Now SF has achieved the financial goal (getting his max contract). I wish and actually believe he will adjust to play ONLY for more team wins. Once SF starts to get those big paychecks next season, hopefully he will think less about how himself looks on the court but how the team looks. I am willing to give him one or two years to show his maturity. The problem is, even if he is willing to change, he is not very good in a team-oriented system, at least so far. Being not very tall, not very smart BBall wise, not good at passing or defense is basically not his fault. He is what he is, a great shooting guard in a point guard's body. This is the brutal truth which presents a frightening problem for building a winning team. I am convinced we need a very very good coach.
Steve could learn to be more tactful. If he wanted to voice his opinion he should have said “I really hope the coaching staff is back next season”. By making threats and demands he’s pushing it. He’s very lucky CD and Les Alexander are not hot tempered people because Steve is very much undermining their authority.
So what? Yao Ming had 23/14 when he played Warriors in their backyard two weeks ago. What's your point?
Uhh...I don't think we will get any better at all if we have the same roster and coaching staff next season. We just won't improve. Next season...it won't be just 9 teams competing for a playoff spot. There will also be the Golden State Warriors, Seattle Supersonics, New Orleans Hornets, AND the Memphis Grizzlies. If we keep this same group of guys and coaches...how will we ever improve? Our offense will still be ugly and stagnant with no movement. Just hope we make our shots...our defense won't be any better...and Yao Ming will never be used correctly. They are never going to improve with their attitude either. They think they can be one of the top teams...but guess what? They might end up 10th when the season is over. They think they are great...but they haven't made the playoffs in 4 years. Sure...we can wait for everyone to develop.
My point is that was two weeks ago in a game that didn't mean as much, and this was in a big game that cut their magic number to one. Yao's stats in our last big game? 6 points 5 rebounds
Steve Francis says that he wants RT back and doesn't want to play for and get adjusted to another coach. Then, he said if the coaching staff changes that he wants to leave too. Let's analyze this, shall we? If Francis leaves to another team, or demands a trade, or whatever, wouldn't he have to get adjusted to a new coach and a new system and all of that? There seems to be a very big hole in Stevie's threat to upper management. Basically he doesn't want to learn a new system but he's threatening just that if we were to change personel. Well, you painted yourself into a corner this time SF. Why don't you concentrate on how to improve on the court and let upper management wear the daddy pants. It's not your place to make ultimatums regarding the future of this organization.
All the players deserve to be blamed for the poor performance they just gave up.The Suns picked themselves up and we folded. There probably will be some changes next year but I expect Rudy to be back if he is healthy. Yao probably won't be traded but he also gave up down the stretch and needs to learn from his mistakes. The guys need to have some pride and play hard win or lose but they have already given up.
So why don't u compare Francis with Marbury, Mobley with Marion in the last game? I wonder if u are a stat-watcher or a basketball watcher btw. Our opponents double-teamed Yao almost every game, and then Francis or Mobley sometimes. But if you play against the Suns, you may double team Marbury, Marion, but rarely Amare. So if you look at the stat, both Yao and Amare score 13 PPG, but did you see who can score much easier when two of your All-star teammates are defensively focused so that you can constantly find some space to be an open man? When did you see Yao was open btw, in November or December perhaps. I am not defending anybody. My comments depend on facts. Numbers will fool you, man!
Aren't some of you putting your own little spin on what Francis said for the sake of supporting the "Trade Francis" arguments? I mean, from what I gather in the article Steve is being unselfish by putting the blame on himself and the players as a whole and NOT the coaching staff. He -- and Glen Rice -- seemed to be the only players owning up the the their poor play and teams' current state. What would you rather he have done, say, "You know what? It's not my fault. It's not the players fault. I blame the coaches and staff and the front office for THE TEAM'S poor play. The need to fire some of these coaches or else?" Yikes -- what would you guys think of him then? Francis has said a lot of things that have pissed me off b/4, but I didn't have much of a problem with what he said here. Except maybe for the part about leaving if there was a shakeup with the coaching staff, he was pretty loyal (in wanting to keep the coaches) and standup (in self-blame), no? Oh well, guess too many ppl hate him right now to try and be open-minded today. *lol*
Oh, ok, pick on the guy who wrote two sentences. Don't pick on the guys who wrote paragraphs and paragraphs of Steve-bashing.
*lol* Does it seem that way (that I'm "picking" on this poster)? My fault. I guess I should've posted what I said to guys with longer, more Steve-bashing type post...*haha* Tell you the truth, montel, I didn't even think about it that way. I always assumed that whatever I post, if it's a differing opinion from others, would not only be intended for the quote I reply to but to others who agree with the quote as well. Well, I've learned. I'm young. Who cares, though. In the end, we're all posting freely with a large amount of anonymity, right? So most of what we say shouldn't be taken too seriously I think. That's why this BBS Forum is fun b/c you can't take what everyone says on here too seriously -- it's good fun. I think so many ppl take these message boards too seriously, don't you? It's like, there's too many other things to worry about than what someone says on a message board, y'know?
Steve is speaking up to the media about players on the team, putting in the good word; but behind closed doors, I hope he speaks up: "We need to tweak the roster, we need this and that."
whoever said players like steve come a long often is an idiot. There is no reason why he should have to take the burden for the whole team. It is a team game. He is the best thing thats happened to the Rockets in a while and you still have to remember that we are still the 2nd youngest team in the NBA. We just need to battle our inconsistancy. Hopefully we will win these last three for pride if nothing else. We have a great team but unfortunatly we just need more time. Next season is ours.
Sounds remarkably like a young player taking responsibility to me...Of course, it happens so rarely these days that it is understandable if it gets confused with being a subtle version of the more popular " I want a trade cause we aren't winning." line players throw out when the going gets tough... Whether he's right or not is another issue, and whether his saying it and putting it into practice ( ie playing team ball, defense, etc.) is a whole other ball of wax althogether...But to hit him for this comment seems to me to be looking to hit him, period.
SF said that because he think he is untradeable, untouchable and because he must heard somewhere else that there will be a major change for the Rox by the management. So, common sense, if Rox fail to make playoff because coaches sux , then coaches got fired. If the reason is because players sux, player got traded. But since SF think he is untouchable, so..... If you look his statement closely, he said if coaches leave, he will leave because he didn't want do it all over again. It is not about loyalty, it is not about respect, It is <b>afraid of change, not willint to adjust and selfish</b>, just like what he did on the bball court.
