Some of the message are intense. FYI, I moved from Weston, FL to Houston in March. I haven't had time to update my information. To the poster who researched my Yao Ming comments, I wish you would have found the post where I gave Yao mad props for proving me wrong. Also, you will notice that I have never posted any rumors since signing on. Take a look at Steve's actions and reactions to certain events. Finally, get off Steve's jock, what short memories we have. We have had Sam, Clyde, Kenny, Maxwell, and Murphy. Steve is not the beginning or end of the Rockets. He is only a piece thats broken as long as its next to Cat and Moochie who together put on a better dribbling exhibition than the GlobeTrotters in their prime. And I don't know who the H-E- double hockey sticks TroyBarros is. In addition, Tim Breaux game has gotten better, especially his jump shot, which is automatic from High School 3 point line and in. I won't mention his quickness, which is near Vernon's level.
This guy is telling the truth now for sure about Fonde. Sure, it is still outlandish rumors being circulated about Steve. But I believe man532 was just relaying the message, not making it up for kicks.
Interesting thread. If Francis were on the trading block, do you think Portland would give up Rasheed Wallace for him? I think the Blazers might as they have by some accounts grown weary of his image and lack of progress in terms of becoming a franchise player. In addition, I think the Blazers may be looking to develop Zach Randolph and eventually make him their starting PF further lessening the need for Wallace. Also, I believe that Pippen has played PG for them most of the time; with him possibly retiring/leaving, that would open up a spot in their lineup for Francis to fill. Could you imagine a frontline of Yao, Rasheed, and Posey? Long, athletic, and devastating defensively. I don't think it would matter what kind of idiots we put in the backcourt (start Mobley and Vernon Maxwell for all I care), <b>no one</b> would be able to score on that kind of frontline.
If you want Garnett, why not go CRAZY. As big as this is, it makes sense on multible levels. Golden State trades: PF Danny Fortson (3.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.7 apg in 13.1 minutes) SG Jason Richardson (15.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.0 apg in 32.9 minutes) PF Troy Murphy (11.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 1.3 apg in 31.8 minutes) PG Gilbert Arenas (18.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.3 apg in 35.0 minutes) Golden State receives: PF Maurice Taylor (8.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 20.6 minutes) SF Lamar Odom (14.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.6 apg in 34.3 minutes) PG Andre Miller (13.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.7 apg in 36.4 minutes) SF Corey Maggette (16.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.9 apg in 31.3 minutes) Change in team outlook: +4.3 ppg, -4.6 rpg, and +1.9 apg. Houston trades: PF Maurice Taylor (8.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 20.6 minutes) C Kelvin Cato (4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 17.1 minutes) SG Cuttino Mobley (17.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.9 apg in 41.7 minutes) PG Steve Francis (21.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.2 apg in 41.0 minutes) PF Eddie Griffin (8.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.1 apg in 24.5 minutes) Houston receives: PF Danny Fortson (3.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.7 apg in 17 games) PG Gilbert Arenas (18.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.3 apg in 82 games) PF Chris Wilcox (3.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.5 apg in 46 games) C Wang Zhizhi (4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 41 games) SF Kevin Garnett (23.0 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 6.0 apg in 82 games) Change in team outlook: -7.1 ppg, +0.8 rpg, and +2.3 apg. L.A. Clippers trades: PF Elton Brand (18.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.5 apg in 39.6 minutes) SF Lamar Odom (14.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.6 apg in 34.3 minutes) PG Andre Miller (13.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.7 apg in 36.4 minutes) SF Corey Maggette (16.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.9 apg in 31.3 minutes) PF Chris Wilcox (3.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.5 apg in 10.4 minutes) C Wang Zhizhi (4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 10.1 minutes) L.A. Clippers receives: SG Jason Richardson (15.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.0 apg in 82 games) PF Troy Murphy (11.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 1.3 apg in 79 games) SG Cuttino Mobley (17.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.9 apg in 73 games) PF Eddie Griffin (8.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.1 apg in 77 games) PG Troy Hudson (14.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 5.7 apg in 79 games) Change in team outlook: -4.0 ppg, -3.9 rpg, and -1.5 apg. Minnesota trades: SF Kevin Garnett (23.0 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 6.0 apg in 40.5 minutes) PG Troy Hudson (14.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 5.7 apg in 32.9 minutes) Minnesota receives: C Kelvin Cato (4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 73 games) PG Steve Francis (21.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.2 apg in 81 games) PF Elton Brand (18.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.5 apg in 62 games) Change in team outlook: +6.8 ppg, +7.7 rpg, and -2.7 apg. Clippers get similar talent that put up similar numbers for players that are locked up with small contracts. Rockets get Garnett who will be phenomenal with Arenas. Wolves get a starting competitive team that put up more numbers in points and rebounds then the original team. SF and Brand will be great there. G.S. lose two pf for one pf and a swingman which they need. Progected line up and point, assist, rebound distribution: Rockets: Arenas 16ppg 7apg 3rpg Posey 14ppg 4apg 5rpg Garnett 25ppg 5apg 11rpg Fortson 6ppg 2apg 9rpg Ming 18ppg 3apg 10rpg This line up improves our rebounding a lot. Ming will get more shots and will help our lost of ppg there. Arenas is a better "pg" than Francis is. This is one crazy rebounding team that has many scoring options. Timberwolves: Francis 21ppg 6apg 5rpg Wally 17ppg 4apg 4rpg Smith 8ppg 2apg 6rpg Brand 22ppg 3apg 10rpg Cato 7ppg 1apg 8rpg Francis and Brand more than compensate for Hudson and Garnett. Cato adds more rebounds. This team is a lot better than the original team. Warriors: Miller 15ppg 8apg 3rpg Maggette 16ppg 3apg 4rpg Odom 14ppg 5apg 6rpg Jamison 20ppg 4apg 8rpg Foyle 10ppg 1apg 7rpg The best rebounding team in the league lost some rebounding presence. But rebounding is useless without players to put the ball in the basket. Enter Miller Maggette and Odom who can all score with ease. This is a more high scoring team then the original with Taylor to come off the bench for a spark in points. Clippers: Hudson 14ppg 7apg 3rpg Mobley 18ppg 3apg 3rpg Murphy 15ppg 2apg 10rpg Richardson 17ppg 5apg 4rpg Ely/Griffen 9ppg 2apg 8rpg This team is young. This team is talented. This team is completely on either rookie contracts or small contracts. They unload 3 potentially max contracts. In return they get a Murphy Griffen combo to make up for Brand. They get Hudson to make up for Miller. Mobley and Richardson can easily make up for the lost of Odom.
lol nice windandsea. No one said Francis was on the trading block. He may tell his friends that he wants to leave once in a while...when they are doing bad.....but it doesn't mean he is telling the Rockets he wants to be traded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My take...There are essentially three ways to go with a rumour posted by a relatively unkown poster; 1) Automatically give them the benefit of the doubt until they prove you wrong. 2) Automatically doubt them untl they 'earn' your trust/respect. 3) Base your reaction to the content on the information. I am more of a number 1 guy, with a little 3 thrown in. I think no. 2 leads to much more negativety, and as long as you use nuber 3 to eliminate posts which are obviously out to lunch, I think 1 and 3 work well enough. As to no. 3, I see no reason to assume that this is malarky. It's a surprise, I'll grant you that, and it might just be either bad info passed on, or a temporary tiff, but I see no reason to lump this guy in with TB just because we don't like the message he's passing on. IF it is true...wow. Big, bad news. Could be a good thing, but usully when you make a trade because a star wants out, you get back less than you give. Or it could be nothing...or it could pass. Interesting, though...
This is getting a whole lot of play, but why? Even if Stevie wanted Wiz (post-MJ Wiz? ? ? ? ?) it would take something close to 23 mil in salaries going and coming to make something happen. Cat 1st and then Stevie both played without their exuberance starting soon post-LAL/44 SF. The 'why' is what has so many of us psychobabbling. I believe Stevie is more winner than whiner and that he will have a bounce back campaign '03-'04. In H-town, of course.
TaiMaiShu: That's awesome! Exactly the kind of stuff I like to see on these boards: HUGE trade ideas that are even half-way plausible, if only in the rhetorical sense. Let's not forget that our beloved Rockets have pulled off some of the biggest trades in NBA history: * Jack Marin for Elvin Hayes. * Two draft picks for Moses Malone. * Moses Malone for Caldwell Jones and a draft pick. * Ralph Sampson and Steve Harris for Sleepy Floyd and J.B. Carroll. * Otis Thorpe and Tracy Murray for Clyde Drexler. * Sam Cassell, Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant and Robert Horry for Charles Barkley. * Roy Rogers and a draft pick for Scottie Pippen. * Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price, Antoine Carr and a draft pick for Steve Francis, Tony Massenburg, Lee Mayberry, Makhtar Ndiaye, Rodrick Rhodes and Michael Smith. * Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong for Eddie Griffin. This is an organization that will make a big deal...
Steve Francis is a great addition to any team. I just don't understand why any Rockets fan would want to get rid of him. Some of these posts boggle my mind. If Steve is really a part of this team's problem, then I need to stop watching basketball altogether. Screw the coaches....this team needs new fans.
I don't think Twolves will give up KG and Hudson for a bunch of losers. These group, SF, Cat, Moochi, etc, can't get in playoff at Houston, how differently will they fare in Minesota? No better. Rumor is KG is feeling bullish. It that pans out, Chicago finally sees some light at the end of a long dark tunnel.
If Francis actually demanded that trade then I've lost all respect for him. Especially after that huge contract extension he just got. However, his actions and words say otherwise his relationship with Yao seems to be great he seems to defer to Yao when he is level headed He just donated 10 grand to Yao's SARs charity so he can't be jealous of Yao Francis did want to be on the Wizards once and its because alot of his friends and family are in Maryland and DC. But that contract extension shut up him pretty quickly afterwards.
Well we know part of the rumor at least is totally false. I don't think the physicians and people at the mayo clinic who diagnosed and treated Steve's Meniere's disease just wanted to help him along with his scam. Steve as a star player for a team has gone out of his way to welcome Ming, from driving him around, to stretching with him etc. Also one thing is incorrect about the other part of the rumor as well. At least for the time being, Steve is still the first fiddle on this team, so he's not really having to play second fiddle to Yao. I'm aware that Yao fans want every single play to go to Yao. As much as people say Steve doesn't play smart basketball, going to Yao every single time at this stage of his career is even more stupid. Steve may have been able to get the ball to Yao more, at times, but what he did was far from freezing Yao out.
i think francis wont be leavin rocs anytime soon. with his relationship with yao and the rest of the fellas, i think he gon think twice before even thinkin about leavin houston. houston made him feel like home from the day he went here. the rocs made him a leader in the early stages of his career. he got respect from the day he was drafted coz hou made a really huge deal just to have him here. and not to mention, his whopping extension contract, i dont even think steve wants to leave the rocs anytime soon. with the way people love and respect him here, with being tagged as the "Franchise", it will make him a dumbass if he considers leavin houston.
well, seriously, why would anybody believe any ****talking that goes on in a rec center gym? that is just crazy!
Gym talk is all it is. If Steve is going around telling everyone that he wants to be traded to the East Coast, then why hasn't any of the media reported it? How does Joe Pickupgame know about this stuff and the people that actually cover the Rockets for a living don't? Also, it is not believable, IMO, because Man532 obviously has ulterior motives in posting the Garnett trade (i.e. Minnesota is farther from the East Coast than Houston is).
