Exactly. Arenas isn't a pure passing guard. Neither is Bibby, or, for that matter Steve Nash. The only two good pure passing guards in the league right now are probably Kidd and Stockton. But those guys have still learned how to run the game as a PG should, where this still escapes Francis.
Walt Frazier. Jerry West. Steve Nash (I think he was a big scorer in college, I'm not sure). Magic Johnson. Your question is flawed. The over-whelming majority of NBA players were good scorers in college, regardless of position. Just look at what TJ Ford is doing this year, he's looking to score more now than he did while he was in HS.
trugoy, Interesting. MJ, huh? He doesn't quite fit as he was a SG, and he could pass the ball already when he came into the league. Gilbert Arenas is a good example, he may be one that is doing it, of course it is too early to tell. It has failed with Larry Hughes, Bobby Sura and a few others....I am just wondering if we are banging our head against a wall and doing Steve a disservice. DD
guys we have to remember that while I think Steve can still learn, his teammates are shooting horrible...were it not for Steve and Ming's shooting %, this team would be shooting 39% as a team. Now, I know his job is to make his mates better and open up shots for them, but how many times do we watch a feed from Steve into EG's hands 5-10 feet from the hoop get banked to the back of the Compaq center...were it not for the backboard his shots would end up on Edloe or Buffalo speedway!!!! I have never seen a lottery first round pick with such terrible shot making ability. He has no touch and zero shot creation....his ball knuckles and has no trajectory..... Rice is shooting 40% too...I mean let's be real...Steve averages 6 assists, but he could be average 8-9 were it not for the shooting % on this team....would we complain then if his numbers read 23/8/8? never mind...probably so
I think the whole question of Steve as a point guard is moot at this juncture. He is proving night in and night out that he doesn't have a point guard's mentality. If you look at the Rockets as of late, Francis usually starts off the game with incessant dribbling. There is no flow to the offense. He is looking for his shot first, and only passing as a Plan B type activity. It is only after the game starts getting out of hand, or after he has clanked like 5 shots in a row, that he begins to pass the ball. Even then, there are critical junctures in the game where you can see someone open but he just dribbles right by them and waits until he is at the basket surrounded by 3 guys before he looks to pass. Usually by then it is too late and he is so out of control that he coughs it up or the Rockets suffer a broken play and end up getting a bad shot. Part of the problem may be that the Rockets don't have very many good shooters. But, that doesn't give your point guard an excuse to hog the ball. You live and die with your teammates. And, the only way to make your teammates better is to trust them and get them involved. Francis does this as an afterthought, not as a top priority.
Hence why we need to move him to the 2 (like AI) and bring in a TRUE Point Guard who knows the position. 610 was saying this morning how Steve Nash would be perfect for our team.... Hell he'd be perfect for ANY team.
He was an ok passer, but he became an exceptional passer, don't forget that MJ played the PG in the triangle a lot of times, and you are saying SF is not a SG?
