Definitely, there was a play last night that illustrates your point about Yao playing to his size literally. Yao had got good positiono on Gadzuric (sp?) in the middle of the paint, about 2 to 3 feet from the basket, I believe it was Barry who made a quick pass to him from the top of the key and Yao basically squatted as the ball was coming (I can't tell you why, because the pass was not low), this allow Gadz to go up and tip the ball away from him. Now fortunately the defender was called for going over the back, but I count that as a missed opportunity since he was so close to the basket. Yao needs to play like he loves being 7'6 use that body bigfella...
Geez people. Take it easy. Yes, yesterday was ugly, but I have hope that there is a means to an end, we just made some changes... have some patience. You act like T-Mac, Yao and this team have been floundering for years together. This is the first season, though disappointing thus far, they've barely played 30 games. Stuart
I agree but to some around here the end of the Rockets org. has begun with every loss. I have faith things will get turned around
The success of Rockets falls square on Yao's shoulders. If he plays like a pansy, Rockets would be a first-round exit at best whether we have Tmac or Francis+Cat.
I think this is what RocketFan4ever wanted people to admit. Not that everyone was wrong, but that it was not Francis' fault. Am I right RocketFan4ever? I have also seen lousy excuses that T-mac and Yao just dont have the pieces around them yet. 1. Why could we not add those pieces around Yao and Francis 2. Many thought that we got the better end of the trade. So if we traded for better, then our record should improve, right? Oh, yeah i forgot...."T-mac does not have the support yet." Whatever!
1) Francis was one of those pieces that didn't fit with Yao. 2) Francis has pieces that fit now. We do not.
Yao, Francis, Cato, Cat, JJ is a better starting line up than Yao, TMac, JJ, Howard, Ward so what I think offensively they are equal, but no way defensively Cato and Cat are very good defenders the only question is my mind is were we going to win the championship with Steve? I like my chances better with TMac over the next 6-7 yrs.
I think the T-Mac trade was the right thing to do. After five seasons, I seriously did not see Steve Francis being the type of player that champions are built around and I've seen nothing to change my mind to the contrary. McGrady on the other hand could be. The problem with this trade isn't the absence of Steve Francis, nor the acquisition of Tracy McGrady. The problem is the trade was made with the hope that Yao was going to continue to mature into a top 5 player, a risky but reasonable risk at the time for those of us that recognized that Francis was simply not a franchise player, a player that quite apparently had the heart but not the head for the game. Yao has not matured and while I think two years was too early to make a final judgement on Yao, three years may be enough. At the very least, some serious doubt should be creeping in that Yao is ever going to be the franchise player he seems to have the potential, but not desire to become. And even if Yao had further developed, it seems to me that the supporting cast is pretty sub-standard by contending NBA standards. The Rockets decided not to overbid for second-tier free agent role players that other teams were willing to overbid for and the result is a huge gaping hole at the 4, 1, and the lack of a good shooter. I'm not sure I can blame the Rockets for not overbidding on the likes of Brent Barry, Antonio Daniels, etc., but the reality may be that that is what the new market requires. The point is I think the trade was very logical and given the knowledge I had at the time, I would pull the trigger in a second. I think its foolish to post "I told you so threads" because you simply could not make the call on Yao's development or off-season acuisitions at the time the trade was made.
Fair enough. But now that Hindsight is 20-20, and I am assuming that we agree that Francis was not the probelm, check this out. I think we could have gotten Yao for T-mac straight up. Check out what reasonably could have been. Again, now that hindsight is 20-20. 1. Francis 2. Mobley 3. T-mac 4 Mo T. 5. Cato Bench JJ, Mutombo. Does not matter that we are not deep because 1-3 plays 40+ minutes. May not have suceeded, but would have been fun as hell to watch.
Steve Francis is a dumb basketball player that exceptionally athleticall gifted. That has not changed. What is your point? I do not want Stevie back and I am glad he is gone.I will take my lumbs (wins and losses) now with this team because I know all will definitely be well.
No it wouldn't because Gumby is still the coach. Now, if we had someone else coaching, then I agree with you.
The only place that trade would have happened was on NBA live or on ESPN Basketball. This would never happen in real life, at least not during last summer.
No we do not a agree on this. Only a myopic view of reality will conjure that up. How soon we forget that Francis played two years with Yao - one under his idol Rudy and the other under JVG. The common denominator there is Francis - he failed to mesh with Yao under Rudy and also under JVG. Francis WAS the problem. He showed low basketball IQ and lack of leadership. In the end the wheat will be seperated from the "trash".
Right on...I was in someway trying to say the majority was mistaken, maybe not altogether wrong....but once again my MAIN point stands firm...this is the team you wanted, begged for, a SF'less team stuck in a JVG system...this year its keep the players and dump the system....???If we would have dumped JVG last year you have to admit this year we'd be right up there with the elite....and who knows maybe even had a shot to get Vince....thats just specualtion, but the fact remains the problem is, was and always will be the SYSTEM!!!
