Tim Legler (ESPN) predicts that the Rockets won't make the playoff this year, because Steve Francis is too interested in his own numbers, and won't pass the ball! I hope this is not the case and that Steve fulfills his potential as a leader and realy does believe in the 5 man offence. Did you see the show, and what do you make of this Legler prediction?
SF is focusing on being a leader of the team. And he knows scoring and personal number gains would not bring victories to the team. How much he would be able to achieve in this leadership role is unknown. It is too soon to make a judgement!
I think Tim Legler's prediction skills are right in line with his NBA skills.......both really SUCK!!!!!
Lest you are too young, or don't remember, and tip your collective hands...Legler could rain. Francis needs to distribute the ball. He needs to stop talking about it and do it. Plenty of people on this board have expressed this opinion. Quit talking about it and do it. Legler may be right on the money. We won't know until Steve either shows up or doesn't.
Later on in the show, Legler also said that Denver would beat Golden State in the Western Conference finals, and face Cleveland in the NBA Finals. Legler is a moron, I agree with the post that says his analysis is much like his game. IT SUCKS!! If he paid any attention at all to the Rockets, he would know that Stevie is more concerned about winning this year.
Steve needs to clip out this quote and laminate it and read it before every single game. After the Rockets make the play offs Steve should then mail the quote back to Legler.
He's just a sorry A$$ former NBA player commentator now making stupid comments. Just looking like a jacka$$. Legler wishes he was in Francis's shoes now....
Well said Jlaw. The progression of this team is eerily similar to another team. I give you exhibit A, the Bad Boys. While there are some glaring differences, for the sake of my point, stay with me. Steve reminds me of a young Isiah Thomas. Early in his career, Zeke would score at will and nobody could do anything about it, much like Francis. Sure the Pistons improved and started making the playoffs (a miracle in itself), but they were never going to win anything. Then Zeke decided to be a leader and not worry about his stats. He did what the team needed. The Pistons didn't have the star power (outside of Zeke) and became the first team to win an NBA title without a 20 pt scorer. Isiah led them with 18 per. Now lets look at the pieces of both puzzles. Dumars = Cat, with much better D. Laimbeer was a defensive center with an outside game (Ming??? Lets hope he rebounds as well) Salley and Rodman, athleletic big man who erased shots (Eddie, plus Eddie has more offensive skills). Plus a very good, deep bench. Vinny The Microwave Johnson = Norris, and of course the deep frontcourt of the Rockets, with all interchangeable, KT, Morris, Cato, Boki, Rice. The Rocks have the talent, now they just need to be as tough as the Bad Boys and have a leader. (Steve, you getting this???) Lets hope that this equals another Back to Back run.
Thomp.... Zeke averaged 10 assists a year....how is that NOT getting his teamates involved. I can see the comparisons...but it was really more about a committment to defense that put the Bad Boys over the top. They already played as a team on offense. I remember Zeke saying something like..." I could score 50 a night if I wanted, but we would not win". I wish Francis would learn to play like that. Winning should be above personal stats and highlights on ESPN...unfortunatly not everyone agrees. DD
This season will hopefully show some improvement in our teams ball movement. For at least parts of the preseason there was a definite improvement in that category. In one game with regular season minutes Steve had 10 assists, and in a game with limited minutes Steve had 9 assists. Rudy, himself, said that the team has much room for improvement in the new offense. It may take a little while for it all to gel, because the offense is new, and the fact that half the team isn't out because of injury is also new. But this should be the year when things start to change. From all reports Steve definitely seems dedicated to winning, and wants to do the right thing. Hopefully he will be able to recognize what the right thing is and steer himself in the team in that direction.
Whatever "it" is, Zeke had "it." I remember going to a Mavs-Pistons game and conciously watching Zeke the whole game. For 3 1/2 quarters I was not that impressed. He scored some, made some assists, but nothing that would lead one to believe he was this great player people talked about--rarely took a shot and did little driving. About midway in the 4th quarter the game was still tight and he absolutely took over. You could see it in the way he moved and the energy he expended. A couple of times he was moving so fast that it looked like everyone else was a huffalump. Started taking his shots, drove with ferocity, created turnovers, and got rebounds. Pistons won going away. I think the Rockets have the talent to hang with any team for 3 1/2 quarters. The question is do we have someone to consistently take us over the hump in close games. If the Championship is ours in 2005, someone--preferably Steve or YM or even Eddie--needs to establish that mentality this year. I think it's probably very hard to do the first few times, but it seems like if you're a great player and can do it a few times, you become more relaxed and can do it more often.
Legler isn't totally off his rocker. Francis, in the past, has shown some selfish play. Now, I hope he turns it around and shuts up the critics, myself included. For Francis and the Rockets, it's put up or shut up.
Legler may have been a scrub, but he isn't the only with that opinion. Everytime the Rockets are mentioned on some NATIONAL sports show, the question of "Will Mobley and Stevie pass the ball enough to be successful" always comes up. So it's not just Legler. I like them for saying the right things for the media, but talk is cheap. The last 2 preason games proved that.
steve francis will not average 10 assists this year and will probably never get more than 7 apg for his career. even if you used andre miller in this exact same offense he would not get 10 assists. rudy doesn't call for his point guard to be john stockton and we know francis isn't that type anways. i think we'll see alot more ball movement which should increase the overall team assists but steve's selfishness or actually lack of can't be judged just by that number. i've never seen anything out of him that makes me think he cares more about his stats than winning. that's something guys like legler say because they don't watch the rockets but they see a pg with 22 points and 6 assists. oh well, i agree with crash steve should remember that and throw it in his face if we get in.
Just because a guy doesn't agree with you does not make him suck or stupid. Actually he has a point Steve needs to learn how to pass the ball or move over to the SG where he belongs.
