MSNBCsports.com article Got Game? Aside from Allen Iverson, Francis is the most physically talented small guard in the league. His first step is phenomenal, he is quick getting to the rim, and when his jump shot is on he's virtually unstoppable. He still dribbles too much and plays too fast, but the good news is that he doesn't need the ball as much as AI to be effective. Got Team Game? As an All-Star charged with the task of making his teammates better, Francis is so-so. He plays well with fellow backcourt mates Cuttino Mobley and Moochie Norris, but Francis is still average at best when it comes to running half-court sets. His tendency to push the tempo often takes the Rockets' few power players – especially Yao – out of the mix. Intangibles Francis has made progress and seems to understand what he needs to do to make Houston a balanced club and help Yao's progress continue. Yet, he's trying to break a lot of bad habits that date back to his college days at Maryland. The acid test will come in the playoffs, where the Rockets will almost certainly be vulnerable against a more patient opponent unless they're lucky enough to draw a team like Portland or Phoenix in the first round. starting line-up for the "All-Me" team: Francis Bryant Mashburn Garnett O'neal (Shaq) My thoughts: I thought it was pretty much a known that KG was being too unselfish espencially at the end of the game when he passes/defers to teammates rather than take forced shots. Kobe is selfish, he just looks for his, could be one of the greatest all-around players if he didn't focus on getting his points every night. With B-Diddy out in New Orleans, who should Mash defer to? Shaq has never been known for his passing abilities. Also, his unwillingness to take care of his big toe prior to the start of the season reaked of selfishness. Finally, Francis ain't selfish, just ask Mobley, Cato, Posey. All these players benefit from having a PG who can set them up for those sweet ally-oops
Francis is not selfish. He has shot just 10-14 shots lately, cause the ball keeps going to Yao, and he hasn't complained at all!
Just to remove a chunk of credibility from this article: Assist Numbers: Francis 6.0 Kobe 6.1 Mashburn 5.6 Garnett 5.7 Shaq 3.3 A combined 26.7 assists per game, for the starting 5 only. Makes you wonder, what does selfish MEAN exactly?
Ok. THIS MUST BE OLD LIKE CRAP. VERY OUTDATED. He is not selfish anymore. Last time I saw..........he took as many shots as Yao. 13 shots each. And he took good shots...only the ones when he was open... He does NOT "take them out of the mix" ANYMORE. Now everything is through Yao...
Garnett does not really belong on the "me" team dishing 5.7 from the SF/PF spot and having little help. Think the me team would kill this we team? 1) Kidd/Payton 2) Pierce/Christie 3) Garnett 4) Duncan 5) Ming/Divac
I struggled to understand why they would put A. Walker on the "we" team. If there's a "me" player, it's Walker. And Kobe and T-Mac should be on the same team, either "me" or "we" depending on how you think.
Pierce is not we, he's me. Ask the USA basketball players who came in 5th or 6th. Here's the we team: Duncan Webber Garnett Ray Allen Jason Kidd
I think Franchise was right up there in the earlier part of this season; but he has already left the team. He did not take as much shot nor did he dribble as much in recent games (after the skids).
This list is ridiculous. Kobe leads SG in assist, unless you count Jason Terry as a two guard. Garnett and Mashburn are 1 and 2 among SF, and Shaq is second among centers. His passing is way underrated. The assist numbers may not mean they're the most unselfish, but it's hard to call them the most selfish. Steve, of course, is down the list a ways for point guards, so I guess you could make the best case for him, but I don't think it's about selfishness with Steve.
Im really tired of all these Steve Francis bashing threads. This guy has immense ability and would be happy playing the 1 or the 2. It was ridiculous last night as he was trying to defend himself saying he wouldnt mind moving to the 2 so that if he takes 20 shots he won't be criticized. The ESPN, Tim Legler stuff has really gotten to him and he doesn't deserve all the blame. Yao may be under the microscope but so are his teammates, especially Steve. Steve is a lot more willing and effective passer than Cat. Steve is trying to involve his teammates. He still makes bonehead plays but watching Francis play with his back spasms and you'll realize he has a ton of heart. People should just freakin leave him alone.
Because everyone understands that it's hard to have 3 players who need 20 shots per game on the court at the same time espeically one of them is a PG. One of them must take a back seat.
