Ditto I would also like to add that I'll be happy if T-Mac does come to Houston and prosper but I'm just sick of the freaking Steve-bashing and I'm giving him his just due for being there these years with the Rockets.
Liar. Because your bias is obvious and your leaning cannot be disguised. You do not like the trade but sorry.......you just have to live with it. I don't even know who you were trying to fool with your last paragraph. Talking about splitting hairs.........it is not. One person has leverage while the other does not. It is that simple.
By the way, isn't McGrady screwing a possible 28 other teams because he only wants to sign long term with Houston?
Ouch. Not quite the civilized discourse we're all used to on these boards, huh? In truth, I'm disapointed that, not just steve, but cat (and to a lesser extent Cato) are leaving. Not because it wouldn't be awesome to have T-Mac in a Rockets uni, but I guess I just miss the days of the old championship teams where the guys would grow and get better together. Like after the Rockets lost to seattle in 92/93 and then came back with greater resolve the next year with the same group intact. I guess I was just hoping in my heart that is group would be able do the same, but in reality, that probably wasn't going to happen. That said, having T-Mac, a guy who can genuinely take over a game like few can these days, will be a tremendous (and exciting) boon for this franchise. So yeah, I'm a little torn.
HE'S NOT UNDER CONTRACT WITH THOSE TEAMS!!!! HE IS AN IMPENDING FREE AGENT NEGOTIATING WITH HIS OWN TEAM, GIVING THEM A RIGHT TO GET SOME VALUE FOR HIM BEFORE HE TAKES OFF.
do you really see that kind of talent and resolve from this current crop? that 93 team lost in 7 games in OT against a tough Sonics team...they were a shot away from the WCF. they finished the season with the best record in the NBA over the last half of the season. they were a force. this team went down 3-1 in the first round. they played uninspiring basketball in the regular season. there were questions throughout about the resolve of the team...their inconsistency...their collective lack of intensity. those teams are so incredibly different.
Fine but by saying he'll only sign long term with the Rockets doesn't help the Magic because better deals are supposedly in place for the Magic than the one offered by the Rockets so while he is helping his team he isn't helping them as much as he COULD. Like I said before, Steve Francis may be whining but he'll be traded to somebody because not every team is going to turn down an offer to get that type of player no matter what his attitude is, see Terrell Owens, Eli Manning, Rasheed Wallace, etc. The Rockets will get something for him if the deal doesn't go down and that something will be good, maybe not as good as McGrady, but still good.
Francis ALWAYS does this, and -- with the exception of Vancouver -- he chills out. Drafting Yao, Rudy getting fi-resigned, new uniforms, Eddie Griffin, whatever. Francis has a vision of how things will go, and when they go differently, he throws a mini tantrum. Then, people forget it. It used to be you could know what was about to happen with the Rockets because Francis would say "I will throw tantrum Y if X happens." Then, thing X would inevitabily happen, and he would throw tantrum Y, and he would forget about it later. I think the NY Times got exaggerated news on this. I am sure he does not want to go, just like all the other things he does not want to do. This is yet another chapter in his painfully slow growth from an early-career stephon marbury top a middle-career stephon marbury. He'll be a stud and a great interview in four years. Steve, welcome to Orlando. And Orlando, welcome to Steve Francis. ps. If he screws this up...
I understand that....but McGrady has that bargaining ability. He can literally just leave after next year and the Magic get NOTHING...nada...zip in return. But Francis is not in that position. Francis is under a long-term max dollars contract. This is apples and oranges. It's not the same bargaining position. Not even close.
and said on Fox 26 here that he would play in Orlando....IF Shaq joined him there. and then his agent ran some line about, "well McGrady is getting to choose where he wants to go, so Steve should, too." one problem, mr. agent. your client signed a contract.
This is why I don't believe Francis is the real hold up. Of course he isn't happy to be going from Houston to Orlando. But he'll get over it. And they will win (it is the East). The Magic are just not negotiating in good faith.
I wish he would have said that from the BEGINNING! But since he compained to start with the Magic are concerned. He planted a seed of doubt with them. I would have had NO problem if Francis said he didnt want to leave Houston. But he should have WAITED until he was calmned down before making a knee jerk comment about not wanting to go to Orlando. That comment planted a seed of doubt. So even if he says NOW that he doesnt mind going. The damage is already done. This is where the AGENT of Francis is to blaim. He should have massaged this better. Talked to Steve BEFORE he made comments and the Agent should have conveyed the fact Steve would be ok to go to Orlando. If all of that would have happened the deal probably would be done now.
Francis' comments aside, without question! Magic management is NOT negotiating in good faith. They got a deal with us all lined up, it got public and now we are left holding (something) while the Magic are soliciting offers! I mean the Magic might as well USED us to leverage for better deals from other teams! Just terrible business. But in the end we will be the one that is damaged more!
I don't see how this is such a difficult concept to understand. Tracy McGrady will be a free agent. He has notified his team that he will not resign. Is he quitting on them? Hell yes, but that's his prerogative - he's a free agent. Atleast he's notifying his team that he's gone so that they can get something for him. Steve Francis on the other hand is under contract. He needs to honor that contract. He can't go sabotaging a trade just because he doesn't want to play somewhere. He's under contract. How is this even a debate?
How about looking at it this way: their contract situations are different but they are trying to achieve the same result - i.e. get traded from Orlando.
Sure they're different teams - but I rooted for both of them equally! Perhaps this team didn't have the talent, but you can't tell me that Francis didn't play with heart or resolve (missplaced on the court as it may have been). THAT'S what I love watching, almost as much as the wins themselves. It's nice to watch players grow and evolve with the same team. I mean look at Hakeem - he almost got traded himself, and look what happened! (and before anybody says it - Hakeem <> Francis, I know, I know)
