Great article about "the education of Steve Francis". I'm feeling better about next season already. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/906247 ------------------ The Protrolls.com message boards! Protrolls.com! Don't visit my site.
Thanks ZRB. Great article. Now, can we start a donation campaign to get Cato a courtside seat next to Steve for a couple of Spurs-Lakers games? ------------------ GATER
Wow, I'm getting excited. Maybe it's just youth, but it seems like we're looking at a competitor on the level of Jordan (not that a comparison to Jordan should be the end-all of anything). Steve wants to WIN, badly, perhaps as badly as Jordan has always been said to want to win. It may take time; it may take the right mix of players, but I'm certain now that once we get those things, Stevie Francis WILL lead the Rockets to another championship and be championship contenders for years to come. You know, when people brought up Francis recruiting (after his work on Mo T and Cuttino) as a reason why we could get Webber, I laughed. It's a reasonable reaction. But such human elements do play an important role in these type of decisions. If Webber truly wants to win, I think having Steve convince him of his sincerity in sharing that desire may have more sway than I gave credit for. I'm so grateful that we picked up a player, not only with the skills and desire to be one of the best ballplayers ever, but with true character that one can admire and respect. I wouldn't trade Stevie for anyone, even a far superior player in every sense. Some things are more important than winning. ------------------
I agree. As much as I like The Glove on the court, he a cancer to that team. While he is responsible for a lot of the Sonics' success, he is equally as responsible for therir failures. Character and relationships off the court play a large part in a team's success. And I don't think there will be any players "far superior" to Francis in the future. ------------------ "If you don't understand it, don't try to understand it." -Carl Everett
Guys take this for what it's worth. It's great that Stevie is saying & doing the right things but one thing he has not done yet is to be in his teammates faces on the court. Stevie has not shown, yet, the competitevness to get into Cat's face to tell him to quit jacking up shots or to get into Cato's face to tell him to play hard or for the most part to take the last second shot (which usually goes to Cat). It is great that Stevie is going to the playoffs games and is hopefully learning, but at the same time who would pass up a chance to go to a playoff game. Don't get me wrong I hope he is going to the games for the right reasone but for this to really be his team hre needs to be in control of his teammates and the game on the court. UNtil he takes control he is a very good player. Once he becomes the man on the court is when the comparisons to other great players can be made.
This shows how well Stevie is handling all the hype and attention and pressures of taking the team upon his shoulders. One can only get nice warm fuzzy feelings about next year. What a role model. ------------------ Do not harm little children!
"Smacked the ... out of them," Francis said. "We have the talent." I hope he meant it as a way of being confidence and not arrogance. He'll be back in town at the end of the month to run his basketball camp for kids. He'll take summer classes at the University of Maryland toward his degree. You got to respect that.
don't take this the wrong way buuuuuuut, why does anyone really care? i mean, if he WERE arrogant what difference would it make? some of the best nba players are arrogant (baron davis - EXTREMELY), but are playing well and leading there team(s) deep into the playoffs. so i really don't think it matters...as long as you work hard at your game.
Agree. What I was refering to is that I hope he won't take them lightly the next time we play them. Just because we have beaten them a couple of times, doesn't mean we can let up. Arrogance can only take you so far, confidence goes a long way.
ok, i gotcha! kind of like the spurs allegedly took us lightly during dave's "mvp season"? do you know that i recently heard the spurs talk show host say that the reason the spurs lost to the rockets that season (95) was because s.a. came into the series thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that we would lay it down? and that if they wouldn't have taken us so lightly they would have beat us? unbelievable. they just can't admit that hakeem was a better player than they were a team. they NEVER give hakeem any props, since it's the "alamo city". dave, in their opinion, is the better center; and tim is the "best passing big man" in the nba right now. i h8 spurs fans!!!
yea, he is. my brother was the strength coach at ucla when baron was there. he told me baron had the biggest head on the block. said he "thought his **** didn't stank at all!"
David Robinson? The better center? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa! Seriously, do they really think that? ------------------ Protrolls.com! Don't visit my site. [This message has been edited by ZRB (edited May 11, 2001).]
While teams such as the Sixers, Bucks, Lakers and Spurs are just getting that steely glint in their eyes as the playoff marathon hits full stride, the Rockets' season has been over for more than three weeks. "Won't happen next year," Francis said. "Nope, it won't." Why? "Because I won't let it." Go Stevie! ------------------ Sorry Clutch; I had to copy the recap headline "the Mo and Fro Show" into my username cause I loved it!
Yes . . . as a San Antonio resident (for 2 more days baby!), the Spurs fans are the biggest homers in the world. I saw a sign a few days ago -- "Tim Duncan MVP | Greg Pop - COTY" and just about crashed the car laughing! I HATE SPURS FANS!! BLOW SPURS BLOW! ------------------ "Up and down, inside out, outside in, some you lose some you win" -- DMB -> "Sweet Up and Down"
He sat with his teammate and buddy Cuttino Mobley in Philly and they talked about how they had whipped the Sixers and Pacers by about 30 each this season. "Smacked the ... out of them," he said. "We have the talent." That brings tears to my eyes. Since I live near Philly I have to hear all this Sixers junk all the time. The Rockets are just as good as the Sixers! ------------------ Sorry Clutch; I had to copy the recap headline "the Mo and Fro Show" into my username cause I loved it!
Stevie isn't Arrogant he is just telling the TRUTH!!!! We did smack the ____________________ sh_______ out of the whole GD Eastern Conference! hands down. ps: David Robinson will never be half the center Hakeem was. ------------------ -jbond77
I think these public quotes are pretty immature. About as immature as Cuttino saying that he and Steve are the leaders and everyone else just follows. Uhhh...Stevie, quit talking the talk, and learn a go to move and learn get into the lane consistently with wrap-around passes to your big man. If you want to tell "your team" what to do, go learn how to run a fast break, first. ....Stevie, go watch Steve Nash play, and quit trying to be Iverson or something....that is Cat's job!! You said you wanted to be point guard, yet now you are saying you will worry less about feeling guys out, learning how everyone fits in. Which I read as trying to satisfy everyone, and not demand too much control. Sure, he didn't really mean it....but what they hell is going through his mind to say that. A little overexuberant. A little playing the media. A little playing ZRB. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited May 11, 2001).]
consider for a second what Oakley said to Vince. Now reread Francis's statements. It makes you think Francis would try the tongue-waving soaring savior Dunks of Ascension thing through playoffs to be slapped back down to reality by playoff defenses like the Spurs/Lakers and Knicks (before Carter learned his lesson). Reread those quotes and tell me why Stevie is not talking like he is 3 yrs behind the playoff maturity of Vince.....Three YEARS!!!. Why can't our two great guards learn from others rather than immaturely thinking history doesn't apply to them.