Cheer up. Though the playoffs are a LONG shot now after our slide, we still have the talent to at least make it an interesting race this year. All that needs to be done is for Rudy to chew everybody's ass out for our recent lackluster performances. After this year, Rudy and CD will once again draft the best player available, and we'll be back in the playoffs as a low seed. [This message has been edited by AntiSonic (edited January 29, 2000).]
well, i think we're better than both of them if you match us up: kenny thomas vs.vin baker = seattle walt williams vs.brent barry= seattle greg foster vs. hakeem olajuwon= houston shandon anderson vs. ruben patterson= houston gary payton vs. steve francis= tie rockets bench vs. seattle's bench= houston kenny thomas vs. sam mitchell = houston walt williams vs. kevin garnett = minnesota hakeem olajuwon vs.????? nestorovic= houston shandon anderson vs.malik sealy= houston steve francis vs. terrell brandon=houston rocket's bench vs. t-wolves bench= houston the only problem we have is , we might have dug ourselves a hole that we cant get out of. ------------------ johnny "red" kerr:i'm glad the bulls did'nt draft steve francis. dan roan: why!!!!! johnny red kerr:because he would forever be compared to michael jordan.
Steve Francis has a world of potential... but he's not Gary Payton's equal yet... which isn't anything against Francis, but GP is one of the best 5 players in the NBA.
well yeah he is better than francis, but; in a game i dont think he can beat him enough to have an advantage over him. ------------------ johnny "red" kerr:i'm glad the bulls did'nt draft steve francis. dan roan: why!!!!! johnny red kerr:because he would forever be compared to michael jordan.
Yea, too bad the one on one matchup advantages dont mean a damn thing in the NBA. It's the team who plays the best together that wins the game.
oh really lettuce , man i did'nt know that. wow! are you a coach or something? ------------------ johnny "red" kerr:i'm glad the bulls did'nt draft steve francis. dan roan: why!!!!! johnny red kerr:because he would forever be compared to michael jordan.
Would love to see a playground pickup of one on one btw francis and Payton. Wonder who would win? Think I would have to go with Francis.
If I could see Francis go up one on one against one player, it'd have to be Stephon Marbury. Steve said that was the toughest guy he has gone up against this season.
Let me prefernce my remarks by saying I am a die-hard optimist; the games not over until it's over! But based on the games I've seen, especially the last three, there is no way the Rockets are going to make the playoffs unless either Seattle or Minnesota take a huge nosedive. Even the Mavericks are ahead of us now. Reality bites: 30W - 52L, if we're lucky. Maybe Rudy's alleged "training camp" remarks are right on. The guys are making the same mistakes they made last September - poor shot selection and execution, poor spacing, silly fouls and turnovers, poor rotation on defense (when they bother to defend at all), forgetting to block out. Yes, injuries have been a factor - yet the Warriors, with less talent and undermanned at that, beat us! We've got an All-World guy in Francis, who'd be ROY without the anti-Houston bias in the media, with a less (much less!) than stellar supporting cast. Hakeem will never be the Hakeem of old. We've got role players who just can't seem to step up to the big time. No leadership with CB gone - oh, Francis tries, but he doesn't get it done (maybe there are too many professional jealousies in the mix?). We lost our heart and soul that night in Philadelphia. Maybe time, and some off-season changes this summer, will get the ship righted again (before we lose the ship to some other port).
I would say Marbury and Stevie have about as much talent around them as GP does. But their teams records are worlds a part. Maybe in 1 on 1 there isn't much difference, but as a dominant team player it isn't close. Over time Stevie could be the equal of GP though (or who knows, maybe even better), but not right now.
