People, this is the truth and nothing but the truth, If the rockets ever want to get back to any type of respect around this league, you guys have got to realize something. I know you guys may think Steve shoots to much , or doesn't always get every one involved, but the fact still remains to be this. Steve is one of those special players that doesn't come along very often. He is a superstar that you can build a team around. Plain and simple. The rockets need to build around him and Ming. Simple as that. You don't trade superstars. And these 2 will be superstars in this league for a long time., We have to build around there strenghs. Yao may always be a jump shooting center with occasional post moves. But as long as he plays D and rebound, and passes like a guard, who cares. All I'm really saying is that the good definately out weighs the bad with these 2 players and that Steve and Yao are what the Rocks need to build around. Every else on the team is expendable. But Steve and Yao are to special to be talking about trading. That would be one of the boneheaded trades in history. Somebody said Steve for Andre Miller!!!!! Please tell me you were joking. Miller is a very good NBA player. steve is a superstar and a allstar. It doesn't even compare. Also I know Steve is scoring 30 right know but I think its because no one else is stepping up. Could you imagine how we would have lost these first seven games minus steves 30. If he had got thirty last night that was another win. You guys have to realize that during these first few games we had alot of scoring on the sidelines. Rice, MO, KT,MORRIS, mooch, all coming back from injuries, so steve and cat had to carry the load, hence Steves inflated numbers. I think it will even out now that most of them are back and get into game shape. So in PLEASE stop dogging our Franchise player. If you want blood go after someone who I think is REALLY at fault. R-U-D-Y. Sometimes I wonder what the hell he's doing sometimes.
if you want to go for the people at fault why dont you blame our role players who cant hit shots...rice, eg, kt, and mooch...i think that has been by far the biggest disappointment so far. sure everything has to go thru steve and cat, but the role players need to hit the shots when the ball is kicked out to them or at least put up decent ones when they are wide open....the one EG took at the buzzer was horrible even though he was wide open it looked like he was afraid to shoot and didnt know what to do with the ball. and to reference that thread that compared EG to horry...EG thinks before he shoots and horry doesnt...horry lets his skill take over and lets it fly. when you think you screw up and when you dont you are fine.
I was with you. I mean you had me there. I was agreeing with most of what you had to say and everything mostly made sense and then you had to go and spoil it all with that stupid comment "...go after Rudy". Come on how can you criticize people for being critical of Francis and then be critical of Rudy. It just made the rest of your statement worthless!
Steve is not a superstar. He just has freaking Athleticism which helps him become a excellent one-one-one player. athelticism also helps him grab rebounds and do pick some steals. A superstar counts smart. smart can not always be abtained simply over years of playing.
Hes not A superstar???? I can name at least ten athletic players in the NBA who are not superstars D Miles for example Hes not just athletic; Steve is a Special player
I just addressed his major edge. He definitely has other skills. For example, he shoots the ball well. However, that only makes him as star. Not superstar. I might anger a lot of people by saying so. But I just want to speak my thought. Even for Kevin Ganeet, if he does not have a accountable post move and leads his tem to enter at least second round of playoff. He still is hyped in my mind and arguable being a superstar. You can not win game by body, you win it by brain. I am entitled to say what i mean, right? I am still rockets fan anyway but just because of Yao ming! (I am chinese). That is why I said sort of nagtive things about Steve. My words based on the game last night. The only game of rockets I saw. It maybe bised based on just one game. But allow me say somethig that at least not that destructive.
You've only seen one game????? No wonder you say what you say. I forgive you, you don't know any better. You'll see.
And of the 18 shots Steve took, 4 were shots taken becasue shot clock is running out - not becuase of him, bu the ball being given to him with 2-3 secs left on the shot clock. At this moment, Steve and Mobley do account for nearly 50% of offense even though the FGA is a bit lower than that.
Jsh, You have to realize that a 6'3" guard dunking is more impressive than a 6'9" forward dunking. And this great jumping ability is one of the main reason he (Francis) gets more hype (star status) than D. Miles. We know that SF is the "main man" here in Houston. But he has depended way too much of his athletic ability rather than concentrating on his BB-IQ (smarts). I'm not saying that this is not being done. Francis has made great strides and he knows (learning) what it takes; hence talks with CD, West and Jordan. That's one of the reasons he doesn't slap the back-board after every dunk now. It's not that exciting to him anymore. He starting to see the BIG PICTURE.
BBen, how long have u followed NBA basketball religiously? I might even accept that steve might only be a star (right now) but man u totally lost me when u said KG isn't one. First and foremost KG is a superstar, u put him on any mediocre team *cough* Minnesota and he can atleast bring them into the playoffs in a tough western conference. You add a real side kick (not Wally who IS overhyped) along with some solid role players and this team will be great. KG has the most beautiful game of any man his size I've ever seen. The dude just have a fluid playing style and is really unstoppable at times unless u double and trible him. The only reason Minnesota is struggling is becuz A. Western Conference is too strong and B. Stephon bailed too early. If they could have Steph and KG together longer, that team would've had a ring by now. But back to the pint of you can't win with body but brain, ask Todd McCallouh, Dikembee Mutambo, and Indiana Pacers if Shaq was really that smart.
Steve Francis is a once in a life-time talent. There is no question that the Rockets are luckly to have him.
I couldn't agree more! The only problem he is a leader who shows by example, not a leader that makes everyone of his players better! So far there has been little indication that the supporting players know what is going on, and could become even more without Rudy T setting up PLAYS for scorers. This will of course reduce the one on one plays and increase our assists. The result will be Team Basketball and Team Chemistry. Good for them(Rockets) and us (Fans).
I'm not saying he's the best point guard in the league, I'm not even saying he makes everyone better yet, but what I am saying is he is still a very rare talent without a doubt. You guys have to realize that he's still a young player
Michael Jordan was a once in a lifetime talent. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a once in a lifetime talent. Steve is a really good player and one hell of an asset to the team but let's not put him up with the all time greats quite yet.
Steve is more than just athletic. Steve has the heart and desire of a superstar. He's modified his game. Last night he was passing early in the shotclock almost all the time. Steve did make a really stupid boneheaded play when he didn't get the shot off at the end of the game. But early on Steve was passing most of the time, and in the fourth he scored 11 points when we needed him to. That was superstar will on some of those drives, and the way he just held on to the ball until he got the foul call then made the basket. Very smart play by Steve. Steve also had that great pass to Ming on the break. In College Steve never played the PG, so he's been learning a new position, on a team plagued with injuries, and not the most talented line-ups. He's really starting to improve. I know he's not perfect, but he obviously has the will to improve, and change things about his game. I think he's doing well, overall.
I'm not saying he's a hall of famer just a star by todays standards From what you're saying neither is Duncan, Webber, and Mcgrady. None of these guys aRE all time greats either, but they are stars. So is Steve.
I'm saying that all the guys you listed (including Steve) are really good players with the potential to become great. Some will and some won't. I'm happy we have Steve and I'm not ready to trade him. I just don't know how good he will eventually be yet. It should be an exciting ride.