speak chinese while not learning english (I was 7, kids think about stuff like that). While I can now speak and read both languarge fairly well, I think Steve is having a problem of losing what made him a great scorer/team leader while not learning the roles of a pg. I really hope he can turn around, but unlike in the past, I'm open to possible trades for him if the right deal came along (have to be BETTER than ray allen though )
I think we are going to keep our core together..I believe so. Steve and Yao. I'd like to keep Mobley...DEFINITELY JIMMY...Cato...Mo... Mark Jackson, Mike Wilks, Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin, Bostjan Nachbar, Scott Padgett, and Clarence Weatherspoon are fantastic players for us off the bench..most of them are veteran as well. We still have many things to fix..with our game..just do good things more consistently..and just get to know each other better. It would still be very nice to add another player like Brent Barry, Desmond Mason, Jamaal Magloire, or...just someone decent!
i agree. I hate how ignorant people are and just look at a fg% from one season out of 5. Steve in his carear is an exellent shooter. TRUST ME!!! The smallest guy on a court scoring 20+ pts just do not make dunks and lay-ups!
It looked to me as if that pass was deflected into Yao's hands. I believe a video replay would clearly show this.
It's simple move steve to the 2 guard and get a true point that way they stay together. And the rox can win .
If Stevie ever got traded. JVG would not be the trigger. Look, he is the type of guy who doesn't like change. He never changes his cloth, he seldom changes the lineup. Back to his days in NY, he is very loyal to his players, especially the starting-lineup. The only trade he liked is LJ for Mason.
My biggest fear with trading Francis is the possibility that the Francis / Yao friendship is stronger than we realize. Francis gets traded, Yao becomes disillusioned with the team's loyalty to "star" players and decides to bolt after the rookie contract.
