My heart is pained because I really wanted Stevie to play well again, and at least be part of our rotation. But my mind is happy that we have finally cleared some salary and could now have a chance at a big man.
DaDa - He couldn't take minutes away from Rafer Alston and Brooks (a # 26 pick). And you're expectation is he's going to get minutes from a #4 pick (Conley) on a team the forces tempo (Iavarroni was D'Antoni's assistant @ PHX) with personnel that now has OJ Mayo inititiating it's half-court offense? With Kyle Lowery and a 6'5"+ Marko Jaric still on the MEM roster? With much Christmas respect...that's just not going to happen.
I was driving when I heard this and was floored. As much as I wanted to see Steve regain some of his game and return to being an everyday player as a Rocket I understand this is the best move for Houston. Man... I am honestly sad he is gone. But truthfully if what they says is true about him not showing up to work outs and practices he had it coming. Stevie, Franchise, SF3, we wish you well.
I wish we could've seen Stevie play this season and see what he had left, and if he could be a rotation player sometime, but I guess this is the end. I wish Steve good luck! Hopefully we can somehow get Deke back now, if not then maybe another solid backup Center...
Steve Francis was a great one on one player and explosive jumper -- but he never understood the game of basketball and what it is to be a point guard. Rafer is light years ahead of Steve in decision making -- even during Steves "all star years". Steve has bounced around so much because he has never learned to be an effective player. Durng the "Franchise" years the rockets were a mediocre team and JVG quickly realized you cant win with someone like him. You SF3 groupies need to really pull your head out of your a***'s.
Without Francis, the post-Hakeem years would have been dreadful. Francis never had much success here, but the Rockets were rebuilding, and he never got much help here. Shandon Freakin Anderson was a 40MPG player with Steve.
Both Doc Rocket and OP have been the best insiders ever on the Rockets. Simply remarkable. OP broke the news of Francis's pending arrival to the Rockets from Vancouver even before any one in the press even knew about it. Doc Rocket is just as brilliant.He likes to tell things in riddles,but this time he was he told us quite plainly what was going to happen with Steve Francis. I'm sure Doc has something up his sleeve with his TWACEY riddle.
it's true, Stevie never was a high IQ player, but he gave it his all all the time. No one could question his hustle or his heart. I wish him the best in Memphis and will def. be cheering for him to make it back to a rotation player status.
Havent read much of this thread yet. Will just say Low Risk/Mild Reward. All the way start to finish. It being Francis who Houston was already familiar with was a bit of a bonus, and deterrent. But it wouldnt have mattered who the player was really. If you can sign a player 6 months before the cap figure becomes official then deal that player before it counts against the cap, not much loss. Francis wasnt taking the young players out for booze and drugs every weekend being a distracting bad influence, he was just trying to get back. If anything Francis on the sideline had other guards like Rafer and Head play with a little more sense of urgency. On Christmas Eve soaking in all whats really important at home, seeing some of the talk that it "cleans up the board" now that Francis is gone....as good as this place is, its REALLY not that big a deal in life that a message board has a few repetitive threads hate to say...
Franchise will always be one of my fav Rockets just because of the heart he played with. Good Luck steve@!
I think you are confusing Popeye or Oeilpere with Doc Rocket, you are right about him being in the know but I don't recall him speaking in riddles. DD
