Again with 'gettin it!'

I told you all about this situation at least 10 times before the season started! Everyone called me a Francis hater. That I am not, I only want the Rockets to play Team Basketball. I think that we can't have two greedy players on our team or Point Guards that foster Dribble Mania. The Rockets are so predictible the way they play, its a wonder they win anything.Les, Rudy and CD. have some serious thinking to do! They should start now, as several Star players are going to be available from the Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. Steve Francis could make a Great Two Guard but will never be a Great Point Guard as his mind set is shoot first pass second. Steve Francis is a shooter and an all round quality player and I am glad he is a Rocket!

 

I think Steve and Cat get it much more than they did at the same time last year. I mean Cuttino actually has passed a lot more this year on his drives, and has had a few 6 assist games.

I'm of the belief that 'it' will come around... maybe as heypartner said, after we get hammered in the playoffs.

 

Be patient......I don't understand the gripes about chemistry and inconsistancy. That is naturally true. Look at our starters.
Francis - has been forced to be the scoring option the last few years. Rarely played last year. Hurt half the time he did.
Mobely - Was THE #1 option last year when Steve was out. These two should naturally have chemistry together, as they have been together.
Posey - Has not played with the team until very recently.
Griffin - Didn't really have playing time until the end of last year. A lot of that time was without Steve. Needs bulk and post up moves.
Ming - New to the NBA. Seems to be tiring out.
I understand why many people are frustrated, but it really takes time to gain chemistry and consistancy. Steve and Mobely have bad habits due to the system they have been forced to run the last few years. They will get over it. Any comparisons to the SA team when they tanked and got Duncan are not fair. That team had been contenders(maybe not serious) before Duncan. We had been 9th seed 1 year. Steve isn't gettin it now. That's not to say he won't. We show streaks. All teams have growing pains.

 

Doc,

I basically agree that Francis doesn't "get it. I think, in his own way, he's trying but HE JUST DOESN'T KNOW HOW.

He is arguably the most physically gifted player on the planet. He can get his shot off against any defender, and can typically break down defenses at will. And often when he finds himself surrounded by collapsing defenses, he is good enough to find an open teammate. But also there are too many heaves that are caught by the coaching staff.

The point is that he actually is making the game harder than it needs to be. Only his incredible athletic ability has allowed him to get this far. I hate to say this on this board, but he could sure use a mentor like John Stockton. Francis prefers flash instead of bread and butter- the alley oop or behind the back dribble- to the simple bounce pass. He dribbles between his legs to showboat......why? Whom does he think he is impressing? How often has he lost the ball doing so? Too many to count! Moreover, I don't see any of the coaches harnessing him or showing him the ropes.

Can he be a point guard? Not in the classic sense like a Cousy or Magic. Can he be an effective lead guard? I think so. I hope that his eyes are opening to the fact that he cannot lead this team where he wants to go with his present style. It was only when MJ began to trust teammates that he became a world chamption. And look at the impact that Bird and Magic, the two most unselfish players in recent memory, had on their teams. They lead by sharing the ball, but knew when to take a game over.

Steve is a fearless warrior and wants to win as much as anyone. I just think he has gone as far as athletic ability can carry him, and he has hit the "leadership wall." Maybe with the right mentors it is still possible.

Dallas Rocket

 

Well, now that you've clarified, my standard answer has been to get Lamar Odom, so Steve doesn't have to have IT so much, if Lamar runs the point forward. Steve can take full advantage of his scoring ability vs a small 1 & move Posey to starting 2 so there's some size and defense in the backcourt. As a result we have Odom and Steve on opposite sides that can set up Ming (for secondary pass or shot) or the 2 or 4 for shots, or who can swing it again or score when it comes back from Ming.

If we keep Steve, Cat needs to go to the bench or away for a better option, like Odom. The Steve and Cat show is a bad mix with too much of the same thing. It's better to have a little of this and a little of that - the other player should have a different skill set and style to offset Steve. Steve can shoot and drive but he can't defend and can't swing the ball. Get a player that can do that. Posey can do that.


My previous answer re: trading Steve is worst case scenario - Can not play with others.

 

Dallas Rocket, Very insightful post that points the finger to those responsible for the "development" of players. All of us know there is a breakdown somewhere, but where? Coaching, discipline, system, ego, structure, organization, mindset, roles, jealousy, what? You can't fix a problem until you really understand it. Has Francis resisted direction or is he simply without direction?

 

Keokuk? Hey, Grummett, where in Iowa are you? I'm in Iowa City/Coralville.

We now return you to this thread...

 

Personally, IMO, Francis will never get "it" as a PG. We'll have to run a big portion of the offense through Ming, and acquire some other players who can bring the ball up effectively too.

I don't think he'd be succesfull at the 2 though. He's too small and he doesn't play defense half as well as Mobley does.

The answer is to package Mobley and Rice for a 2-guard like Brent Barry, but much better. I'd love to acquire Jamal Crawford, bring him off the bench, and if he works out, at some point, put him in the SL as the 2-guard with Steve.

 

Clinton sounds right.

 

Ok I think Steve can get it, maybe not as much as we want him to, but if he can cut down on the dumb 4qt turnovers and learn to manage the team better down the stretch, then that would be good enough for me. For example Trent dilfer helped win a Super Bowl by just not making mistakes and good team management. I think what Steve need is a point guard coach, someone he respects and will listen to. Right now I don’t think Steve is a student of the game, he does put the effort on the court but, not off the court because it shows, if he was doing his home work he would be a step faster on the court. He would know when, where, and to whom he should pass it to. And since John Lucas needs a job right now, he is a perfect fit for that job, I mean, why not, the Mav’s have 50 coaches why can’t we have one point guard coach.

 

Are you at the practices? Don't you think Rudy and the other coaches and even Calvin Murphy talk to him? They all have a hell of a lot more experience than Steve Francis on what it takes to win in the NBA. I would bet they all talk to Francis often. Maybe the problem is with Francis? Think about it. Francis has gotten all the way to the NBA on his talent not his brains. He has NEVER been a point guard. Not in junior college and not at Maryland.

Don't you think if he had some point guard skills, one of those coaches along the way would have played him at the point?

 

'aight doc, i will be in town feb 20-25, if you wanna meet to play some ball, and then if you wanna talk some **** to me, i will break something on you. it is very simple, really, you don't talk to me that way. i am a grown man, and i am actually probably smarter than you as well, but i just don't give a **** about impressing YOU with verbal skills or grammer. it's pretty meaningless in a bbs forum. and i really dislike arguing with petty little b!tches like you , so i don't really get into it.

all that silliness aside, i just think all yall need to chill out and be patient. stevie has been playing organized ball for what, 7, 8 years? been a point for 4? really now, why do any of you think you know more about his abilities than people that have been in the business of professional basketball for decades?

oh yeah, doc, i don't care what your supposed "insider" status is. you'r cryptic comments sound like pure speculation all dressed up. it doesn't fool me. basically, you don't know ****, and you wanna play the hotshot. that is just pathetic really.

 

Bob,

Can't disagree with you regarding his lack of experience at the point prior to the Rox. But if that's so evident to you, why isn't it evident to "Rudy and the coaches will all their experience?" Why are they forcing him to be a 1? They see this guy every day!!

Playing him where he can benefit the team optimally and developing him is the coaching staff's responsibility. If he is truly uncoachable, then there's an even greater problem.

 

The reason is, he was drafted by Vancouver, who already had their point guard of the future in Mike Bibby, and Francis somewhere along the line got it in his head that he wanted to be a point guard in the NBA despite never having played the position. He told the Grizzlies not to draft him, he wanted to play the 1. The Grizzlies drafted him anyway and then traded him to us.

Now Rudy is no dummy. Here is a super athlete who can help his team win. Problem is it's now 4 years later and Francis is really not that much better than he was as a rookie. He still makes dumb mistakes and often looks lost in trying to run the team.

It seems to me that Francis just suffers brain cramps and forgets everything the coaching staff teaches him (especially at the end of games) so he reverts back to what is comfortable for him, one on one basketball. After all, he has always gotten by on that.

 

hahah! ok, doc, you silly little b!tch, your "i know you are but what am i" method of handling confrontation is right on par with the rest of your immature slop you try to pass of as a thread.

it is really funny, but i see you won't take me up on my offer, anywhere you want, as long as it's in the city. c'mon big boy, you up for it? probably not, too much of a p***y, i am sure.

and that last line?? tired! really, it wasn't very clever. i mean, c'mon, if your gonna make fun of my signature, than try alittle better...

and you know i am right about your imaginary insider status. worse than troybarros.
so, thats it, i am done with this punk. i will not carry this further, it is booooring!

 

Great post but it doesn't make me feel any better. Dallas Rocket mentioned the trust factor and I believe that's a big part of getting it for Stevie...but maybe as a 2 guard.

 

He doesn't get it, and I don't think he ever will. Not as PG, forget it. Never was, never will be one.

SO, he couldn't be a two because his defense is weak? Where it's written that he has to guard the other teams sg? He could still play his matador defense on the other teams pg and we could have a big PG that would take care of that.

And besides, what we are losing lacking a proper PG would more than make up for any holes that steve's defense might have.

And Philly actually got to the finals with Iverson as a 2.

Unleash Francis' potential once and for all. Move him to SG, Cuttino back to the sixth man role and get a proper PG to run this team as it should be run.

Come on, we won the lakers game, but I almost blew my lungs out screaming at Francis for those wasted possessions, and that was when he was having the best night of his carreer! Ball handling duties are ALIEN to him!

Andre Miller is the right guy for us. And for those who criticize him for his performance on the clips, don't forget that he led the league in assists on very, VERY bad cavs team.