[Chron] Francis sees light from deep hole on bench

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5312667.html

Nov. 19, 2007, 12:19AM
Francis sees light from deep hole on bench
Rockets guard finally gets to play, but he is fine if future action is limited

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Steve Francis' mind wandered. Game after game began and ended with a frustrated Francis confined to the Rockets' bench, with his mind wandering to places he did not want it to go.

He never acted on those thoughts, never asked he be traded next month when he becomes eligible, never so much as asked where he might fit on a team for which he once starred but that did not play him in the season's first 10 games.

But he thought about all of it, and more.

"Everything crosses your mind when you're not playing," Francis said, when asked if he thought about leaving the Rockets a few months after his return. "I don't know if it was one day or one week, but everything crosses your mind when things like that happen."

There was no low point, he said.

"Every game," Francis said of when the inactivity bothered him most. "I'm not going to deny wanting to play. Every game."

But basketball was not the primary reason Francis returned to Houston. He thought he could fit and liked the idea of playing with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. But he came "home," as he called it, because it was home.

So every morning, after sitting on the Rockets' bench the night before, he was given that reminder, and started over. Even before he finally played for the first time this season Saturday against the Suns, he said he was fine "because every morning I see my son and daughter."

A different outlook
"Definitely, I'm different than I was," Francis, 30, said. "Anybody would tell you that. Anybody who accomplished, quote-unquote, some of the things I have, who has been a good point (guard), would feel certain things. But I can't do anything or say anything because it will reflect on them."

He played 23 minutes Saturday with McGrady out with a sprained elbow, making three of 11 shots for eight points, with two assists. McGrady could be back by Wednesday when the Rockets play the Dallas Mavericks. Rockets coach Rick Adelman did not say how he would reconfigure his rotation when McGrady returns to his usual 36 minutes per game.

He had clearly grown weary of the daily inquiries about Francis' status, having stated that he thought Francis would be his starter but that other guards played much better through training camp and the preseason.

"I don't know why that's such a huge question," Adelman said. "I'll answer it. I decided to play him (Saturday) because we have an injury to Tracy McGrady, (and) we had played (Friday) night. (Saturday), there was a chance to play him. I said this before: It was never my intention not to play Steve. But over the course of the preseason, the exhibition season. ...

Somebody has to sit
"It was not that long ago we were 6-1. People don't understand, when you play somebody, you take somebody out of the rotation. Who do you take out? As a coach, you have to balance that. What's the reason for it? I thought (Saturday) was a great chance to play Steve. (The Suns) play small a lot. We played (Friday) night. I told Steve to be ready.

"It's not that I didn't want to do it. Every game we had has been close. There really was no chance. Now, you have to make that decision. What do you do when Tracy comes back? And it's not an easy decision. I thought Steve, to his credit, has really maintained. He stayed with it. And he was ready to play. Now, we'll go from here."

The Mavericks also play with a small backcourt, potentially offering another opportunity to play one more small guard, though Francis played as much at the point as at shooting guard Saturday.

Until he does play again, the "We want Steve" chant in Toyota Center is likely to come again, and he said he has appreciated the support. But like everything else, Francis said he has learned to put that in perspective.

"It was great, man," he said. "They've been sticking behind me no matter what. Hopefully, this is the start of me continuing to get playing time and trying to help this team win.

"It was good, but of course you have people who didn't care, people who definitely took the opportunity to bash me as much as they could. The sanity for me came from my wife (Shelby) and my kids (Shailyn and Steven). I really didn't feel like I had to fire back at anybody for anything that was said. I've done a lot in this league to earn the respect of a lot of people, and I'm going to continue to do that. If it's in a different capacity, which it is here, that's what I have to do.

"It's still tough. I'm not going to shy away and say it was not tough. But when I decided to come here I said I was willing to sacrifice to help the team. But not playing is definitely tough."

Playing time uncertain
He sounded convinced. But whether he would continue playing was much more uncertain, particularly having been so wrong before.

"I anticipated (playing) at the beginning of the season," he said. "I wouldn't want to try to begin to try to anticipate anything."

But if he will avoid guessing when he will next play, he will likely think about it and much more, especially if he is not busy on the court.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

 

Just give him 10-15 mins/game as the 3rd PG and go from there.