Sam would love it. Steve and Sam are best friends. Also Melo and Miller reportly do not get along while Melo and Steve are good friends
how is this all about numbers? it's more about team philosophy. granted, Steve Francis is a much much much better offensive threat the Andre Miller. But, you look at career and career low. How about career high? Do you think Steve Francis can average 11 assists per game on any team?
IMO JVG has castrated SF and the rockets fans are loving it and allowing it SF 's game USE to be aggressive. . now it is passive and the ONE THING this team needs is AGGRESSION Folx have asked steve to change to be this or that he has. . and has tried. . and then we slaughter him for it Steve last 4 years. . .WAS CLUTCH Clutch 3s by steve mooch and cat were the norm now. . . .we know Steve PULLED AND DRUGGED THIS team to 40+ wins now. . . .we know I want the STEVE of the last 4 yrs with the YAO of this year and that = Rockets of yesteryear [93ish] Rocket River
I don't know. But I don't think John Stockton could break 10 in JVG's dump it in offense. I'm not saying anything about Francis here, but what I mean is that JVG's offense relies heavily on set plays and post ups. You're just not going to rack up a ton assists that way.
pure point -- playmaker, should lead his own team in assists (this take out bibby), should be aware of all teammates on the floor, must have vision, takes smart shots and always looks to create for teammates before self. When I think pure point guard I think John Stockton. Marbury... you know what on the Knicks he's becoming closer. But career wise... he's looking to score a lot too. Cassell is sort of a combo guard too, but yeah... Davis... I'd rather have Francis than him. By my calculations, he takes more than 20 shots a game. Pure point guards don't do that. Gary Payton is a good point guard, in his prime in seattle he pushed the ball a lot and got lots of scores, but he did average 9 assists a game those seasons. I'd say he's a pure point guard. His career FG% is 47%, that is taking smart shots.
it's not about assists either, again it's about offensive philosophy. as long as someone is able to make smart passes and take smart shots, and not cough the ball over too many times (3TO a game is acceptable, kind of, but more is not), assist numbers don't matter that much. Now is Andre Miller really able to do that better than Francis? I doubt it... he was really exposed in the world championships I think as not a premier point guard. But he does take care of the ball a little better and 3 pointers aside, he's shooting 46% from the field. Again I don't think Andre Miller would take us over the hump or anything. But he could be doing as well a job for less money.
Also, I forgot to add. Andre Miller is 19% from 3PT, but you know he takes less than 1 a game right? So it's not like he thinks he can make them. Sometimes you just have to.
Stockton played 20 yrs in the same system and was never asked to score. Also . . Stockton got the star benefit .. if a errand pass flew to no one everyone assumed Russel , Shandon or Hornacek just missed they move. . .not the great stockton [majic johnson had this benefit too] Rocket River as stated . . .pure point guards are like pinkies more than thumbs
RANT. This is stupid. Nobody asked Steve to suck. Nobody asked him to be less aggressive. Nobody asked him to score less even...just to do it all mroe effectively and more efficiently. Why? Because the team wasn't going anywhere with the Steve Francis of the past. The question was/is/remains to be can Steve co-exist with Yao while also while becoming a more effective player? If you look at one year stats, clearly the answer is NO. This year, while an improvement for the team (if you ask me), has been a complete failure for Steve. Clearly, with Francis, it is 90% mental and 10% talent in terms of improving his game. Winners in professional sports are not only the most talented, but mentally strong as well. Heck, they're more than that...Malone, Stockton, Barkley, Drexler (before H-Town) all excelled at those two categories...you have to be mentally dominant. Has JVG turned up the pressure a little bit...sure? But you think that a little heat from JVG is the worst that SF will see in his career if he truly wants to win. Wait till a playoff game 7 atmoshpere...a Western Conference Finals showdown. It's that kind of pressure that historically turns your Michael Jordans and Larry Birds into who they are and you're Scottie Pippens into Game 7 chokers. It's tough. Maybe Steve just had a bad year. Maybe he can't ever become the effective player he needs to be. That's why it's imperative for the Rockets to have made the playoffs. It is almost like a fresh start. It gives Steve another chance to prove he can handle the pressure and the mental side of the game, he just was having an off 6 months on the talent side. END RANT.
Not even close to the Rockets of yesteryear [93ish]. This team lacks a winning mindset. This team will never see a championship as long as francis is the pt. guard. The Rockets will be the second coming of Minnesota.
Wow, just looking at his stats, and Andre Miller has always been a bad three-point shooter. I always thought he was a LITTLE better of a threat than that... Seriously, what is up with dude's numbers? Assists going from 5.8 to 10.9 and then RIGHT back down to 6.2. His scoring is still pretty good and I think he's a much better overall FIT for Houston than Steve is. If Van Gundy could communicate to him that he's really NOT a great three-point shooter, it would be ideal. It's not like we don't already attempt a million threes a game anyways. Mobley, Jackson, Pike, and Padgett all feel pretty good from beyond the arc. Miller's an intriguing idea.
lol, it's not meant to work. My first trade proposal: Houton trades Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, MoTaylor for Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Brad Miller. Webber and Vlade in the high post feeding the cutting Francis and Mobley, it's great. Kings might bite on it.
The Kings might bite on it? Please tell me your joking... Within the Kings' Pete Carril designed motion offense based upon back door cuts, weakside screens and multiple decisions off of every cut... Bibby > Francis Christie > Mobley Miller > Taylor Seriously...I just about fell out of my chair laughing at the Kings wrecking their ball movement offense by adding 3 ISO-oriented players...
Why not bring in Gary Payton? Seems like he's not happy with the Fakers. But thing could change if Kobe and Phil is gone.
