Our team is good as it is....it needs a year or so to gel. If u trade away one of our main players for another, ull lose that chemistry....let the rocks play togetha (hopefully healthy) and see what happens before we talk about trades...its been 7 games
It seems to me that the Rockets are the only team in the league that needs time to gel. Everybody else is off and running. Could it be that the Rockets just have a bunch a knuckle heads on the team, or is it Rudy's system.
Jerry, I actually agree w/ u on this one, but u gotta admit, the rocks were injury ridden for the last 3 years......they have everyone healthy now, and we can see what this team, w/ a full roster, can actually do. It takes about a year for a team to gel and the rocks have never had all the pieces in place till this year. This is the year we can see wut they can really do together and then next year i think we'll hhave a better right to judge em.
What a load of bull. We're talking basketball here. Finding a cure to a disease takes many people many years to accomplish, and sometimes, cures are never found. Trades happen in the NBA and in other sports leagues every single year and every off season. It shouldn't be hard come up with an idea. Why do I want people to mention and idea? If you don't mention a viable idea, then you are proving that there isn't a solution, at least there isn't a solution that involves a trade. I like to live in a little place called Earth, so I expect that if people are gonna complain, they should have a reasonable and realistic idea or solution. You just did it in your post when you asked for a tall PG but didn't offer a real idea. How many tall PG are available right now. One, Jamal Crawford and Krause wants some serious talent in return. You could easily argue that trading Mobley for Crawford in some kind of deal would work. That's a good idea that fits what your talking about. Of course, Crawford has proven that he is not a team player by acting like a brat this year. So that kills that idea because we are fine with loyal players like Steve and Cat. So, there isn't one available. You act like tall PG's are a dime a dozen, but they aren't. So there aren't any good PG's available, and I don't care if the guy isn't a top talent, the point I'm making is there isn't one out there that can play the point better than Steve. So why move him to the two if we can't find a replacement at the PG? Also, how do we solve the problem of having Steve guard players like Kobe and T-Mac. You tried to answer that by saying we need a tall PG, but the FACT remains that we can't get one(you wanna ask Magic if he'll unretire again?), so that once again leaves a serious hole in you argument. Another reason your argument is wrong is that you put words in my mouth to try and prove your point. I never said we needed to put a premiere PG in Steve's spot, I said that there isn't a PG who could do a better job as a starter period. When did I ever mention Tito? When did I ever say anything about other non-existent tall PGs? I defend Francis because we haven't even played 10 games and time and time again, band wagoners and fair weather fans keep wanting to blow up the team we are building. People b**** about him having 5 assists the first couple of games, yet fail to mention the fact that important players were missing, or that other guys are having bad shooting nights. The thing that really pisses me off is when people keep trying to assert their view of Francis as being selfish. That's your main gripe and the same as others, you think Steve can't improve his assists because you think he doesn't want to pass, yet he always says, Rudy always says, and his teammates always say that he is trying to get his team involved. That's what I find most offensive, to prove your points, you guys paint Steve as a ball hog or as too stupid to be a PG, when people in NBA and legitamate writers all say the contrary. So, you guys can complain and b**** and then try to cover your asses or deny what you said as the season progresses. I, on the other hand, will sit back and enjoy watching this team grow and mature with every game on their way to the playoffs.
Yes on your little Earth there isn't a real idea as a tall and solid pg. Ever. Just because there isn't one right now doesn't mean there won't be one in the future. I call for a direction, not necessarily immediate change. Here is your original words: I doubt you will be able to come up with a real trade idea that will benefit us and I'll tell you why, there isn't one. There aren't any PG's available that could even sniff Francis's jock strap in talent as a PG. He is the best PG we can get and he's already ours. Francis is a premier point guard, that's your opinion and not mine. I think he's a great player but not a great PG. You said that a real trade that benefits us doesn't exist as there isn't any PG as good as Francis available. Doesn't it mean if only there's an available PG who's as good as or better than Francis, then there can be a real trade that benefit us? How's that different from saying to move Francis to the 2 requires a premier point guard to replace him? You seem to completely believe in Rudy and CD's decisions. That's fine. Rudy and CD don't always agree with you though. 1. Rudy routinely played Francis at the 2, using the small guard lineup. If Rudy doesn't think sometimes it's better to play Francis as a 2 than as a 1, why the position change? matchups? Francis gives away inches on opponents? Why Andre Miller and Gary Payton don't occasionally play the 2? Face it, even Rudy knows Francis is better at scoring than he's at play making. 2. All words are Tierre Brown is better than Tito Maddox right now, but it's TB who got cut and Tito was kept over him. The difference is Tito is a tall and pass first, shoot second PG. What is behind that move? Go figure. There isn't a war going on in the first place. Critisizing Francis or not, the interest between fans are common. The Rockets making progress is what we all want. We think there's problems, we talk about it. We don't need to agree with each other and play labeling and name calling games. You call me a jackass and Steve hater. I call you a Steve d**k sucker in return. Pardon me but it's childish. As to cover up my a$$, I find there's no need to. Case in point, just after my b****ing about Francis career suckiness at Tos, he rewarded me with 2 games in a row with only 1 To. Seems like Stevie is hanging out in this forum. Only if everytime my b****cing works we'll be on the way to ... there... you know.
So what exactly is your point. You support moving Steve to the 2 in favor for a tall PG, yet you just said that there aren't any by telling me one will come along later. So you want to scuttle our chances now in favor for setting this team up for a guy who may or may not exist yet??? I'm pretty sure that isn't what you're saying, but it sure does seem that way. I'm going to make it clear right now what my position is. I don't think Steve is ever gonna be the best pure PG in the league, but that doesn't mean he won't be close. You want to compare him to guys who play a different style and have been in the league twice as long as Steve. I believe that with time, he will get to that level. Payton and Kidd havn't been the players they are now forever, they needed time to grow. You want to move Steve to the 2 after 8 games in his 4th season(hell, Steve hasn't even played a full 3 seasons yet) and never give him a chance to grow and mature while I'm fine with letting him go through the growing pains that will ultimately make him a better player. That shows a bit of impatience on your part. Ultimately, what's best for this team is what I want. I'm trying to tell you that there isn't a tall PG in the L now who could start on our team, and that the whole notion of waiting for one is a dumb idea. The last 2 highly touted tall PGs, Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford, would be terrible for this team, odds are, any future ones may turn out the same. Even if there is a super talented tall PG available, how are we gonna get him in the draft? We dont' have a pick this year and considering where we are in the standings and where I believe we will be for the next few years, we won't be in position to draft someone with that kind of talent. If Rudy used the 3 guard lineup because he didn't believe in Francis' playmaking ability, then why wouldn't he use it for the whole game? It's purely a tool for utilizing missmatches. You won't see Steve playing the 2 for long stretches against Kobe and T-Mac among others. Also, have you ever noticed that Iverson looks like a mummy? If you put Steve at the 2, you are just asking for him to get hurt and beat up. I don't care how tough Steve is, Iverson is a tough SOB as well and he misses games due to injuries that are a result of a small guard taking it into the lane more often than he should. So, once again, my point is that what's best for this team is keeping Francis at the one. I've proven time and again that there are no better PGs available, nor are there any average PG available who could do a better job than Steve at running the offense. So, if you won't name one player who you think would do a better job at runnig our offense while I'm saying there isn't one, how am I supposed to take your argument seriously? That's why I ask that if you are gonna say move Steve to the 2, then tell me who is gonna replace him. Instead of coming accross as well thought out analysis, it just looks like a knee jerk reaction to one bad game.
I just heard that there's some tension between Damon Stoudamire and the Portland coaching staff. I wouldn't trade Steve Francis for Damon Stoudamire. But would Portland take Moochie Norris and Glen Rice?
Panda, Mobley has scored 20 ppg for the Rockets over the last three seasons. What PG out there is available right now that would be good enough to justify trading 20 points per game on a team that has trouble scoring anyway? Answer: NONE! And yes, that's great if someone wants to come up with this idea, the only problem is that this is about the gazillionth time someone has come up with this "idea" and started a new thread. I'm at the point where I actually would like to see viable trade ideas proposed rather than just redundant talk. And NO, Damon Stoudamire or Jamal Crawford are NOT EVEN CLOSE to being good enough to justify trading Mobley or significantly reducing his minutes. Besides, neither one of those guys are the great "true point guards" that some of you are so set on.
The thing about Andre Miller is the Cavs record got worse and worse evey season he was with that team. I'm not saying that was his fault, but it's kind of funny that the second best "true point guard" in the league, who is supposed to make his teammates better, could never improve his team one iota in three seasons.
Good idea but too bad Mobley and Steve are joined at the hip. I'd be glad if they start Hawkins instead of Cuttino, the I give up career highs to all the 2 guards, Mobley. Too bad all that ego is going to get in the way.
