Chron:With regular season looming, Francis' status unclear

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Practice was over and Steve Francis, who had watched the 5-on-none offensive drills at the finish from a spot beyond one baseline, trudged off the court, his nose stuffy, his eyes watery and glazed.

“I’ve got to go lay down,” Francis said.

Trouble is, as the Rockets start to finalize their preparations for the regular season opener on Oct. 29, it’s time for Francis to stand up and claim a spot on a team that has its highest expectations in years.

But just when Francis had pronounced himself ready to fully test the right knee that underwent surgery in February for a torn quadricep tendon, he had missed three straight days of team workouts with a head cold. When he returned to practice on Monday, there were conflicting opinions on how much work he got in.

“The knee felt pretty good. I did it all,” Francis said, indicating it was the fourth time since the start of training camp that he’d gone through an entire practice.

“I’m still waiting to see,” said assistant coach Elston Turner, who ran the second half of the workout after head coach Rick Adelman had to leave for an appointment. “He’s on my practice list. I have his name right here. ‘Steve Francis.’

“He’s included in our plans for the season in the sense that if he’s able to participate and play, OK. He’s there. If he can’t, we just have to move on.”

It’s the latest twist in a road that has become increasingly bumpy for the player who once was “Stevie Franchise” for the Rockets. Since returning to the team a year ago, Francis has barely been a blip on the radar screen. He was on the inactive list for 58 games last season, one for personal reasons, one with a sore back, four with flu-like symptoms and 52 due to the knee injury.

The highlight of the 2007-08 season for Francis came on Nov. 28, when he came off the bench with nine points, seven assists, two steals and two blocks at Phoenix. He scored a crucial driving layup and got a hand on a shot by Amare Stoudemire that iced a fourth quarter comeback and Rockets’ win. Barely a month later, Francis was virtually out of the picture as his knee problems developed.

After rehabbing through the summer, the 31-year-old Francis came to camp this season still not fully recovered and had to take things slow. With the team down to just one remaining exhibition schedule and the regular season drawing near, he knows the clock is ticking.

“It’s all up to the coach,” Francis said. “It’s his decision. It’s a process with the knee. But I’m ready to play when they want me to play. I can go.

“I’ve been working hard. It’s been tough. I’m still ahead of schedule after the surgery. I’m about ready to get on the court. I felt OK today. I wasn’t as sharp as I could be.”

Francis did some individual strengthening with the training staff and got in some running on Monday. But just a short time into the full scrimmaging, he had to leave the court because he was feeling sick.

“I’d love to have him here,” said teammate Rafer Alston. “This team would love to have him here. Ron (Artest) talks all the time about what it would be like if Steve could come in here and help. He’s a tough cover. He’s got a good jumper, he can run and drive to the basket, he’s one of the best rebounding guards in the league and he’s been an All-Star.”

However, Francis’ last All-Star appearance was in 2004 and since that time he’s often been trying to recapture the physical conditioning and the spark in his game.

“I, for one, am in his corner,” Turner said. “Steve is 31 years old and I wouldn’t say I’ve seen enough personally to make a judgment. If he gets to the point where he is the Steve we all remember and can contribute, I think everybody is in his corner.

“He’s a good guy. He’s had a good career. If we have to move on, we’ve got guys who can play the position. We’ve got other ‘2s’ who can slide to point for a few minutes.

“We’ve got guys in here who are hungry to participate. They’re probably smiling when somebody is out and they get a chance.

“We all just hope that Steve gets better, comes to work and shows us what he can do.”

fran.blinebury@chron.com