Taking someone off the dribble should be irrevelant. If they run the offense everyone will get open looks without having to dribble that often. The 5 best players should be on the court. That includes Mobley. Their quickness is best served by running an actual offense. Then you have people running at your open looks, jumping, diving, and srcambling. At thta point your quickness can exploit them. Going one on one does nothing. Francis can get just as many shots as the point as he can the two. This team just needs pass the ball around. You get a lot more space to operate if you do that. But you don't need a pure point guard to do that. You need your best players.
Am I the only person who watched that interview last night and didn't get the impression that Francis "suddenly realized" he should play the 2? Calvin asked the question and they talked about it, but didn't it pretty much end with Steve saying he wouldn't be able to guard bigger 2s?
I saw this interview last night and immediately realized that it would be a hot topic today. Oski2005, I do not recall it ending like that. I think Francis said that it was Rudy's concern that he would not be able to guard bigger 2s. Just a shade of difference from your version.
how about we try to get sam cassell he likley wont be with the bucks next year because of payton we should try to get him
I'd like to get Andre Miller, but do we really want him for the MAX? I think the Jazz will get him for the MAX, and hopefully, we don't make a mistake by offering it to him. He hasn't proven himself as a MAX player. His defense is barely decent, and his range is somewhat dissapointing for the open looks he gets. I'd rather give Payton the same kind of money for 3 years than Andre Miller that kind of money for 5+ years. Yes, btw, Payton is an FA, but I was refefring to a sign and trade kind of deal. I think another realistic deal I'd pursue is acquring Eric Snow from the Sixers. We'd have to involve another team though. If there were some way we could work out a 3-way with Philly and the Clippers, where Andre Miller ends up with the Sixers, while Snow and another player end up with the Rockets.
Cat could start some games as a SF when the opposing team's SF is small, and the rest of the games he could come off the bench. If we could draft or sign a good PG, I think it would be a great move for SF. He is way too quick for most SGs.
Phi, The ball simply does not move enough with this current cast of players b/c they dont have the slighest clue or sense of where and when to pass it. This requires an understanding of the game by the guards and bball IQ which Francis and Mobley dont have. A true distributor in place of Mobley would facilitate this and do wonders for this offense. Also, I heard the same ending that Coin Toss is describing to the interview. Francis claims that Rudy would be concerned with him defending bigger 2s. Personally, I would much rather have Francis against 2s than 1s. If a team would like to initiate the offense by posting up a bigger 2 against Francis, I would much rather this situation than have Francis get burned by PGs like he currently does. Defense at the point of attack is a whole lot more important than defense on a wing player. Who really cares if a Kobe or Pierce hoists up 20 plus shots against you to try to exploit matchup? I would much rather have this than watch a good PG score AND slash up the defense to get his teammates involved and get your big men into foul trouble.
Excellent points MManal. I would also like to add to this thread by saying the last thing we need is a rookie in the starting line-up next year. If anything, we need solid, veteran, consistent role players. Not someone out of the draft trying to establish themselves with no NBA experience whatsoever. No more rookies for this team. Nachbar is our draft pick next year. I'd definitely try and look into whether or not we can acquire our PG without getting rid of Cat. It would be an INCREDIBLE luxury to have Cat on the bench as our 6th man. When our PG sits or when Francis sits, Cat can come in. We can also sometimes go with a 3-guard line-up if this PG truly is a distributor. But no more young players. Ming will be polished next year, and Eddie will start to establish some consistency given he gains as much strength as he did last summer. Nachbar will be worked in, and it sounds like Tito is doing well enoguh in practice to be given a shot next year. Bring the veterans here.
Sane, I would rather take Tony Parker, Eric Snow or Jamaal Tinsley at what they are currently making than acquire Andre Miller for the max. However, if it was either Andre Miller or nothing, I'd bite the bullet and commit whatever dollars it took to get Miller. I firmly believe that this team will continue to be stuck in netural until they get a true PG. They are not going to make the postseason this yr b/c of it and imo will not improve much next yr either. Changing the coach wont solve much, this is just a bad blend of talent.
MManal, You're right, this is a bad blend of talent, and I too would like to have the PG's you mentioned. But I don't know if I would take Andre Miller for the MAX. The league has noticeable evolved (salary cap-wise) and teams just don't "bite the bullet" on big contracts anymore. Not even the Knicks. Miller is a good player, but he's not a creative guy. He's a system guy, and if you think Moochie holds on to the ball too much, just wait till you see this guy. He definitely slwos down the game, and follows the system regardless of the consequences. In a Rudy system, where creativity is very important, I'm not sure he'd be succesful. Let's say we take him for the MAX and he has a decent season. That's 2 decent seasons, one poor one, then another decent one. We would then be stuck with this huge contract, and what do we do when it's time to pay Griff and Ming? If our last hope is Andre Miller for the MAX, I'd start to look at other thigns. Such as, smarter SG's to replace Cat, or Lamar Odom to play Point-Forward. But if all else failed, and I had to decide between changing nothing in the backcourt or getting Andre Milelr for the MAX, I'd take our chances and go to training camp where we will shift a larger portion of the offense to the inside, and hope the right deal comes along during the season. Andre Miller for the MAX is just too huge a risk.
I saw the interview - quite interesting. It was clear that Calvin Murphy and Bill Worrell want to see Francis at the 2 guard position (the said so as literarily as possible). Francis was somehow boxed into a corner (by 2 men he really respects) so he "politely" agreed that it playing the 2-guard position is an interesting taught. Calvin said guarding bigger 2s will not be a problem because of the rule change and the presence of Yao, Cato and Eddy in the paint to help out if need be. Francis also said that with playing the 2-guard position, he will have justification to jack up 20 shots a game as opposed to doing that from the PG possition - Francis bassically agreed with that statement that he does not feel "comfortable" taking 20 shots while playing the PG position. He wants to shoot the ball often but playing the point guard position does not give him the justification to do that. Also I noticed he did not feel comfortable with this question (probably because we have a SG now - his friend) but he did a good job handling it politely. Also I noticed that Calvin Murphy is very "influencial" with certain players. Over the last 2 months, Calvin has said on the air that he has had conversations (critiquing and words of encouragement) with guys like Yao, Francis, Mobley, Eddy and MoT over their games. I like this and I will love to see it continue because I believe that many of our players really like and respect Calvin - and Calvin himself is many times on point with his takes.
I'd like to see more of this advice dished out too, from Calvin or Moses or Hakeem. Anyone who knows basketball that well. But it's not like this is the first time it comes up. Francis said during the All-Star break that he'd "love" to play the 3-guard, but he said that Cuttino is doing a good job there.
Only a complete baskedtball idiot would think that SF will ever be a full time SG. For streches throughout the game, yes he can. But for a season he would get beat up too much. Is CM a great player? No but he's a good SG and one of the best (excluding players in their rookie contracts) money bargains in the NBA. He showed loyalty by staying for below market value. He's in the top half of nba SG's. Now a small forward that could run the offense or a vetern pg would be great. But some of the post some of you make are just plain STUPID. Dixon for Mobley? Come on be serious. Steve, just like every player in this league. has his faults. But to call him all the names he's called is just wrong. There are not too may people in the NBA who works as hard as Steve does. I can imagine what most of you would say about MJ in his early days in CHI.
Steve Francis.....Calvin Murphy,"I wish you could be a 2." Steve Francis, "Me too!" Well of course...Francis can easily get past every single shooting guard in the NBA. But on defense...I don't see how he can possibly defend anybody. Mobley is only an inch taller.....but Mobley plays aggressive defense and.....is just better. And we can put Posey on VERY BIG shooting guards. But Francis cannot possibly guard shooting guards. But it would be nice to have him as a shooting guard and a true point guard. But then...wouldn't the opposing team just put the shooting guard on our new point guard...and put their point guard on Steve? Isn't it pretty much the same thing? But we do have Yao and Eddie protecting outside. But Kobe Bryant can just jump over Francis and drain jumpers... But it would be great to be like Eric Snow and Allen Iverson or Sam Cassell and Gary Payton or Brent Barry and Ray Allen...but I don't know who would come to Houston. And what's going to happen to the Cat?!? He hasn't been doing anything wrong recently...
Guarding bigger 2 guards is a BS excuse for not moving him if he would be better suited there. Francis has trouble with players quicker and smaller then him, but bigger and slower, he seems ok. Also, with the zone defenses allowed it just doesn't matter. 1 or 2 inches at the guard position is really not that important. Heck Cat is already a small 2 guard at 6'4", and I don't hear Rudy whining about that. I think the truth is that Rudy now KNOWS that Steve is a 2, and will trade Cat in the summer. It is too late to do it now, so you go with who ya got. Steve will be moving to the 2 full time by next year, at least that is my prediction. DD
If Griffin puts on strength at the same rate he did last year, that will make him more efective, and that would make moving Steve to the 2 easier. An improved Griffin (plays more) and a non-rookie Yao would really cover up for a lot of problems at the 2. Right now, we're 2nd or 3rd in the league for blocks per game. By nex year, we should be tops. If we somehow acquire Brand, then our PF/C tandem would be averaging a combined 5 blocks per game (5 FGA, potentially 10 points). Still, I'd like to make Cat the 6th man if possible. Hopefully, we get a Guard who can defend a lot of 2's, because Rudy doens't play that much zone. Eric Snow and Gary Payton both have unlimited experience guarding 2's.
I got a woody thinking about TJ running the Rockets' offense. Imagine how badass it would be having him come home and play for the Houston. Alleyoops to Yao and Francis, bounce passes in traffic, setting up open looks for Cat.... Excuse me while I turn on "spanktravision."
ya tj on the rockets would be badass but he is "110 percent" sure he is coming back next yr to texas and i bet he even stays for his senior yr
EG is not enough for a straight up with Parker. Probably MoT and EG combined. I like GArenas better. He is more negotiable and little bit more atheletic.
