Zeke on Francis, Rockets

From the Chronicle...

Pacers coach Isiah Thomas has often said Rockets guard Steve Francis reminds him more of himself than any guard to join the league since he played.

The differences in their styles, he said, has more to do with where they played, than how they played.

"When I played, if you went to the hole, you got your (butt) kicked," Thomas said. "You had to make up your mind if you would take the (butt) whipping and go to the foul line and make your free throws. You weren't going in and dunking. That just wasn't happening.

"Nowadays, in the kinder,gentler NBA, you can finish with a dunk and point at somebody. That wasn't even a thought."

But Thomas said there are similarities to Francis.

"I love the stamina that he plays with, the way that he handles the basketball and the way that he is involved in every single play, he rebounds, he defends and he plays with a lot of energy ... for 48 minutes," Thomas said. "It's remarkable to see that in such a young player. Most guys take plays off. He doesn't take a play off during the course of the game. He's always involved defensively. He's always involved offensively.

"Whoever coined him `Stevie Franchise' definitely gave him the right name. He's definitely one of the guards who come into the league, that can really turn the franchise around, put people in the seats and make it exciting to watch."

Francis said he has always appreciated the comparison and agreed that Thomas' game would be more like his if Thomas played now.

"It's a great comparison for me. I love it," Francis said. "I saw that dunk on Robert Parish. That wasn't done then, especially wasn't done by guards. But he would now. It's definitely an accurate comparison. He was scoring and passing. He wasn't just a point guard. He could play both positions if necessary. I can do the same thing."
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"I this is probably the most unique team in the NBA," Thomas said. "Their style is just so different. If they start knocking down 3s and spreading the floor, they can really embarrass you. Coming off a back-to-back situation, there is really not the time to prepare for this type of team. Their style can embarrass you.

"You don't want to give in too much to matching up with their guys. It can take away from the effectiveness of our people."




Also in the article, Rudy rationalizes KT over Griffin. You know he's getting close when the coach has to give a reason to take a 19 year old out of the starting lineup.