Dec. 2, 2003, 11:01PM Francis has score to settle with Jazz By MEGAN MANFULL Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Steve Francis used to comb through the Rockets' schedule as soon as it was released each year. He was a young player eager to face the NBA's veterans. He searched for the games in which he would play against upper-echelon point guards like John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton. He'd write those games down and wait with anticipation. Five years into his career, however, Francis has seen times change. Now, he says he has the "it's-just-another-point-guard" attitude. But many of his opponents don't. Last week, Francis didn't know anything about Utah's Raul Lopez and Maurice Williams. They were simply reserves trying to fill in for injured starter Carlos Arroyo, who was replacing the legendary Stockton. The young players knew Francis' game, though, and they had been looking forward to playing against him. In their first try at taming the Rockets' All-Star, the tandem succeeded. And tonight, they will try to do it again when the Jazz play the Rockets at Toyota Center. "I'd never seen those guys before the last time we played them," Francis said. "But they've definitely got my attention now, and it's not going to be like last time." A week ago, Lopez and Williams dominated Francis, who scored only 13 points in a 5-for-15 effort from the floor. He had only three assists and turned the ball over eight times in the Rockets' 83-76 loss. Williams and Lopez each scored 10 points and combined for nine assists and only three turnovers. "If you want to stack two guys against one, points-wise, I think they outplayed me," Francis said. "They scored more points than I did. And I can accept that. I'm not going to sit up there and lie about it. But that's why you definitely have to look forward to playing a team like that again. Tomorrow is definitely going to be a completely different game from our team as a whole than it was up in Utah." Williams and Lopez were not just one-game wonders, however. With Arroyo still out with a left ankle sprain, they have helped lead Utah to a 5-1 record, which includes a dominating performance against Kidd and the New Jersey Nets on Monday night. This is Lopez's first season of playing in the league. He spent all of last season on the injured list because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Williams is a rookie from Alabama. The two are similar to Francis as a rookie, gunning for the game's best guards. After last week's victory against the Rockets, Williams admitted he had looked forward to the matchup. "Steve Francis is an All-Star. He is a great player and a great point guard," Williams said. "And I compete, and I want to compete against the best. He made me lace it up. It wasn't someone I could go out and relax with." Lopez and Williams have been keys to the Jazz's surprising 10-6 start. When Utah lost Stockton to retirement and Karl Malone to free agency, many predicted the Jazz would have their worst season ever. Instead, Utah has replaced its big names with the team concept. Forwards Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring are averaging 17.4 and 16.9 points per game, respectively. Center Greg Ostertag is averaging two blocks and nine rebounds per game. "They are the most determined team in the league, and they do it every game the same way," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "They will not beat themselves. We will have to beat them. "They have two forwards playing at an All-Star level. Ostertag does a great job defensively, clogging up the lane, defending centers of size. And point guard play for them has been outstanding." Van Gundy, who watches reels of tape before each game, was the only one who didn't seem shocked by the play of newcomers Lopez and Williams. "I was not surprised by their ability," Van Gundy said. "I've seen them on tape. I think some of our players may have been surprised." Lopez and Williams picked up their recent rash of victories at home and will try to bring even more intensity into Toyota Center as they attempt to prove the Jazz can win on the road. The team is a mere 1-5 away from home. But Francis vows no matter what the Jazz bring to Houston, he won't be caught off-guard again. He knows Williams and Lopez will still be looking toward the matchup with him -- and this time, so will he. "It's my fifth year, and I've been on the All-Star team a couple of times, so guys are definitely going to be aiming at me," Francis said. "Even some of the top guys are definitely aiming at me. You've got to stay consistent." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2266036
i miss the days when steve dominated games. it may not havebeen the 'smartest' way to win, but at least it was fun to watch.
Is nobody else tired of this crap?? A) Who cares if you've never seen them before, or heard of them for that matter? Are you putting less effort into games against opponents you think are beneath you? B) It's not about points, Steve. It's not about you versus them. It's about winning the game. It's about having some sort of flow to the offensive system as a team. It's about making smart decisions. The Rockets offense won't change until Steve's mindset does.
Last week I commented in another thread that SF has a tendency to turn games into personal grudge matches. That he tends to play his most selfish (stupid) when going against high profile guards, and that leads to bad shots and bad passing. Now he admits it. This guy is so caught up in himself, it's amazing that he has been able to avoid the AI label. Raven
Totally. As much as Steve preaches teamwork, he still can't get rid of his innate selfish attitude. It seems like from this article that he is viewing this game more as a "me versus them" rather than "us versus them". And when comparing himself to W&L he only talked about points, as if the total concept of how his performance affects the team performance completely alludes him. I agree that unless his (and Yao's btw) attitude changes, we ain't going anywhere.
Absolutely! The zone defense is tough on star players! haha, look at T-mac! He must feel so bad about the zone.
I guess we'll see a lot of Steve driving against 4 or 5 Jazz in the lane, throwing up crazy shots after shots. I might need to adjust my game prediction. --daoshi
Preach it, my brotha. As I wanted to say: Five years in the league should teach you, Steve, to respect every opponent. Before the season when you said, "Utah's playoff spot is ours this year," made me wince, and now it comes back to haunt you. I hate the Jazz but I give them my grudging admiration. Excuses are for losers. Sack up and shut up.
He's a two guard. Someone please send us a PG, so we can shift Stevie to the off guard position. I know this is looking too deep into his words but... <<"If you want to stack two guys against one, points-wise, I think they outplayed me," Francis said. "They scored more points than I did. >> Points? Points? Who cares about the scoring? What about the assists and turnovers?
Isn't it part of a player's preparation to prep for (1) his matchup and the (2) opposing team before each game?
