The reason this team plays a "close but no cigar" style of play is that the guy that handles the ball 90% of the time does not make good team oriented basketball decisions. Steve forces the action way too often, he makes the game harder then it has to be, pass and cut, is that such a foreign idea? Also, Steve's defense is not horrid, it is putrid !!! Tony FRICKEN Parker a 19 year old kid stopped him COLD !!! I don't think Steve is in the Iverson mold of player, he is just not as quick laterally, and just is not a complete player, as he just rests on defense. Now, he IS the solution to this too, if he wises up, starts making smart decisions and decides to quit playing lazy defense then...and ONLY then will this team start winning consistently. DaDakota
It might not be fair to judge his performance tonight since he was playing with a nasty migraine. I do agree that he is prone to poor decisions on the floor. Mainly, I think that he tries to do too much because he just doesn't have a lot of trust in his teammates. I remember Hakeem having the same problem when he was younger. It took him 10 years to learn to trust the other players on the floor. Let's hope it doesn't take Steve that long.
BRAVO!!!! intelligence rears its ugly head Is Icon worship on the decline?? what will be the fallout on our society?? PEACE
I'm not sure what there is to complain about anymore....stop looking for individual improvement among players, and enjoy the leaps this team takes towards prime lottery position with each moral victory!......this team isn't inconsistent because of the backcourt. They're inconsistent because they have one of the 5 worst frontcourts in the league. You're misassigning blame. I'm not sure why you're extrapolating this game as representative of his (Francis) game as a whole either. It's pretty obvious he's not the same player when suffering from headaches. As far as the Iverson quip.....he did NOTHING with the Sixers until they brought in a half-way decent frontcourt to complement him (Ratliff & Hill). Mo and Rice were both huge losses. Whether Kenny is an equal talent to Mo is insignificant; frontcourt production would go up exponentially with Mo in the rotation, and would put players who are a detriment to the team while on the floor, like a Morris, where they belong, on the bench. No guard can will a team to the level of consistency without a competent frontcourt. Not Kobe, not McGrady, NOBODY. Team offense Sorry DaDa....this current team isn't built for a team oriented offense. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a better cast to run the type of offense you're advocating. The Rockets have ONE player who fits into a team oriented scheme- Walt Williams. And he, at best, is slightly above average. They're basically a poor man's Dallas right now. They try to exploit the talents of offensive weapons in two man sets or isolations and hope for the best. They just don't have the players to make the creators on this team look good right now, like a Nash does in Dallas. Cry me a river for Tony Paker by the way....it must be a living hell for him to have to pass it into Duncan/Robinson and shoot wide open shots off of the spacing they create. Just develop a morbid sense of humor and find comedy in this team's tragic state that inexorable circumstances have presented us with. That, and root for more ping pong balls.....
Wow, great post, TPL. I especially agree concerning the team oriented offense. It would be nice to have some Wesley Person's on this team, but since all we have are guys who seem to create their own offense, I am happy with what they are doing. Now, if we could just rid ourselves of Cato...
AGREED!!!! I also think Rudy should change his offence. Let's use all 5 weapons on the court instead of just two out of five.
I'm not doubting or disagreeing but I find it to be ridiculous that any of these guys take more than 2 minutes to learn to trust their teammates. How ridiculous is that? How would you function at work if you operated by that "principle?"
How exactly is 16 points and 6-13 from the field by Tony Parker "putrid" defense on Steve's part? The best word to Describe Steve's defense right now is "inconsistent". I've seen him play excellent defense many times, just not every trip down the court...
He doesn't know how to get other players involved in the offense. Nor does he know how to set up someone for an easy bucket. But Francis was not a prototypical point guard when he came here. He plays the one on one game of break down your initial defender drive to the hoop and create a great shot. This is what he was and still is. Similar beginning as Michael's first 4 or 5 years. Eventually MJ figured out how to read 5 on 5 defenses and set teammates up. As to the teams overall problems If you compare the top teams to the bottom teams two factors consistently appear: 1. front court players 2. veteran experience At the moment the Rockets are weak in both areas.
A-Train, It is not in the stats, it is the lack of pressure on the ball, allowing Parking to get San Antonio into their plays with ease. I watched the game again last night, and it is horrible to watch Steve COAST on defense, Parker was in his grill all night forcing Steve to shoot 4-17 from the field. Ok, if you are not feeling well, and you are shooting poorly, what would most people do? Ooooh...ohhhh, I know, SET UP THEIR TEAMATES. Steve has to become the LEADER of this team, if he started whipping the ball around, everyone else would follow his lead. But, by him sitting out there at the 3 point line fumbling the ball behind his back ...over...and over...and over again, and then passing at the last second to someone who is also well covered, does NOT lead to easy baskets. You may point to his 11 rebounds and say he played well, and I would say BAH !!! He should average half his rebounding total, and release ever time a shot goes up, this would facilitate the fast break, which in case anyone cares, is the ONLY way to beat a team with a more talented front court. Or, if he does rebound...then RUN...the FRICKEN ball up the court, don't skip....or goose step, or whatever the hell he does with the ball. Our guards are AMAZING one on one players.....too bad that means SQUAT in a team oriented game. Rant over !! DaDakota
Jeff, I agree what you said about Hakeem in his younger days, but he could get a good shot 90% of the time. Steve can't do that and neither can anyone on this team get the kind of quality Hakeem could get. Steve just like the rest of the team plays lazy on defense and streetball on offense. Rudy system has a lot to do with the offensive as well as the defensive side. I have a idea, if the team comes out laid back, do something to get the tempo up like a 3/4 court press or a full court press. Turn the game helter skelter, then maybe the juices get flowing and push the tempo up. No matter what people say about the youth of this team, 75% of it can be attributed to Rudy's poor coaching this yr.
And to add to your rant, watch how many times does Steve actually uses the pick that is being set for him? Too many times he uses it incorrectly or doesnt use it all. And I wish he would do more of what Calvin asks him to do and that is STOP and POP . And what is wrong with pushing the ball up the floor ala Jason Kidd or Steve Nash? Sometimes I think Steve thinks he plays for the Globetrotter. Once he learns to be more under control the sky is the limit for this kid.
Steve plays playground ball. A lot of one-on-one action, a lot of crossovers, and no defense. He needs to grow up and play organized NBA ball. He needs to watch some film, become a student of the game, and treat his job like a job.
75 percent of what? The team is around .500 when Francis plays. What do you think their record should be?
Freak, And you are satisfied with a .500 record? The team has the talent to win, but does not have the KNOW-HOW to win. It is simply a matter of making things harder then they should be. DD
Yes I am satisfied with that record. They weren't expected to make the playoffs this year. The team does not have the talent to win, I disagree. Do you realize that their frontline is Walt Williams, Kenny Thomas, and Kelvin Cato? Their first big man off the bench is 19 years old. Their second big man off the bench is 40 years old. The leaders of the team are inexperienced. I am completely satisfied with .500.
It is about several issues Trust - how many alleys or passes can CATO miss before you are hesitent to pass it to him? How many games where your team is outrebounded by double digits before you refuse to release on the fast break? How many times can you push the ball up only to see half your team with their backs turned to you . . or staying on defense because the figure you gonna take it yourself or give it to cuttino and not them . . .before you stop and wait [this is the Shanderson situation]? This team has alot of trust issues ESPNed - yea a few too many highlights. . .no one praised good D and ****. . our guards are too Credit Oriented. . . even if they are constantly downplaying it [Modesty sometimes is just something one does to garner even more praise. . . not saying they are but .. . ] I thinks Cut and Francis do check their stats after every game. . .etc To be honest , ,. . . If KT, Eddie or Morris or one of the QUIET guys Ripp their asses. . . .it would get their attention. Rocket River
