I loved SF, but I loved the trade that got us T-Mac more. SF had 2 yrs withy Yao and they got to 45-37 last year. Not bad, but this years team can still go 31-22(which, YES is still very possible...even looking at our current situation) and have the same record as last year. We are a team that is learning. Give us another 1 or 2 yrs, when Yao hits his prime and T-Mac...well, being good 'ol T-Mac, and a half-way decent supporting cast, we will have a very good shot at a few rings before the decade ends... Keep the faith...
I was not in favor of this trade because to me trading one player for three is inherently illogical in a team sport and I have seen too many times where bringing on a superstar player makes a team worse not better. I would say the weight of evidence so far favors those that opposed this trade but I am not going to gloat and tell you I told you so because the jury is still out. Steve did take a lot of heat but are you serious about Yao not getting any, he is the most overanalyzed, criticized player on this team, he takes plenty of heat with or without Steve. We also did not gut this team to make Yao the centerpiece, we gutted this team to make T-Mac the centerpiece and to add role players around him. You make your best player the centerpiece, I believe consensus is that T-Mac is our best player. Yes Yao is critical to getting an NBA championship but it ain't going to happen this year or next until we clear cap space and get some players. So I am happy that Yao's game shows improvement and we have not seen the finished product. We all hope by time Yao has fully developed his game that we will have all the pieces in place to win an NBA championship.
Brining back francis would be the worst move in franchise history ever!! The T-Mac trade was a godsend, allowing the Rockets dump francis onto another team.
I see a lot of ifs and probalys in your post, too many to be betting that we win 2 titles none the less. Cat ain't coming back, I heard a quote he made about JVG and it was indifferent at best, he said "Jeffs OK but he plays boring basketball". Cat is happy in Orlando with that up tempo game.
I wouldn't call you psychic. Impatient seems to be a more fitting label. You can't make snap decisions on players two years into the league, especially on foreign players making the adjustment to the NBA which more often than not has required multiple seasons for the transition to occur. Rockets management had to give Yao the time to show what he could develop into. Francis was well past that developmental period and wasn't giving returns that justified his huge contract. Now that doesn't mean I was thrilled with Yao's play last season. I thought he still had more growing to do. The difference between me and you is I understand that two years is inadequate time to determine where you stand on a potential multi-million dollar investment in the NBA. A lot of fans need to throw this fantasy sports era mentality out the window when thinking on such things.
Deuce -- i hear ya. but i'm getting impatient with Yao, too. for different reasons perhaps. 1. because i'm not asking him to be a better player...i'm asking him to be a more aggressive player. i'm not sure that will ever change, because it's a personality thing. there are certainly personality changes in the world...i won't deny that. but i'm just not sure this one is forthcoming. 2. because his value on the market far exceeds his worth to his team. he's an international superstar, no matter how he performs on the court. his value to a franchise is huge from that standpoint. the problem is, as a fan, i don't give a damn about that. i want parades and banner ceremonies. i'm not saying they're mutually exclusive..that keeping yao means no parades. i am saying you might get there quicker if you unloaded him for an assload of talent and draft picks.
And for that comment, I'm going to turn the ball over 5+ time next game. Three of the times will be my getting an offensive rebound, bringing it down to waist level, where a 5-11 guard can strip me with his forehead. Sure. Anything for the third General Thade. I'll smack him a couple times too, look at him and say "What are you going to do? Trade me? HA!" Me and Piney love messing around with his head. Stuart
Read my first post in this thread. I think you'll find my CURRENT feelings on Yao are starting to mirror yours, but the thread starter is trying to act as if June 04' was long enough to make a definitive judgement on Yao and that is simply not the case in the real world.
you're right...my opinions are hasty too. trading him is running the risk that he actually becomes what we hoped he would...for some other team.
Honestly. . . . I don't know about that Strange thing. . . but their Defense is about the same. . . I think T-mac can shoot over Francis but Francis could get around Mac Rocket River
True, but they, by they I mean the majority, did beg for SF to be traded, in any way shape or form....even if it included Cat, Cato, MoT...anyone we had to send with him. You just cannot trade 3 of your starting five for only one player to replace them (yes we got more than one player but only Tmac was worthy of starting) Combine that fact with a worthless GM, and an "old school" coach who wastes his talent, mix it in to the incredible West and you have turned a playoff team into a lottery team just like that.... Now I do believe Tmac is the consistent scorer we need for our team, any team for that matter, but Tmac in a JVG system will forever be "handcuffed" from exercising his full potential. The JVG/Pat Riley system is dead. In fact I think we are one of the last teams still with it and our record and team play show it. Just look at Phoenix, they are running....and winning. I know I named this thread "bring Francis back" but my main objective was to call out all of you who so blatently pointed your fingers at Stevie last year and not JVG.....but this year blaming JVG and his system as the root of our problems.....bottom line...JVG must GO, I saw it last year and all of you should have to!!! CD must go as well....Its time to overhaul the front office and Les has to see it eventually. Anyway, I know its still early and there can still be moves made, but unless we win 32+ of our next games we'll be playing the lottery...again. I'm not going to change my views back and forth between wins and losses...fact remains FIRE GUNDY!!!!
name me ! foregin player that came in the leauge with bad hands,bad lateral movment,short arms,that you had to beg to dunk the ball who dominated the game?yes yao can shoot ad yes he will draw double team sometimes, but if hes not quick enough he will continue you get dunked on everynite.yea I really call that dominant .I do think he will just be a pretty good player, but we built this team for him to dominate not to just, be a 19 and 8 guy. .
Amen brother Clove. If we bring back Steve, Cuttino and Cato, we also need to bring back Grant Hill all-star, Dwight Howard - a real PF and Turkoglu a real 6th man. Nothing like a real team to help Steve be able to do what he does well and then not try to do it all....
