It's a bitter sweet signing. Happy for the Rockets and sad for the Clippers. i still think Francis would have been a better fit on the Clippers but at least it isn't an obvious boneheaded descion such as when Kobe rejoined a crappy Lakers team instead of a loaded Clippers team in 2004. This Houston team is loaded unlike that post-Shaq Laker team. I really hope that the Rockets buyout one of their PG's so he could join the Clippers...(i don't mean Bobby Sura)
i don't think the clippers would trade Thomas since he is their only backup to Brand. What i expect the Clippers to do is sign Brevin Knight to backup Cassell. Brevin can't shoot from three point range and is injury prone but he is a pass first point guard that knows how to run a team and plays good defense. If he and Cassell can stay healthy (that's a big if) then the Clippers might make the playsoff. Jason Hart showed last season that if you take care of the ball then and make the right pass then being pg for the Clippers isn't too diffcult since they do have talented finshers.... So i guess the 2007/08 clippers will look like this.... Kaman Brand Maggette Mobley Cassell Davis Thomas Thornton Ross Knight.... i think that they can push for the eighth spot....
i'm a little angry a tMike Dunleavy though. One of the reason francis chose the Rox was because he preceives them as a legitmate contender for a ring. Impressive as the offseason has been, the Rockets were still a first round exit this season. The Clippers could have duplicated the rockets playoff success for not for their stubborn coach. The Clippers started winning late in the season when the team reinstated Maggette in the starting lineup. He is the team's second best player but Mike Dunleavy being the stubborn fool that he is didn't want to budge until it was too late. Had he done that from the begining of the season then the Clippers would have very likely made the playoffs and would have looked more appealing to free agent such as francis. I'm not saying it would have made a differnce but the Clippers didn't do themselves any favors by their stupid coaching descions last year.....
I agree with the Dunleavy criticism. Maggette is a great player. I was hoping for the Rockets to deal Wells for him last season. I hope he breaks out and gets the credit he deserves this season.
Francis knows he will revive his fame in Houston.. even he did sign with the Clips... and plays better his popularity wouldn't be much higher than it was in NY.
His ability to get to the basket and draw fouls is Dwayne Wadesque. For example last season Ranks #1 in the NBA in Free Throw Attempts Per 48 Minutes(13.26). That says it all.
Didn't have much to say on the issue since you guys covered most of the basis.. but it's nice to see another Clips/Rox fan here So, question to you, thread poster, Clips vs. Rockets, whose side would you be on? (No this isn't a trick question)
I've asked b4 and I've even tried looking it up on my own. What happend to Kerry Kittles? Last I saw him he was on the clips and it seems he has dropped off the earth. I still got him on the clips on Live07 and they go hard with him coming off the bench. Did he get hurt? He's been out 2 seasons now and i know he's not as old as Sura, so he should be better. Clips/Rox fan u should know.
One thing the Rox have and Clips dont is the access to the Chinese market. Francis knows it very well. You can argue the line up with Brand, Corey, Mobley, Francis, Cassel and Kaman is a pretty good one. But I think Francis is a business man as well. He has huge fan base in China that he and his shoe company Reebok needs to captialize.
may have been better for the clips. but i really think this is the best decision for francis. he is comfortable here and will be happy. maybe that will help him play better. if he can get healthy i really think he could have a great couple of years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Kittles After one injury-riddled year in Los Angeles, Kittles departed from the Clippers. Kittles now works for the Nets as a part time scout.
http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Francis_a_threetime_AllStar-232317-34.html it says press conference on there but when i click on it its dead.
I sat beside him at the Hurricane Relief All Star game a couple years ago, he was really cool and said he was not going to play anymore.
Thanx! That sux though. I liked his game on running squads. He would be awesome coming off the bench on the Suns or Warriors now.
Well that's why I thought all along that Francis would come back to the Rockets. It's that dumbarse Dunleavy that Francis didn't want to play for. Riley in Miami is JVG clone or vice versa. The Dallas situation had a firebrand coach in Avery but probably not much chance of Steve getting any minutes. In Houston, everything pointed his way. Reunited with Yao. play with T-Mac, Chance to be on a playoff team with perhaps the opportunity to get a ring, home is in Houston, and respect for Player Coach Adelman. In the end...it isn't too hard to see why he came here.
