I try not to be the biased Rockets fan, but the media's infatuation with Baron Davis is really becoming annoying. Davis is very, very good. He is a special player. However, I don't think he is even on the same level as Steve Francis. For some reason though, everywhere you look, everything you hear, everything you see is about the greatness of Baron Davis. He clearly gets more praise than Francis, despite not even being the leader of his own team, being outplayed by Steve in head-to-head matchups, and being a lesser shooter, penetrator, and rebounder. The only advantage he has over Steve is his physicality, but even that is very debatable. Am I overreacting or is the media really trying to force-feed Davis down our throats while neglecting the opportunity to market a player like Francis?
What I never understood is the infatuation with Mike Bibby and Andre Miller. Those 2 guys are nice PG's, but will not be stars. They probably will never be an All-Star ever. Davis at least has the potential to be great. He and Stevie will be the premier PG's in 3-5 years.
Andre Miller's line tonight: 30 pts, 10 rebs, 12 ast Not saying he's the next Magic, but he's got some skills. I also think Francis is a better overall player than Baron.
It's the same old story, folks. The media facuses on players from the east more so than places like Houston. It's not fair but it's a fact. I'm from Ohio and I hear a lot about Charlotte, Miami, etc. but I can't get anything on Houston.
Andre Miller is a special player, but he is basically a one man team in Cleveland (lot of role player around him). Basically he has players around him that allow him to get big stats. That is similar to Stevie in that Stevie gets the opportunity to get his share of shots, he plays PG so he will get his assists, and neitehr has a good rebounder on the team so both are able to get big rebound numbers for a PG. Also I'm not trying to stir things up too much but as fatr as being a good basketball player I think Baron and Andre are in the same class as Stevie. Stevie is more flashy and has more athleticism (jumping ability) but as far as as pure basketball skills (shooting, passing, rebounding, making teammates better, being clutch) none of the 3 has separated themselves from the others. All in all Stevie may have more upside because of his athleticism but the best athletes aren't always the best players in the end.
Actually Francis has had some good rebounders on the team. Hakeem, Willis, Charles (for a month or so), Willis, even Cato is grabbing nearly 10 rpg and he is doing a good job. Also Mobley is grabbing huge amounts of rebounds as is KT. The thing I see about Miller, he is getting to the point where Francis is where he can take over a game, but I think Cleveland's management held him back. Davis is pretty good, but I think Francis is better then him. Miller though I think is a carbon copy of Steve as far as production is concerned. They're very similar in that. But for Francis the #2 pick in the draft who is rapidly becoming possibly the best PG in the league he is getting NO respect!
I've felt this way for a long time... Baron Davis is very overrated. He looks flashy with his dunks, and he plays for a team that for some reason draws attention, so people like to hype him up. But so far, he's shown nothing that makes him more than a 13/7/5 type PG. He isn't near the shooter, penetrator, rebounder, passer, or leader that Francis is. He struggles to take over a game the way Steve has done in both games this season. Imho, he's not even in the same class as Andre Miller, who is a much better passer, rebounder, and playmaker, and may be a better shooter.
Obviously Steve is much better than Davis and Miller. Davis gets attention because his team went to the playoffs. Sure, they did it in the east, and Houston likely is a better team than Charlotte, but they still made it to the second round. Steve will be like Shareef Abdur Rahim of the Grizzlies until the Rockets get into the playoffs. That should be this season. I expect a lot of press for Steve later in the year.
What I mean is that he is a star that goes un-noticed because his team hasn't made the playoffs. The Rockets are better than the Grizzlies ever were, but the media doesn't care about that. They hype up the stars that make it to the big spotlight. Steve will do that this year, and he will get the attention that he deserves, as well as Cuttino.
I think any PG who puts up big rebound numbers is doing a pretty fantastic job - the ball doesn't just fall into your hands, there are 2 teams out there trying to get it! A lack of big men on one's own team would make it easier to get the ball, but you would think that would make it much easier for the oppositions big men to get the ball wouldn't you? A PG who racks up big rebound numbers is still beating opposing big men to the ball (SAR averages 10 RPG, Ratliff 8RPG last season - for Francis to get out there and get 10 against them is pretty spectacular) Any PG who finishes with almost 7RPG is not getting them simply because nobody else on their team is.....
ThaCabbage: Thank you! I posted the exact same thing sometime last year. I don't understand it either. Baron Davis: 1. Can jump very, very high. 2. Is really quite strong. 3. Can dunk well. 4. Doesn't pass poorly and 5. His jump shot isn't awful. What do you get when you combine those things? A somewhat-above-average-NBA-PG. That doesn't explain why the media is salivating so much. On the other hand, Francis has a better jumper, is just as explosive, can dunk as well if not better, seems to have more quickness, and rebounds like a beast (better than some 4's!). Francis is... quite frankly... playing as one of the top 3 PG's in the league. To project that ANY player other than a Tim Duncan or Grant Hill will exceed a top 3 player at his position is absurd. Yet that's exactly what the media is doing regarding this guy. He's in his 3rd year in the NBA. He came out after his sophomore year. He's not going to get THAT much better. So why the hype? My guess: he's unoffensive, uncontroversial, is from the East, and dunks really well.
