Steve is my favorite off the current Rockets, but if he doesn't want to be here... I'll take Payton & Lewis in a sign & trade for Steve & Mo Taylor. *no attention was paid to the CBA with the above speculation*
I've combed over the CBA looking for things the could possibly be negotiating. If a Max offer is on the table, then there is nothing really, except contract length, to discuss. Rookie extensions cannot have no-trade clauses Rookie extensions cannot have Incentive Compensation, and extra incentives can't take you over your max rate, anyhow. Rookie extensions can only have one option year for the player; and early termination options are only for the last year in a 6-7 yr term. If the Rockets are offering the Max, there are no extras to discuss, just the contract length. So why is Francis still saying he needs to discuss some things. You know, he can actually sign for as little as 1 extra yr. If CD is telling the truth, it sounds like he wants to marry Steve, and sounds like they are happy with the ear issue. Steve sounds like a groom with second thoughts. All evidence points to Steve getting cold feet, after saying "I Will" before we got the #1 pick.
I feel bad for Steve Francis I really do. His God-given athletic talent is likely going to fade out in about 10yrs. However, he is probably going to be innately stupid and mentally challenged the rest of his life.
WOW. too late, oldschool, talk about being blown out of proportion. where's the problem here? what is he saying that isn't repeated by 99.9% of EVERY SINGLE free agent? he wants a winning team and he wants a commitment to improving the team. NOWHERE did he say, i'm not signing with this team. damn, let's take him out back and beat the crap out of him. wait, too late again. but i forgot this is steve francis, so obviously it's an automatic sign of immaturity.
in three years, stevie will still be the best player on the team ming and griff has a chance, but it's not likely either one of these players will progress like steve.
He is not a free agent. Since he is not a free agent looking for a winning team, what is there to discuss in a contract extension with the Rockets, right now. What???
heyp- yes technically he's not a free agent for another year but wouldn't signing a long contract extension be treated in the same manner? this is a big decision and now or in the future, it's still a long term thing for him. what's the difference in him making these comments this year as opposed to next? nothing. because if he signs a contract extension now he never has the free agent period to think things like that over. this is it for him if he signs. anyways i'm sure he will be wrapped up, but my point is what's he saying that anyone in the same situation doesn't say?
BigM, I agree the reaction is overblown. Steve hasn't said anything that bad. But there is something here to be concerned about. He's treating the issue of management's willingness to improve as though he's not necessarily confident of it. HP's right. Where is this coming from? And why now? He was happy with the 13th pick we were projected to land and with management and the only thing that's happened between then and now is that we lucked into the 1st pick and took Yao. Again, I don't think this is a big deal, but it's mildly troubling that he seems to think he knows better than CD, RT and all of our scouts, as to what constitutes a commitment to improving the team. We're not the Clippers and we're not the Cavs, where such concerns might be warranted. This team, under Les, has never been shy about making moves to improve the team and retaining value at whatever price necessary. This is about Yao. There's no other answer. If Steve wants the team to improve he has to commit to its improvement. A big part of that is doing all he can to help Yao be the best player he can be. Next season will show whether Steve is more interested in winning and improving the team or more interested in having been right about our #1. I have all the confidence in the world that he will make the right choice, but there is something here to wonder about.
What he's saying about a commitment to improving the team recalls what McDyess said about Denver or what Kandi said about LAC. You don't hear this kind of talk from Blazers, Lakers, Mavs, etc. And when Weber was negotiating with the Kings, this wasn't one of his concerns. Granted these are winning teams, but the Kings and Mavs were in the same boat we're in now just a few years back and commitment to improvement wasn't a factor in free agent signings, because it was clear these teams' front offices WERE committed to improving. It is equally clear with Les, CD and RT. If anything, the Rockets have a longer, steadier commitment to improving the team than Dallas and Sacramento. That's why the "commitment to improving" and "wanting to win" is a red herring. The difference here is that Steve doesn't so much doubt a commitment to improvement as much as he disagrees with what constitutes improving the team. Honest disagreements are one thing, but it's hard to reconcile lobbying to keep Walt and lobbying against Yao Ming from someone who says his primary interest is winning.
I just haven't seen anywhere that he's NOT going to sign an extension. The Rockets have had their legal team flying back and forth from one side of the world to the other because of Ming's stuff... Steve has needed to do the Mayo thing (which was delayed for what? Beats me!), they probably want some sort of timing between his signing and Ming's. Just not a big deal (IMHO). (Unless something's going on of which we are not aware... but our quiet insiders are.)
That is not true. Jamison, Nowitski, Pierce, Carter, Marion, Odom, Brand, Davis, Bibby... none of those guys suggested (or are suggesting) they needed to talk about commitment to winning in their extension year. not all in that group had playoff appearances when they were/are negotiated the extension, and Marion missed the playoffs this year, yet still signed. Out of the losers, are you saying Jamison, Pierce, Marion, Brand, and Odom did or have suggested that they need to talk. Really? I don't recall, but I could be mistaken. Plus if you consider that he said this very same thing when the Rockets exercised the 4th yr option, too, then you have to consider whether Carter, Davis, Bibby or Nowitzki said it as well, because they didn't have playoffs at the time their teams exercised the options. He is not a free agent. This is not the same. He cannot pick another team. Either he signs the extension before the season begins, or not. There is nothing to discuss about winning unless he wants to sign for less yrs and make mgmt prove it. They can't do anything during negotiations to prove otherwise except promises or summer trades. What does he expect in discussion? You haven't answered that question.
Man, talk about overreaction. Steve's just expressing some discontent over how the Rockets are so often overlooked, how the crowds are so small. When we start winning things will get better, the crowds will show up (especially now that we have Yao Ming). None of this is a big deal. I still say he hasn't signed yet because the Rocks want to make a bigger media splash by signing Yao and Steve at virtually the same time. You have to string the media along somehow in the meantime. If he's smart, he'll sign for 7 years. He has a medical condition. He needs the long-term insurance.
I have a suggestion, delay extension talks til the end of next season. Every time I see Francis play, I am impressed with his highlight reel jumps, but after the game is over, I think, this guy is not as great as people think. I am not sure why, I just do. His numbers look good, the teams numbers don't, and the intangibles tell me to wait.
That doesn't make any sense. If the Rockets had lost confindence in him, wouldn't they have taken Jay Williams? By your logic, drafting anyone would have been a sign of lack of confidence.
I can't really fault Stevie Franchise for being concerned about the possibility of missing the playoffs for the couple of years that it may take for Ming to get acclimated to the speed and bang of the NBA game, and for playing on a team that is composed of front court players who most fans and NBA players would consider soft (players who don't play consistently good defense and are not tenacious rebounders-Rice, Nachbar, Mo Taylor and Ming would fit the category of "soft"). Other than Griffin and Cato, whose defensive effort is often undermined by foul trouble, this team's front court intensity doesn't compliment the backcourt abilities of Francis and Mobley and this is an understandable concern for Francis IMO, however we really shouldn't forget the Mobley factor in terms of loyalty when it comes to Stevie signing long term (they're boyz) and what it boils down to IMO, is for mgt. to assure Francis that the pattern of signing "soft" front court players will be addressed in the coming years through free agency and the draft-hey man, the cat just wants to be on TNT come late April and wants the respect of his piers as a team that has to be taken seriously on a night to night basis....(it's about team respect for the Rockets by the ballers throughout the league and you can't fault the cat for that). No big....The Rockets need to get a rep throughout the league as being "hoooard" down low and dude is just concerned about it....
heyp, i see where you're coming from now. i agree, there's nothing more this offseason that he can exect the rockets to prove for him. maybe he shouldn't question an organization that has proved it's commitment to winning time and again. but i can't read anything more into these quotes than a guy simply saying he wants to win and now. does he actually expect the rocks to furthur "prove" something before he signs? who knows. good posts batman, extension or not, next year is big for steve. he cannot be a leader without getting the most out of his teammates. he'll have to trust rudy's judgement. but my question to some on here is how do these quotes make him immature, less of a leader, or scared to be second fiddle? that's all i hear but i have yet to read any explanation of why. just some random bashing.
i can. if francis is thinking that we won't make the playoffs b/c ming needs to adapt to the game for a couple of years then i guess he's also saying 'ming is the franchise now. he's going to be our leader and will lead us to the playoffs!'. whatever. it's francis' job to do that...hence the nickname. ming is just a great prospect that could mold into a very good center that can HELP take some pressure off of our franchise player--francis. if francis is thinking that we're gonna miss the playoffs b/c ming is taking too long to adapt, maybe we should rethink that we missed the last 3 playoffs b/c FRANCIS took too long to grow up. and for playing on a team that is composed of front court players who most fans and NBA players would consider soft (players who don't play consistently good defense and are not tenacious rebounders-Rice, Nachbar, Mo Taylor and Ming would fit the category of "soft"). 1)have you seen nachbar or ming play EVER?? labeling a guy soft before you have seen the guy play just shows how much of a 'true' fan you are 2)so what if other fans or players call our players soft. people call duncan soft and he's just one of the top 5 to play in the game right now. and what it boils down to IMO, is for mgt. to assure Francis that the pattern of signing "soft" front court players will be addressed in the coming years through free agency and the draft- no. what it boils down to is that francis better reevaluate himself for this upcoming season. management don't have to do squat for francis. francis isn't paying Les millions of dollars. it's the other way around. and what if we trade francis away? would we be screwed? hell no. he got ming, griffin, mobley, nachbar, mo taylor, etc. left hey man, the cat just wants to be on TNT come late April and wants the respect of his piers as a team that has to be taken seriously on a night to night basis....(it's about team respect for the Rockets by the ballers throughout the league and you can't fault the cat for that). well the cat better tell himself and his buddy francis and the rest of the team that the court doesn't end at the rockets logo midcourt. defense, hustling and smart plays get you on TNT come late April. respect? whatever. if they want to be taken seriously, they need to mature and lead by example and not by mouth.
