not sure if this has been posted yet from friday: Francis not your typical franchise player By Terry Brown Friday, March 29 Updated 10:37 AM EST It's Stevie Franchise, to you. Lead your team in points, rebounds and assists the year after sharing Rookie of the Year honors and they might give you a nice title to hang above your locker, too. Maybe not Magic, Isiah Thomas or Oscar Robertson. But something to make you stand out with the greatest point guards in NBA history. Maybe not Kobe, T-Mac or KG, but how can you complain when, through no fault of your own, your team will fall to 26-45 by the end of the work week. Tonight it's John Stockton. The NBA's all-time leader in assists, 15,068 and counting, once averaged 14.5 per game in 1990 and never less than 7.4 after his rookie season. Now, in his 18th year, he's averaging eight assists per game for the season and 10.7 over his career. Steven, Steve, may we call you Stevie . . . has never averaged more than 7.2. "It's just like any other game," he says. A minute and a half into the game, he drops his first assist on Cuttino Mobley. Then hits a three. Another assist to Walt Williams followed by another three. Blocked shot. Jumper from 22 feet out, a layup plus foul . . . good, rebound, layup, block. With 22 seconds left in the first quarter of last Tuesday's Rockets-Jazz matchup in the Delta Center, Houston's starting point guard crosses over, dribbles hard, pulls up and drills a jumper from 21 feet away for his 15th point of the quarter to go along with two assists, two blocks and a rebound in a game that has absolutely no consequence to the visiting team. This is a Stevie Francis sample. Bop your head when moved. Only 18 players in the history of the NBA have led their teams in those three categories and only one of them is a Rocket. And he's about to do it for the second consecutive season. All together, he led Houston in 15 statistical categories last season. No other guard had more rebounds. Tomorrow night, last night, some other night, it will be Allen Iverson. You know, last year's MVP, last year's scoring champ, averaging a career high 31.4 this season to add to his 26.9 career average after six season. He's never averaged less than 22 in his career. Steve has never averaged more than 21.5. "I always wanted to be a quarterback since I was a little kid," Francis says. "And that just translated into the point guard position. I guess I've been groomed for it . . . And you've got to be a born leader to endure a season as an NBA point guard. You've got to take the criticism. It comes with the territory. In one ear and out the other." Stevie only got to play one game in the month of December because of what doctors call a ruptured plantar fascia in his left foot. So the very next month, on Jan. 3, he scored 36 points. On Jan. 10, he hit four threes. On Jan. 15, he played 51 minutes. On Jan. 18, he grabbed 15 boards. On Jan. 24, he tallied 11 assists. All in all, only three players in NBA history (Grant Hill, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson) have averaged more than 15 points, five boards and five assists in their first three seasons. Make that four . . . "That's just the way I play," he says. "I could be playing anywhere and I'd be doing the same thing." Different city, different uniform, different opponent. At some point, it will be Jason Kidd. Yes, that Jason Kidd. Arguably they best player in the NBA this year after leading the league in assists the last three seasons, this year at 9.9 for second, while still managing to grab 7.4 boards a game. Single-handidly turned the lottery-addled New Jersey Nets into the best team in the Eastern Conference. Also leads the league in triple doubles with eight. Steve has two. But that could be because of an assortment of injuries and ailments, he's had to miss 22 games. The Rockets have gone 2-20 in that period. Sure, there are better scorers in the league than him. Better passers. Better rebounders. He came in second to Vince Carter at the Slam Dunk Renaissance two years ago. Credit has already been given for the crossover. Compared to Shaq or Tim Duncan or Chris Webber, he is cult at best in retail value and reputation. At a time when point gaurds have become more famous for their gold chains, he refuses to apologize for being the best player without too many tattoos. And for that matter, could there be any other player individually more important to his team than Francis? Stevie . . . Franchise. Iverson is close. Without the Answer in the lineup, the Sixers are 1-9. With McGrady, the Magic are 1-4. Without Carter, the Raptors are 3-8. Without Shaq, the Lakers are 7-6. And without Webber, the Kings are 18-8. Let me repeat. Without Francis, the Rockets are 2-20. "Never . . ." he says when asked if he thought he'd have this much success this quick. "It's something that just happened. I guess God wanted me to learn early." Because of key injuries, the transitioning of Hakeem Olajuwon and the brutal gauntlet that is the Western Conference, the Rockets will not come close to making the playoffs this season after being eight games above .500 last season and still missing them by three games. With the same Steve and that same record as last year, the Rockets would have actually made the postseason this year and we'd be trying to find out why he isn't on some All-NBA squad instead of looking for excuses after voting for him on the All-Star ballot. At 21.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game this season, Steve De'Shawn Francis is simply Steve De'Shawn Francis. Point guard or not, 6-foot-3 without the ball and the weight of an entire franchise square on his back. "Coach just gives me the ball and let's Steve do what Steve does best."
