Barring a total collapse combined with a red-hot finish by the Jazz or the Blazers, the Rockets are finally going to get into the playoffs this year. For you folks who are dying to see Stevie shipped out on the next Bekins truck, how far would he have to take the Rox in the playoffs before you'd be convinced we should keep him?
You know what I noticed about steve tonight, that I take for granted so many times, his heart. Steve might be 6'3 but he has a bigger heart than any player in the league you can see on his face how much he wants to win and the sacrifices to his body he takes on a daily basis. Regardless of what you think, nobody on the Rockets wants to win more than Steve, and thats why he will always have my respect.
A few playoff games doesn't make or break a player. Especially since the opponent will be tough and it's such a small sample size. I'm more interested in how Stevie will play down the stretch than in the playoffs. SF has been playing fairly well of late. If he can shoot a respectable % down the stretch, passes well, not turning the ball over, and generally mixes well with Yao, I'll be off the trade-steve bandwagon. Regardless of how he play in the playoffs.
The question is unanswerable the way you asked it. The question presumes that Francis will "lead" the team. It's pretty clear to everyone and their dog except the FOF fans that Yao is the more significant player on the team. While it's not the same thing as asking "how far do the Rockets have to go in the playoffs before we give up wanting to trade Kelvin Cato..." I think the same principle applies. In basketball, the big question is: "who's your best player and how good is he, exactly?" Once you answer that question, you tinker the team around him. If Yao is the best player on the team, and the 2nd best player doesn't fit... you trade the 2nd best player if you can get good value for him.
I disagree to an extent -- I think Yao is the most important player for the team's future, and he'll probably need to have a great playoff run for us to move forward. However, the Rockets can find a way to win if Yao is merely average -- but if Steve stinks up the joint like he does sometimes, we're done for. Yao is simply not ready to lead the team at this point.
This is such a crock of ****. If you're correct, then why is Yao's performance outcome determinative?. The statistics are pretty clear: when Yao plays well, the team wins as much as the elite teams. When he plays poorly, the Rockets are mediocre. Check the freaking splits. Steve's performances are not outcome determinative. Hence, we know pretty clearly that he's currently less important. Sorry. You're empirically, totally, and absolutely wrong. Feel free to keep your "opinion" though... as a resident FoF fan Farhan is so eager to remind us - we can all have our opinions. Some just aren't supported by the evidence.
How are you determining what "playing well" consists of? Stats? Points? Yao has his best games when the offense is flowing like it should -- something Steve has a huge part in. When the offense is sputtering, it's usually because Steve is having one of his "2 steps back" nights, and Yao sputters along with it.
If by some magical confluence of circumstances we manage to win the championship, that still won't change the fact that Steve is not the optimal player to team with Yao in the Van Gundy system. If anything, winning in the playoffs will just increase what we can get in return for Steve. Come June, Steve is gone.
What he said! The thread starter is so far off it isn't funny. If Francis has a mediocore game, then the team still has a chance with Yao. If Yao has a mediocore game, then the team is a lottery team. Yao is going to lead this team to the playoffs for the first time in 5 years! Francis has only led this team to the lottery!
Where did Yao lead us last year? This team is not better because of Yao or Francis this year. It is because of JVG's defense, losing EG n Mooch and signing Jim Jackson. Jim has fit in so well grabbing rebounds and shooting a high percentage which we desperately needed at the 3. Before this year we had no defense and no consistancy at the 3 AND 4, a year with Steve's migraines, a season without MoT (EG starter). The difference between us being an average team and a great team will be determained by JVG if he quits wasting his time getting Yao to set high picks and get screens off the ball.
We're not better or worse OVERALL for the most part. -The Suns had issues from the get-go, players were traded. -Utah broke up. -Blazers had more issues than normal and key players were traded. Three teams have to take these teams spots, fortunately, we're good enough to be one of them......so far.
Pretty easy to answer this question if Rockets' managers are smart. If Rockets can't make playoff again, definitely the team should make some changes, SF will be removed for sure; if Rockets get denied in first round of playoff, that's most possible, I'll say Rockets should hold SF for the best deal, don't rush for quick trade; if Rockets can get through first round, I'll see this as a break through, keep SF.
Maturity, poise, and consistancy is what I am looking for. Take a look at last night's Timberwolves game in terms of production form Francis. THAT's the kind of production we need from him, NIGHTLY. Not a game here and a game there. NIGHTLY. BOTH our stars, YAO and FRANCIS have to step up EVERY NIGHT. Lately Yao has been doing his part, Francis has NOT. That's why I have been talking up Francis for Ray Allen trades. Allen is more consistant, more mature and shows more poise. Maturity, poise and consistancy is what I am looking for for Francis. I think that alone can put us in the playoffs and at least put a scare into a team in the first round before being knocked out.
Despite the comments I make on these boards, I actually agree with you. The problem is Steve seems to want to win really bad, but refuses to change his game into a more winning brand (in Houston, that's cutting down on turnovers, ALWAYS playing within the offense instead of going to the playground game, and deferring to Yao on a more consistent basis). This year it seems like Francis plays within the offense at times, then abandons it for stretches for whatever reason. Steve Francis thinks he knows how to win better than his coaches and critics and by now, I think it is clear that he is not going to change and if that's the case, I sadly can't say I see a place for him on this Rockets' team alongside Yao Ming.
IMVHO, whether Francis is traded this summer or not is going to be based upon what I'm going to call "The Bonehead Factor". With the exception of Shaq and maybe the Vlade/Brad Miller combo, the Rockets are going to have a more favorable matchup at the C than at PG for most of the remaining games plus the playoffs. More specifically, if Steve Francis fails to recognize this and Yao Ming winds being defended by the Kandi-man in the first round and Yao only averages say 10 shots per games? Bye-bye Steve. Re-stated, if Francis turns a playoff series into a personal battle with Cassell, Bibby, Payton, Nash or Parker...he's going against Van Gundy's concepts of inside-out and reversing the ball to the weakside for an effective low post entry pass. Adios....
JVG deserves a LOT of credit for the improvement of this Rockets' team this season, but so does the continuing development of Yao. Back to JVG. His brand of basketball may not be pretty, but how many games have gotten out of hand this season? How many times have the Rockets been blown out? Not very often and the reason is the stingy team defense. If you play good defense, you keep the game close and give yourself a chance to win a majority of the time.
