I never thought i would feel this way but i think i hate francis more than Karla!

Steve was playing against the Glove. He stepped his level of play, and intensity. He campe up big in big moments. Yao played about on par with his season, Cat was sensational on defense against Kobe. Cat probably stepped it up from the regular season second most on the team. Yao did have a lot to do with the Rockets showing because that is the impact that Yao makes. But nobody stepped it up bigger than Francis did. He rose to the occasion.

 

I never thought i would feel this way but i think i hate weisbrod more than Karla!

 

Apparently he's not altering Rockets histroy. Again you jumped to conclusions and made up your mind before waiting for the facts to come in.

This is from an aritcle in the other thread.

 

Only if you want to start another 1/2-star thread.

 

Though Orlando may just be trying to cover for Steve, there also may be a kernel of truth to this.

Reports I have read here generally show Van Gundy saying that Francis was doing everything asked of him as a player and indicated that he was transitioning well. Is it possible that Steve may have inferred from that, that his spot with the Rockets was safe and that the core of this team would stay constant (maybe other things were also said by JVG and/or CD that more explicitly said he would stay a Rocket) ?

Maybe, just maybe, his disappointment is justified and maybe he feels betrayed by the trade. Have individuals with the Rockets ever made promises to players and not kept them (rashard)?

I'm just speculating, but I hate watching people jump down the poor guy's throat after he is the only one that showed up for us in the playoffs.

 

After leading the Rockets to five years of mediocrity (with mangement's help) and despite a minority of devoted Stevie lovers, Francis is on the verge of becoming the most hated Rocket player of all time. If screws up the biggest deal in Rocket's history, if he single-handedly ruins the fans greatest chance for a championship since Hakeem, if he stays to make a thousand more stupid mistakes and condemn us all to basketball hell, he will be booed by Rockets fans every time he touches the ball for the rest of his career. I can't believe this is happening. It does confirm everything I have ever thought about Steve Francis. I knew I was right all along. He was a whiner coming in and he is a whiner going out, I hope!

 

Cant agree more. The way u treat SF will be the way u treat T-Mac couple yrs later

 

Sure, a wife beater would tell his her wife that he's loyal to her by not getting a new wife.

Whatever.

Merely wanting to have a relationship with someone isn't loyalty, it is manipulation if rules of game aren't followed. In this case, Francis has placed the Rocket's interest under his, how can you call that loyalty? Back in the day loyalty meant die at your master's command, devote one's life for the good of the master. Apparently nowadays loyalty means screw your master because you like yourself more.

 

uhhhhhhhh......what?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

Well according to the GM of the team the Rockets are trading with, STeve isn't singlehandedly or even in collaboration stopping this trade. In fact he said that Steve wasn't keeping the trade from happening at all.

Steve is in no way close to being the most hated Rocket of all times. How does Steve wanting to play for Houston make him worse than Pippen. Steve putting any kind of a damper on the deal is bad. But he hasn't whined, and whatever you've convinced yourself that you knew, is what you will believe, no matter who says differently so it doesn't matter. But if you'd like feel free to read what the Orlando GM had to say about it.

 

its easy to misunderstand unless you heard it directly.

just in case some didnt catch it posted yesterday...here is the Berman report on the Tmac trade with the phone interview with Francis

Berman Report about the TMac trade on 6/21/04

 

Why would a player want to stay with a team who wants to trade him? Do you REALLY believe that it is his LOVE for Houston that is causing him to dislike the deal? The media is full of stories of him not wanting to go to Orlando, and, if he is so in love with the Rockets, why is he searching for a third team to get involved as reported? He hasn't whined?! You can't seriously believe that. The deal is in jepardy because of his comments or so it is reported in news sources all over the nation.

 

The deal is not in jeopardy. The Magic's GM is trying to pull a fast one. T-Mac will not sign an extension with anyone but Houston.

 

Oh yeah...Steve is real selfish he can't even assist the rockets for getting T-mac. All he does is think about himself....what a team player!(sarcasm)

 

as a rocket fan I am disappointed with the way steve is acting. he even said that this is a business and he understands that, so why complain about being traded to orlando and go so far as saying he would only play there with shaq or he doesnt want to play there at all. Even if thats the way he felt, he should have never let that be known. He has in my eyes always been unprofessional off the court, on the court his hear in unquestionable that is for sure. I am a big SF fan on the court no doubt. But I'm a Rockets fan first and above all, T-Mac will be better for the rockets for many of the reasons stated in the numerours threads here. I never liked how he was able to bail out of vancouver personally, I think a lineup of SAR/Bibby/Francis would have been good, but obviously I am happy with that trade because the rockets came out better out of it. But steve is only alienating himself by doing this. IF he does get moved to orlando and the magic do not move him, the fans in orlando will not like him at all, unless he goes back to the 23/6/6 player he can be, which I think will happen if he is given free reign. IF he stays in houston, meaning his tirade about orlando broke the deal for t-mac, lord knows what hell he will receive from the fans here, u can already see the bashing on the board right now.

as for hating more than karla man thats not even fair at all.

Hate is too soft of a word to use for karla, its just something that runs deep in my blood and soul, seething anger and disdain. I believe in reincarnation myself, and I can easily picture my coming back in my next life and seeing old nba tapes/shows and having something in my subconcious click when i see malone and hate him then too. Thats where karla is in my book right now, on a level where no other man or woman will be, I hope. Transceding hate

 

I dont like steve as a player. I dont want him in a rocket uniform. I was so excited upon learning of the trade rumor between orlando and houston for tmac and steve-cuttino. I was salivating on the idea of tmac handling the ball and heaving an alley oop to yao. With shaq possibly bolting out of la, yao and tmac are going to destroy the league believe me. But what striked me was the reaction of steve upon learning of the trade talks. I was not a big fan of him but i really feel bad for him. Knowing that he finally tasted his first playoff experience after 5 long years of waiting, then being traded to a team which is rebuilding is really disappointing on his part as a player, as a person. Its just so happen that tmac is three times the player steve francis is thats why any team would love to have tmac anytime, anywhere. I felt the sincerety on steve's part that he really wanted to be a rocket, to win championships with houston. I just hope that he finally grows up. He's a hell of a player. He may not be as good as tmac but he plays with more passion and heart but with less brains. He just have to realize that he has to improve his pg skills and he will be ok. Yao is now the man, he and cuttino are just complimentary players but they are integral parts for the success of the team. I hope whatever decisions the two teams make, it would be for the betterment of the teams and the players as well. Also for the fans. But the thought of yao teaming up with tmac, man....awesome.

 

Which quote of Steve's is whining? The one where he says how much he respects Houston? The one where he understands if people want to move in a different direction? There are quotes from Steve already posted saying he was happy in Houston and was pleased with what he thought was being built here etc.

Yes Steve doesn't want to play for Orlando. Yes I disagree with the way Steve is handling the situation. I believe Steve should accept the trade, and then try and work things out either there, or get the Magic to move him once the trade has gone down. But perhaps Steve thought it would be dishonest to quietly go to a team that he felt he'd be unhappy with, and while he's willing if it has to be, he'd rather deal with it all up front while the draft is still in play.

Yes there have been reports saying that Steve's reluctance to play in Orlando have been responsible for the snag. That may be. There have also been reports saying that STeve's reluctance is not the reason the trade has snagged.

Personally I believe that Steve's comments did impact the snag, as did the other factors. But we also have the GM in charge of the deal from Orlando saying that Steve wasn't responsible.

 

I think this is exactly right. I'll be happy when Steve is traded, but it's obvious that he poured his heart into this team. I had problems with his decisionmaking, but never his loyalty or his heart.

 

how, pgabriel?? how is cd looking like an idiot?

has the deal changed?? are we now throwing in more to get this thing done?

the magic don't hold the cards, p...they could choose their favorite trade partner, but if mcgrady says, "i'm not signing a long-term deal there" then they're screwed. the magic aren't playing anything, because they have no game to play. they can field offers left and right, but as best i can tell, their suitors are falling like flies.