NBA weekly conference call

NBA weekly conference call
Steve Francis, Houston Rockets


Francis
Jan. 30, 2002

<b>Francis opening statement:</b> First of all, the season started great for us. We had some unfortunate injuries that led to us losing 15 in a row, but right now we’re in a bounce-back stage as far as trying to rebound from those 15 games we lost in a row. For me, I’m definitely grateful that I was able to make the All-Star team, being voted in by the fans and really looking forward to participating in the game.

Q: Why do you think so many guys are shying away from the dunk contest?

<b>Francis:</b> I think that some guys feel that they grow out of it. Last year, I thought it would be a good year for me because it was in Washington, D.C., my home, but there were so many different things I needed to take care of that I wasn’t prepared to compete. I would think that guys would want to compete, just because in years past, all the great ones did it three, four times in a row.

Q: Is there anything that can be done to entice players, or are the players just bored with it and feel every dunk has been done?

<b>Francis:</b> That’s actually right. If you can come up with something new, it will definitely be something you can look forward to, because I don’t see anything appealing as far as something new you can do.

Q: Did you establish a timetable for when you might become an All-Star when you first came into the league?

<b>Francis:</b> Everybody wants to be an All-Star as soon as they get to the NBA. In my first year in the Western Conference, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, John Stockton, those guys were all still at the top of their game. It was tough for me to make it that year. I thought I had a good year, but we didn’t win that many games. Last year was a great year for me and I thought I would make it. We were 25-25 at that particular time and I thought that I had a good chance to make it, but I didn’t actually put a timetable on when I wanted to make the All-Star team.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in Philadelphia that weekend?

<b>Francis:</b> Just to hear my name called and to walk through that star that they have, with the smoke coming out that everybody walks through. Looking forward to that.

Q: Do you feel pressured to carry the Rockets?

<b>Francis:</b> If you’ve seen us play, last night, I didn’t take shot, as far as scoring, I didn’t take a shot over the first six or seven minutes. It wasn’t there for me to shoot, so I just played within the confines and the flow of the game, and the times when I don’t do that are the times I’ve had bad games. I think that I’ve learned by me sitting out 17, 18, 19 games, sitting on the bench with a sore foot, that helped me realize what I can bring to this team.

Q: What are your thoughts on Rudy Tomjanovich?

<b>Francis:</b> I love him. Sometimes, players in the NBA talk about certain coaches that they don’t really care for, but I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about my coach.

Q: What are the keys for the Rockets showing improvement?

<b>Francis:</b> We have to stay injury free. If you notice, all the games we’ve basically lost were injury-plagued. If we continue to get healthier as the season progresses, we’ll continue to win games.

Q: Can you talk about the performance of Eddie Griffin this season?

<b>Francis:</b> I think at first, honestly, when we had him, he’s a rookie and he very seldom talked. The only time you can get him talk is when he tells you a pick is coming. I was thinking it was going to be hard for him not to be verbal and be successful in this league, but he’s learning, because we’ve put him in the fire, similar to what I went through my rookie year. I started my first game and once you get on the court and play, you learn quicker and now, he’s definitely the intimidator in the middle for us.

Q: Do you think it’s fair for a guy who hasn’t played many games to be an All-Star?

<b>Francis:</b> It’s not for me to say. The coaches decide. These are the coaches that are watching film on these guys night in and night out and they see who are the All-Star caliber players, so sometimes the decisions are really accurate.

Q: How would you describe your season thus far?

<b>Francis:</b> Injury-plagued. That’s the only thing I can tell you. We’ve won 15 games and I’m not just talking about my injury, but we’ve also had other key injuries. Kenny Thomas missed numerous games because of injury. Glen Rice is out. Cuttino Mobley missed some games due to injury. Walt Williams is out. Every team experiences injuries throughout a season, but I think that ours happen at an unfortunate time. Maurice Taylor didn’t play one game for us this year. We were definitely looking for him to be a factor for us.


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