[Rockets.Com] Steve Francis picks up the player option for next year

A lot of the McGrady hate will always be traced back to the Francis worship and subsequent anger by regarding the trade of years ago.

Blindness all around.

Hopefully Francis will be healthy and actually contribute next year. We could use it.

Just amusing to me how some folks will dog on McGrady for so many perceived faults and in the same breath forget all of Steve's.

And vice versa.

 

You must be crazy. Health concern? Pfft. That's ridiculous.

Code:

Steve Francis
Season    Age  Tm  Lg   G  GS
2002-03    25 HOU NBA  81  81
2003-04    26 HOU NBA  79  79
2004-05    27 ORL NBA  78  78
2005-06    28 TOT NBA  70  60
2006-07    29 NYK NBA  44  30
2007-08    30 HOU NBA  10   3

Code:

Tracy McGrady
Season    Age  Tm  Lg   G  GS
2002-03    23 ORL NBA  75  74
2003-04    24 ORL NBA  67  67
2004-05    25 HOU NBA  78  78
2005-06    26 HOU NBA  47  47
2006-07    27 HOU NBA  71  71
2007-08    28 HOU NBA  66  62

 

Big difference here. T-Mac is the face of the team, not Francis. When Francis was the man here, he got more than enough hate for his whole career. Just as worst as the T-Mac hate. Now, this team isn't built around Stevie. People aren't expecting Steve to lead us to a title, but fans do expect T-Mac to do so. Fans are going to be more critical to the stars than any other players on the team.

 

Different types of players in Francis and T-Mac. Francis is a slashing dunking type of guard like D-Wade, Iverson and maybe Ginobili. T-Mac is more like a Magic Johnson or Kobe type player. If I had to choose one, of coure it'd be T-Mac but it's really nice to have a guy like Francis coming off your bench. If nothing else but to give the other team different looks.

 

Steve will be playing for what may be his last contract next season so I expect we will get his best efforts next season. And, if he is still hurt, he won't let anyone know, and try to play through it. I expect to see not the old Steve but a very good representation of him.

 

I'll take what I can get from him at this point. We need more firepower, even if it is only for next season.

 

Dang, for a brief second I was going to take back my beer offer

 

Umm... Yeah. But that IS kind of just my sense of humor. It probably comes off more insulting and less tongue-in-cheek over the internets.

Actually, uhh, I really DO like the Spurs. I'm just a huge Tim Duncan fan. I think he's probably my favorite player to watch in the NBA. Really. No, seriously. I know I do the tongue-in-cheek thing, but this time really isn't it. I, honest to God, like Tim Duncan a LOT. I have an old (old) San Antonio Spurs hat in my closet (it's from like '95). Just keep in mind I have WAY more Rockets stuff. One hat vs. 8 jerseys.

 

cmon steve, show us you still got it. all houston fans want that 3rd legit scorer from the perimeter and you can still be that guy.

 

Can't help but root for Stevie.

 

thats weird I didn't see "turnover machine" anywhere in his description

 

why wouldn't he pick up his option? is anyone else going to sign him to nearly $3m? probably not this summer.

at the very least hes another ending contract to trade.

 

That's right. What other team manager is gonna pickup his contract for $3 mil for a complete unknown. We got him and he's under contract. This is Stevie's time to prove if he's got anything left.

 

A Blast from the Past
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DKOVsLreazU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DKOVsLreazU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
We got three of the guys on our team. YAY....I think. Oh yeah and Rafer too....and hopefully Magette

 

Forreal
This is good stuff
Thanks for posting it

Rocket River

 

Like I said I'm hoping for Francis to come back big and be a huge contributor next year. I always loved Franchise's game.

BUT him coming to camp out of shape and lying on the floor the first few games was utterly disgusting. He got outplayed in training camp. Adelman clearly stated he thought Francis was gonna be the starter, so Adelman had no reason to feel any bias. He got beat out by Rafer and Mike James, plain and simple. I was saddened to see that. I absolutely blame Francis for not playing in the beginning of the season, and I find it unbelievably ridiculous that you're defending Francis for that.

Francis had ONE great game last year. I hardly think that's an indictment of Adelman. Following that game he played so poorly that even Francis himself called his play "embarrassing."

That said, I'm more than willing to chalk up Francis not playing well due to his quad injury, and I think Francis/Mac/Yao could be awesome next year, and a great story to boot. I hope so.

 

I think he came in with a sense of entitlement. Got that 30 million dollar buyout and didn't have the drive he should have had. I hope that last years discovery of the injury and the embarrassment of coming into camp out of shape and losing his starting role is enough to make him hungry and work really really hard to come into camp this year in really good A-1 shape.

 

Also this year...I am hoping that we get the humble Stevie Franchise back who does not go shooting his mouth off about being the starter and who the first option is aka...Yao is the first option after everyone understands that everybody will be a lot happier. Just shut up and play.

 

he's no run the team type PG so i assume he'll take bobby jackson's spot, run around the perimeter, couple iso's, at least he can fininish unlike bjax.

 

Steve has HEART!!

Go Rockets!