I don't know how anyone can say that both of them aren't team players. Francis is a Shooting Guard who is playing the point. He dishes out 6 assists a game, while having a shooter's mentality. That's pretty good. Put him at SG, you will see that he is a team player. Iverson is a team player, even if he isn't an ideal one. Iverson ball hogs, for his team, not for himself. He wants to win. There is absolutely no one on that team, and he has carried them by himself over the years. And no matter who you put in the Rockets lineup, Yao will get the same amount of touches. Yao controls how many touches he gets, the more agressive he is, the more they'll give it to him. Like the Lakers game for example... Yao wasn't even having a good game until the 2nd half.
If this trade happens it will be the first of two. Once we get AI we will wait 40 days and then get Wallace from Atlanta. The last thing Houston needs is another Pg-Sg that can't pass the rock. Agian, if this happens its all about Wallace !
Absurd? First off, Iverson jacks up over 24 shots a game. Steve shoots under 15 a game. Yeah they're both ball hogs alright. In fact, never in Steve's career has he come close to shooting that much. Let me clarify what I meant by "team player". At the beginning of the season Steve was untouchable, now people want to trade him because he can't get along with Van Gundy (which is BS IMO). You think Iverson will? Steve is more accountable than Iverson. Iverson can't handle authority, doesn't show up for practice, gets in trouble with the law, all of these things Steve has not shown a pattern of in 5 years. One mistake and you guys want him gone. 2 weeks ago he was voted the most popular athlete in Houston, now he's the antichrist. CD and Van Gundy will not make this trade.
Thank you birat. ricealum, the reason that fans, coaches, and media have been wanting Yao to get more touches is because they know the chances of the ball going trough the net is higher with the ball in Yao's hands, not Francis. If Francis could score at the same ease of Iverson (he can't), then maybe Francis could keep the ball in his hands more. But that was tried for 4 years before. Francis is just not that good a scorer even if you gave him more shots. He just does't have that ability. So, although we get Iverson the ball more, he'd make more of his shots. In the end, it'd still equate to 27ppg over the whole season. That's real points. We'd run a more up-tempo game because Iverson is good at that.
I will do this trade is Iverson is a bit younger. Now he is around 30 and frequently get injured. You want to get someone who is near the prime when Yao reaches his prime, which could be in 2 or 3 years.
Mark, do you think that "attempts" are open shots? You do know that *getting open* has a lot to do with it? Ability to get open is a learned talent; moving w/out the ball, knowing how to use picks....etc... Back in the Rudy days, Francis never had more than 17.7 shots per game because he never was very good at moving with out the ball, and wasn't very opportunistic at scoring on steals (defense) or running the fast break. All those add up as "attempts." Not just shooting in an ISO situation (which is what Francis did most of the time back then).
So you are saying that Iverson get's open more than Francis right? That's must explain his 39% FG percentage. All those open shots right? Now I know what you'll say, Francis is barely shooting 40%, but Francis has consistantly shot 43-44% throughout his career. Plus, I want the ball in my 7'6" centers hands who shoots over 50% from the field. Not a 6'0 tall trouble making guard who jacks up 25 shots a game, and can't make half of them.
If this trade is on the table, i have no question that Rox will do the trade. But I doubt Philly wants Francis though. They probably think they need more than Steve to get AI.
David, I'm getting away from my original point. I actually like Iverson as a 76er, but here on the Rockets I don't think he fit's in. He shoots too much. I'm just trying to say, that if steve doesn't fit in, and can't get along with Van Gundy, do you think that Iverson can?
No, it explains his 27.4 points per game. Francis couldn't get 27.4 poitns per game if he tried. Not with his current skill knowledge and natural ability. We tried it. From 1999-2003. He can't score that easily. Because he only knows a few ways to get open/score. Note, I'm talking about the whole season. Not just a few games. Now, whether or not Iverson and Yao would be a good chemistry. Not sure about that.
hes not going to score that much becasue he wa sa pg. Scoring 20 pts for a pg is spectacular enough. Even if you think francis is not good at creating his open shot(i disagree) a pg taking 27 shots is going to just KILL the team!!!!!
Allen Iverson is twice as good as Francis and has a ton more heart. Please a team with Iverson and Yao as his sidekick?
But you shouldn't rely on those abilities at the detriment of the team. Look at is this way, you don't put a high-school graduate in charge of a Nuclear Plant just because he was an C student in physics. Move him to SG, and be done with it.
The only thing with AI is that he's 30 and been beaten up the last 3-4 years. IF anything, he's got 2-3 seasons before his decline. Keep Steve, wait for something better in the offseason.
you are truly ignorant. First off, he is a worse personality than steve. He is not going to follow jvg. Plus he has to take 27 shots to score 27 pts. 27 SHOTS! Thats like a little less than half the team. A team with Yao, Mobley, JJ, and Mo taylor and then you have AI taking 27 shots. That doesnt fit. Yao will need his 15 to 20 shots, Mobley will need atleast 10 shots, Mo will need atleast 7 shots, JJ will need atleast 7 shots!! AI is not going to listen to JVG and tone down his attemps. I would rather have someone taking 14 shots shooting 39%, rather than someone taking 27 shots shooting at 39%. Plus, francis is going through a slump. We know he can shoot 45% from the feild. shooting 45% and taking 16 shots is efficient. Ai takes some crazy shots. Plus, his way of getting out of a minor slump is shooting his way out untill the rim and the backboard just cant take it.
yet you want ai at pg. A guy who needs to take 27 shots. If he is forced to take the number of shots francis takes, he will be averaging around 14 pts. Trust me, he is not going to do that. Plus mobley will just not be effective anymore.
farhan007, that's 24.2 shots for 27.4 points (this year) At his best is was 27.8 shots for 31.3 points (back in 2001) Basied on on a FG% of 40, it seems that Iverson could lower his shot attepts -- by deferring to Yao -- to about 20 shots, and get around 24ppg (give or take a few).
