Manny, arent you the same guy complaining about SF getting a max contract? EVERY team in the league would love to give SF a max contract.. In essence your post make no sense here.......
As a Rocket fan since the late 70's, I'd have to agree. I can't remember being this frustrated with a team in many years, maybe since the drug suspension team in the 80's. It's almost unwatchable. Every year we hear about how we won't use the horrible ISO offense and every year that's all we get. Even if someone gets hot (ala Mo Taylor), it's still boring to watch. Too much standing around while Steve or even worse MOOCHIE dribbles for 23 seconds before launching a jumper with a man in his face and no one under the basket! If every NBA observer in the world can see it, why can't our video coordinators...er, coaches?!?!? It's time for a change!
Well, zz, if you bothered to fully read what I have been saying about that, you know what I meant, but it is more clever to throw out some one-liner than to actually read, now isn't it? But I will re-state it for you again. Due to the way the salaries run in the NBA with the collective bargaining agreement and so forth, a player who makes the max contract has to be traded for someone with a similar type of contract or a sh!tload of players whose total contracts equal (or come close by some percentage - aelliott knows) that of the one being traded. Now, let's think about some of the guys who have contracts comparable to Francis like Garnett or Shaq. Do you honestly think that a superstar player is going to be traded for Francis?? If you are, give me some of that dope you are smoking. So, what does that leave? It leaves a bunch of players being traded for one. And thus my premise that no one will do that deal because they don't think they can give us the same value that we are trading away in Francis. It isn't advanced calculus or organic chemistry or rocket science. But I am curious, to say the least, who you think these teams would give us for Francis. Please don't say names like Garnett, Kidd, Kobe, Brand, etc.
NO, NO, NO!!! I have a Rocket's fan since Rudy played (and he was a really tough, smart player). I have followed, supported, and loved the Rockets for years. The current group of r****ds (Ming, Rice, and Taylor excepted) is the most frustrating Rockets team EVER! Francis is an incredibly athletic clueless streetballer. I think he is THE most overrated player in the league. This team has no structure, no system, do discipline, no smarts, and until the owner makes some BIG changes I'm through watching them.
I encourage you trying to watch the Sacramento Kings play. Ignore the players and just watch the way the team play basketball. Then compare it to the way Rockets play. I love Rockets but I am not blind enough to think that our basketball is really enjoyable and entertaining for spectators. Ask any non-Rockets fans about their "most entertaining team" lists. I don't believe that Rockets would be on anyone's top 5. Hell even I as a Rockets fan wouldn't put them on there.
Some folks have a serious misunderstanding about NBA salaries..Garnett makes 25 million a year Steve 4.3 million, Steve will get 10mil next year and will be rec. 12 mil in 2006..Here is a list of guys making 12mil or more now...KG 25mil..Shaq 23mil...Alonzo 23mil...JHoward20 mil, Pippen 19mil,Malone 19mil....Mutumbo16mil, Kemp 15mil...Wallace 14mil, AHouston 14mil, CWebber 14mil, DStoudamire 13.5mil, Payton 13mil..BryantReeves 13mil, McDyess 12.6mil...PHardaway12.3mil, VBaker 12.3, R.Allen 12.3mil..AWalker 12.3mil..Kobe 12.3mil..AI 12.3mil.Illgaukas 12.3..SMarbury 12.2mil, G.Hill 12mil..J.Rose 12mil..McGrady 12mil..Duncan 12mil.. In three years when SF is making that kind of dough..compare him with the above..but this year they are all making 8million more than he is. P.S. The Rockets would be nuts ..to trade Steve Francis.
I am a die hard Rox fan, but i agree... This season has really taken its toll on me... No passion, No D, No Offense... Un-freakin'-believable...
Okay, I agree with you on the salaries and I apologize if I came across as harsh earlier. However, I disagree about your last sentence. Until Francis shows that he can develop into a PG, then I would think we would be nuts NOT to trade him. Unfortunately, I still stand by the assertion that we would never get anything comparable in value back for him. And the reason why I say that is once again, is that we would have to get a bunch of players back instead of a superstar. The problem is that the word is out on the Rockets around the league and unless some team is desperate, I don't think you will see anyone wanting to trade for guys who are selfish and clueless or a bunch of overpaid role players.
The Rockets play mostly hideous basketball occasionally interrupted by a beautiful moment of sublime skill. This was mostly true in the Hakeem era, too. It was just that those moments were much, much more frequent. I love the Rockets. I like watching them play because they're my team. But I'll admit they're as ugly as hell.
And, as per the CBA, 99.9% could NOT trade him for two more years if he and they both wanted. Forget it. Stevie is here, for better or worse (I say BETTER).
I enjoy watching the Rockets play. I don't get frustrated with the way they play or any mistakes they make during the course of the game. What I do enjoy less and less is visiting the Game Action forum to read vitriolic and ill-reasoned criticisms of the team -- which is why I skip most of the threads here now.
Back when Hakeem was in his prime, and before we acquired Barkley, the word that best described the team was "chemistry." It was fun to watch because everyone was on the same page and I felt they would win just about every game (Seattle excluded). It wasn't as high powered as Dallas or Sacramento, but still very consistent and effective.
It's called selfish when the leading scorer only gets 11 shot attempts and hits 8 of them while the point guard takes 19 shots and makes 8. If you consider Yao hit his first 7 baskets in the first quarter, you have to wonder why he didn't get to take many shots for the rest of the game. Reason? Selfish guards with a "you got your shot attempts now I need to get mine" attitude. 'Nuff said.
manny ramirez (horrible title by the way) i was referring to the nets game where yao was the high scorer. and i did not think that was very selfish. but, i dunno why i am in nyc and i have heard rudy say, repeatedly, that they rely HEAVILY on the old system, because they did not get to install the new offensive system due to the late arrival of yao. i mean, straight from rudy's lips has been the statement that the players have artistic license alot of the time, and only a few plays because there is not much else they have right now. why is it, i feel like you guys just don't listen to the perfectly valid answer to all your whining? i guess your all just stupid or 12. a man tells you why he did something and you keep asking him why is....well, childish. as far as watching them, i love to watch basketball, and if you guys are complaining about unwatchable basketball, you don't live on the east coast. most of it is unwatchable. less gifted players than mo-t trying to play one-on-one! it is awful . also, i am thinking that according to yous guys criteria, there are only 2 or 3 teams worth watching. so perhaps it is best that baseball season is starting up. i live by the rockets, i die by the rockets, and that makes me a fan.
I agree with this. I started watching the Rockets since 74. In the 80's and 90's and up until now, I have not missed but a handful televised games. On the whole, the Rockets play the ugliest ball except for the bottom feeders of that year (such as the Cavaliers this year) I love the Rockets. I watch them play every chance I get and they frustrate me so!
I agree with most every other person said on this thread but the most troubling of all our shortcomings this season has been our defensive intensity. Sometimes it looks like we do not care on Defense. We don't run out our defensive assignments, we don't help out our team mates consistent and timely, we don't communicate well on D, we context every shot, we don't rebound defensively as a team and sometimes it looks like we don't care. Oh well......I still have faith.
Did you watch the game last night at all? The Rockets started out going to Yao a lot. Yao went 6-7FG, scored all of the Rox's first 12 pts in 7 minutes. Everyone else put up bricks. The Nets refused to double Yao and it looked like he can score again and again. Then Francis started to play 1-1 all by himself for 4 straight plays before even looked to feed the ball inside. Yao did not look tired (he was still running up and not walking up court). The rest of the game Yao got 4 more FG attempts and a few FTs. Now you try to figure that out!
Why should I try to figure it out -- the 'braintrust' didn't. On another brainy note, why didn't JPo or Hawk play the 2 with Stevie at the 1 on offense, and switch assignments on D. SF can play Kittles, either of the others could do a decent D on Kidd. Rice would have been on the court.
Watching Stevie dribble away the shot clock on ISOs is one thing but watching Moochie's no-talent ass do his best Franchise impression is unbearable. I'm willing to bet that there are more than a few CBA teams that wouldn't put that scrub on the roster.
