Francis finds calm sailing at slower pace By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Speed always was intoxicating. There always was something to do, somewhere else to be, and it was easier to get there at the greatest velocity possible. Speed thrills, and Steve Francis loved it. This was how he spent his first All-Star Weekend, rushing late from event to event, flying around the court in blind bursts of energy. But then last week, on the occasion of his second All-Star Weekend, Francis decided to slow down and take a look around to see what he missed last season. The view was nice. He still could hit the accelerator when he wanted, but he also liked the way things looked when they weren't flying by in a blur. Then there was an All-Star Game played at a similar, controlled pace. And then another game, even with 36 points and several flying-highlight moments, that was under control with only occasional bursts past the red line. Suddenly, Francis found he could play with the same passion and intensity, but without flooring it from start to finish. "When I'm relaxed, that's when I'm at my best," Francis said. "It helps everything. My Menière's (disease). My basketball. When I'm not too worried about too much stuff, that's when I'm my best, whatever I do, from relating to people to playing basketball. It's all the same." Francis rarely mentions his inner-ear disease and even less often by name. He has had only occasional bouts of the headaches and dizziness he endured last season, but nowhere near as severe. But living at a different pace, he felt he had it under control. Unlike a year ago, when he tried to take in as much of the All-Star weekend as he could, Francis felt so at home this time that he slowed down, missed a few things and ended up enjoying himself enough more and playing better. "It's nowhere near like last year," Francis said. "That's why I didn't do a lot of events during the All-Star weekend. I didn't even go to the Players Association party. That's the best party of the whole year." But the most obvious difference might be on the court since. He had 20 points and nine assists in the All-Star game. But in the back-to-back games against the role model for self-control, Utah's John Stockton, Francis averaged 32 points (on 58.3 percent shooting, and 66.7 percent from 3-point range), six assists and three steals. His 36 points Wednesday at Utah matched the third-highest scoring total of his career. "Steve was phenomenal," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He's played two flawless games, not only his performance, but his leadership, his calmness in the game. Everybody played well, but there was a steadying influence from him. The game he played here against Utah was phenomenal, then he goes and does it (again). "I talked about his performance in the All-Star Game, that he was under control, that he shared the ball. But you don't want Steve Francis to not be an offensive player, and he went and took his opportunities. He said, `Coach, that's exactly what Rick Adelman told me. He said I was playing the game the right way and that's why he had me out there.' ... Everybody thinks to get something you have to attack it. Sometimes, you have to back off to get it. You have to relax, let it happen." But if such things can be measured statistically, his turnover numbers did seem to show a change. He had just two turnovers in the two last games. "I don't want to focus so much that I think about it. I've just been playing in the flow," Francis said. "Just reflecting on the first half of the season and the things I thought I could improve on, turnovers was obviously one of them. And assists could be up. ... I am trying to be a complete player. "For me, it's a process of getting better. And I want my teammates and my coaches believing in me. ... I just think it was the (All-Star) break. I think it was a break for me because I was able to go home and see my family for awhile and just relax."
Does it sound/feel like steve is finally getting it? His play over the last two games as well as the all-star game actually gives me hope.
Steve's transformation from a little spark plug to a true team leader is going to be a joy to watch..
shame he listens to other coaches/ex-players & not Rudy. I'm still happy with any improvement he makes, regardless of how (unless he uses steroids... that's a no-no).
I think it is easier to listen to other people who have had success doing what you are trying to do. Rudy was a good BIG man, but he never initiated the offense. I think Francis hearing it from the Big O and others like him is more meaningful. DD
Roger that. I really hope this is the sign of his maturity and of what will come the rest of this half and beyond.
I hope Franchise keeps it up. I know Yao didn't get the ball that much in Utah, but Stevie was on fire... The next thing is to hopefully balance that out and give Yao a chance to have a monster game... I feel that Yao can have a monster game every night, just, and I quote the infamous KJ, " Give him the damn ball"...
I agree. Stevie's 17 shots per game should stay where they are. But Cat needs to sacrifice for the better of the team and let Yao shoot more. Great job the last 2 games, though. Makes you feel even prouder to be a Rockets fan.
This reminds me a bit of a Far Side cartoon I once saw. There's a student writing a huge mathmatical formula on the chalk board. The left side has tons of numbers and variables and "Step 1". The middle has more variables and numbers and "Step 2." Just to the right of that are the words, "Step 3: And then a miracle occurs" followed by a bunch more numbers and variables and "Answer." The professor says, "Can you elaborate on Step 3?" There's this jump we've made that says: Step 1: Francis is struggling as a point guard. Step 2: Francis meets Oscar Robertson and talks to him about being a leader. Step 3: Francis returns from All Star break and plays better. Conclusion: Francis doesn't listen to/respect Rudy. Quite a reach.
I agree, Jeff. "Quite a reach" is right. Jordan talked about "leadership" with Francis, too. It is more obvious to me that Francis can listen to a lot of advice, but at the end of the day, he has to figure it out himself. By Francis's words, it was all about "relaxing" and having a quiet all-star break. That seems like something that will stick moreso than yet another lecture from a HOFers about leadership. I'm much more happy to find that Francis is confident that he figured it out for himself. Those internal epiphany's have more staying power. Now what we need is for Francis to maintain and find the right gear by instinct, without thinking about it. Oh, and Cat needs to make his open shots at a higher clip.
That's a really good way of saying it because isn't it that way for EVERYONE??? I remember trying to learn music theory. I took lessons and listened to my teachers, but it didn't sink in. Then, one day I was sitting at the piano and, all of a sudden, it just CLICKED. The piano looked like it had 1000 keys instead of 88 and I understood. Like everyone, athletes need things to sink in and get it in their own time. Hell, it took Hakeem a helluva lot longer to "get it" than Francis. And, of course, this doesn't mean he isn't going to make mistakes and look bad at times. He is human after all. But, at least he sees the reality and understands where he needs to be to be great and for this team to be great along with him. That, more than ANY improvement on the floor, is the surest sign of maturity.
Let's give SF all the props he deserves for seeking out MJ, for seeking out The Big O, and so forth. This man is aptly nicknamed. He will be appreciated globally when he wears his championship ring. (And I hope that occurs sooner than much later.)
Without prejudice, Stevie's conversation with Oscar Robertson was centered around Yao Ming and how to maximize him. People forget that in the summer Yao Ming was little known so Jerry West and LuC did not know how good Yao would be and how soon so their advice in hindsight is likely flawed. As per Michaels advice, I suspect it is general stuff (e.g. faithfulness to your wife when you eventually get one, retire once, work hard, etc.) because Mike never played with an outstanding big man.
Great article. I definitely noticed something different about Steve during the game in Utah. He seemed totally in control. The expression on his face was one of pure determination, and leadership. Aside from the Laker game, Steve has never played better.
During the second Jazz game, I also noticed that something was different...not only with Steve, but the demeanor of the whole team was somehow different. I couldn't quite put it into focus until reading Feagen's article. I keep waiting for them to wilt as the Jazz turned up the pressure. But their eyes and facial expressions never changed. It may be a stretch to say that SF as a leader impacted the whole team, but it sure started there...and again it was evident on Steve's face. What I liked about the Jazz game over the Laker game was that Steve forced almost nothing. It was all within the flow of the game!
so Fegwu, I guess we will mark you down for Jeff's conclusion: "Conclusion: Francis doesn't listen to/respect Rudy." Only Oscar. Was that your point? Fegwu, do you believe one conversation produces lasting epiphanies? I don't. I think only internal learning based on individual experience accomplishes long-lasting change. And that is what Francis described in this article. You seem to be saying that he is downplaying some grand breakthrough with Oscar. If so, if he is downplaying that in the public, wouldn't that mean he is not giving credit where credit is due. Wouldn't that be disrespectful to not give Oscar any credit beyond what he said at the end of the last game, "yeah, Oscar said 'some' of those things ... We talked about leadership" just like Francis said about Jordan. When Francis comes back from the break expousing "relaxing" and getting away from it all, being with family; you don't think Rudy told all his players to do that after Cleveland, or that the players decided to do that on their own? Isn't that what bosses usually say?
Francis is getting "it" is BS. Here's the simple truth. The last few years Francis and Cat have been the 2 most reliable players on the court so theyve been playing volleyball with each other. Now you have Yao Ming who is a good player with flashes of greatness but who is still somewhat inconsistent As he becomes more and more consistent, Steve will trust him more and give him the ball more. Forget all this about selfishness, PG skills, blah blah blah. Steve is not a pure passer. He's a scorer asked to be a distributor. Anyone who is a succesful scorer and is used to playing against scorers, will also value scorers. Steve will not give you the ball until you prove yourself. He doesn't inherently trust his teammates except those who have already demonstrated they could play. If Yao starts dominating inside every single game, Francis will eventually come around. People are hoping Steve will make Yao better. The truth is Until Yao gets better, Steve will never get him the touches everyone is crying for. Yao can make Steve a better player. Not vice a versa.
