Francis seeing light at end of video screen

Francis seeing light at end of video screen
Time spent analyzing play begins to pay off
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

They sit alone, the coach and his point guard, staring at the same video screen, examining every pass, every shot, every decision.

Steve Francis wouldn't say how long the sessions last, saying he couldn't guess and making it sound as if they lasted longer than he wanted to know, or at least sometimes felt that way.

But he had to admit -- and the Rockets' play lately offers proof -- that the advanced studies have worked. So they watch every play and study every piece of data until the hours under fluorescent lights make things clear.

"I think I'm seeing the court more," Francis said. "Coach and I have been trying to dissect film more, and percentages and stats. I think we've been connecting a lot to where I'm recognizing situations to where it's a good time for me to shoot or a good time for me to pass.

"It's better if you see it on film instead of just talking about it. He's been doing an excellent job of bringing me in and making me watch every single shot that I take, every single pass. The little things have been helping me go a long way.

"It's a good session. It's definitely needed."

Francis has seemed more in command of himself and the Rockets' offense. He has been more purposeful, more efficient, more reliable.

In the past six games, Francis has averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 assists and just 2.8 turnovers. He has not regained the shooting eye, and his assists clearly have been limited by several games in which teammates were a danger to those sitting too close to the court. But in that stretch, the Rockets had five scorers in double figures in each game but one.

Francis' command of the Rockets' offense has improved so markedly that before the Rockets faced the Lakers on Thursday, Van Gundy showed the Rockets the tape of the game against the Pacers -- when they shot just 35.2 percent and scored just 71 points -- as an example of a well-run offensive game.

"In the Indiana game, we did not score very well, but he played very, very well," Rockets assistant coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He made a lot of great plays and great decisions that resulted in wide-open shots we missed. When we graded his floor game, it was probably as high as it's been all year.

"He's getting better at when the second defender is coming, he's hitting the open man. His defense is improving. He's scoring, and he's finding a balance of moving the ball and scoring himself."

Francis' 17.5 points per game is less than in any of his previous four seasons, largely because he has made just 39.4 percent of his attempts, the worst shooting percentage of his career. Francis is also taking just 15.5 shots per game, slightly less than his career average.

There was a time, Francis admitted, that he did keep an eye on the far right of the stat sheet. But he said he has grown out of it, preferring to run the offense as needed.

"Hey, you got to take gambles when you can," he said. "But I think the more structured things are, the more guys are committing to me, the more I'm definitely going to hit the open man.

"Sometimes you have to sacrifice things. Maybe when I was 22 I wouldn't like it. But I'm old. I'm 26 now."

Francis' passing has been about as accurate a measure of the Rockets' play as any statistic. The Rockets are 11-3 when he has more than five assists, 5-10 when he has five or fewer. That could also be a function of the shooting after he delivers the passes, but it seems to indicate the Rockets need him to be a scorer and a playmaker.

Francis still shoots more than any other Rocket. But he is 23rd in the NBA in shots attempted, behind fellow point guards Baron Davis (the league leader), Stephon Marbury and Sam Cassell, with Jason Terry, Chauncey Billups and Jamal Crawford (recently moved to shooting guard) close behind. Van Gundy's emphasis has been on getting Francis to dribble less, rather than shoot less, a charge he said Francis has met.

But Van Gundy's offense still works "inside-out" by setting up Francis to drive as much as by sending the ball to Yao Ming on the low block. And he still uses Francis coming around screens where he must remain a threat to shoot to force defenses to leave him or another Rockets shooter open.

"If he's open, there's no hesitation to shoot it," Thibodeau said. "He knows on pick-and-rolls, he's the first option to shoot it. In any pick-and-roll situation, if you're the ball-handler, you're the first option. When he comes off, his (eyes have) to be on the rim."

Van Gundy, Thibodeau and Rockets forward Maurice Taylor said Francis made the right decision when he drew the defense away from Taylor and then sent the ball to Taylor for the game's last shot Friday against the Nuggets.

"He came off, he drew people in, there was help, and that's a high-percentage shot for Mo Taylor," Thibodeau said. "He got a clean look at it and he missed it. You live with those things."

But a better example of Francis' control lately might have been a play much earlier, when he drove through the lane and then slowed to force defenders to make a tough decision, before finally passing when they committed to him.

"I was probably tired. That's where the slow-motion was from," he said. "But the game is definitely more than one speed. You don't want to try to play fast all the time. I think I've been doing a good job of playing at more than one speed."

But those plays are just part of reviews more detailed and analytical than anything offered by film critics.

"He's making better plays, better decisions," Van Gundy said, discounting his own influence. "It's not me doing it, he's doing it. All credit should go to him when he plays well. But it's up to me to help him play better because we need him consistently to play well."

Hot shot

Rockets forward Jim Jackson has looked for his shot more now that he is shooting the ball better.

In the past five games, Jackson averaged 13.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest. He made 28 of 62 shots in that stretch and 19 of 35 in the past three games.

"I am (looking for my shot more), especially in the Laker game," Jackson said. "We had to get off to a good start. That's what I tried to do. The opportunity is there, but you still have to take it. The attention is on Yao (Ming) and on Steve (Francis), you have a chance to pick and choose when to go.

"You have to look for them, but I'm starting to see where the gaps are, when I can get the shot, where I can get the shot. The result has to be that you take the pressure off different guys at different times in the game."
Cato wants in

Rockets forward/center Kelvin Cato, who twisted his right ankle in the first half in Denver on Friday, went through about half of Sunday's practice but said he intends to play tonight against the SuperSonics.

"If they let me play, I'll play," Cato said. "If it's up to me, I'm playing."

Cato returned to Friday's game, but limped markedly in played 14 second-half minutes. Rockets trainer Keith Jones said Cato's availability would be determined today.
Homestand

The game tonight against the SuperSonics begins the first of two four-game homestands this season. The Rockets have not played more than three consecutive games at home this season, but are 9-3 in their first season at Toyota Center.

"We have not played well at home," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "The record says yes, but the play says no. Not only that, but we have not played well enough to generate any enthusiasm."

Even after the four home games -- against Seattle, Philadelphia, Utah and Golden State -- the Rockets will have played one more road game than home games.

At Toyota Center, the Rockets are averaging 88.1 points on 44.3 percent shooting, while holding opponents to 82.9 points on 39.2 percent shooting.

On the road, the Rockets are making just 41.5 percent of their shots.

"We have four games at home," Rockets forward Jim Jackson said. "We have a chance to make a statement. The progress is slower than (Van Gundy) anticipated, but at the same time, it's progress.

"The Western Conference is tough. Losing to Denver, a year ago was a great upset. But they play well at home, and if you look at the standings, they're ahead of us."