Francis is in 3rd year playing in Rudy's system. I would say that Francis puts more pressure on his feet than any guard in the league. With all the creating off the dribble trying to draw the double and kicking it to the open man is the staple of this offense. Plus logging 41 minutes a game can take its toll on any man. Yes he's young, but he uses his feet more than normal. Do you Rockets fan think that this might be the cause of Francis foot problems? I did notice that Francis was ailing a little bit in the game. Which could cause a little concern that this might not be the end of his foot problems. Any Comments?
And you got your phd at what school, doc? Seriously, the foot will probably hamper him from time to time this season. I'm guessing they'll want him to stay out of pickup games next summer though. OS
Many players put lots of pressure on their feet. Iverson does it much more than francis. I dont think this should be a problem in the long run.
I mentioned this in another thread that nobody picked up on. He didn't appear to be 100% to me in that game. He appeared like a warrior toughing it out. Not his usual self of bopping around. Even look at the pic on the front page. For a game winner, why isn't he smiling. I got the sense that he jumped in the air and was worried about the landing cause he knew it would hurt.
Francis was also suffering from another migraine headache. Why isn't he smiling in the photo???? I was there...he was putting on sort of a "How do you like that?" kinda face...how do you know he didn't smile after that photo was taken. I saw him crack a smile when he was back near the huddle during the time out. OS
"He played great tonight, man. It was his first real game back. It just says a lot about my man. I felt bad for him because during the game his head was killing him. It didn't look like it, but it was." This quote from the Chron confirms he wasn't feeling well. Hopefully it was just his head and not still his feet. Once we get him on the right medication, we can handle the migrain problem.
Maybe he wasn't smiling because he is becoming more of a leader and he realizes that the team is in such a hole and winning their 10th game compared to 20 something losses means there is a lot of work to do before he can sit back and smile. The migraine probably had something to do with it too.
I watched the game on TV which meant I could see his facial expressions better than if you were there. Of course he smiled some. I just got the sense something was bothering him. Hopefully it's just the headaches. But this thing has been reoccuring. It's concerning.
Good comment. Time will tell. I was just wondering if anybody had a similar intuition as me. I guess not...or nobody wants to think about such a horrible thought.
Many players put lots of pressure on their feet. Iverson does it much more than francis. I dont think this should be a problem in the long run. Does Iverson have foot problems now? No! The concern here is for Francis and the way he is utilize in Rudy's system.
I noticed several times last night, he seemed to be favoring one foot a little, some what flat footed at times and sometimes even gingerly walking with a pained expression. I think he was 75% last night and the thing that gets me is why not let him get to 100%. Graned, he is a man! But, we do not need hero's right now...we need healthy bodies for next year. This team is a stretch for the playoffs at best...it does not make sense to risk it. I had what he had last year and my Doc recommended 6-8 weeks of rest and I do not bounce around like Stevie....
Actually, I bet Khalid El-Amin puts more pressure on his feet than any other guard. All that weight, those shoes have to be struggling to keep from busting at the seams, and his feet must CRY when he stops or cuts.
I heard just the opposite. Since Steve actually tore the tissue in his fascia, the scar tissue that heals over in fact makes it stronger. This was his 2nd game back on his foot, and he's probably not entirely comfortable with going all out. That's a mental issue. The guy just put up 36-8-5, hard to say he was hurting. He had his highlight breakaway dunk, and also went up for the alleyoop. Looked fine to me.
