AI is an outstanding player, but not the right "fit" for the Rockets. Let's forget this one and move on.
So I guess no one knows if this is actually gonna go down???? Just to mirror a lot of other people's sentiments, I don't think this will be a good trade. If we were to get a true pg for Francis, then it would be good. Then again, that's IF we need to trade Francis. Call me an optimist, but maybe he'll be better in the second half of the season. Now if we got Kidd for Francis...ok, now I'm just being delusional.
Van Gundy expecting Rockets to stand pat By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES This is the team. No trades. No changes. Good or bad, or whatever the Rockets make of themselves, they will play their current hand, coach Jeff Van Gundy said, and measure themselves by their 30-game "second half." The Rockets are so set on their current makeup that with trade rumors, suggestions and speculation swirling around Steve Francis throughout All-Star Weekend, Van Gundy said he called his point guard in Los Angeles to tell him he could relax. "I read a couple of rumors, so I just called him up," Van Gundy said. "There's very few times you can tell somebody he's not being traded, because it's open season. Everybody can be traded. Everybody can be fired. But our team is going to be our team -- I would think, going forward -- and certainly Steve, I can't see any possibility of him being traded right now. "I think he knows that. I was just telling him. There's going to be rumors about every good player. Any rumor can be started, so certainly there's some about Steve. I'm sure there's going to be some about other guys. All I'm saying is I would be shocked if this wasn't the team as we go forward. That's how I'm planning. "Carroll (Dawson, the Rockets' general manager) hasn't brought anything to me. I think we'll be the same team after the deadline, and that's not a bad thing." Rockets management has clearly wanted to end the speculation about Francis since his one-game suspension for missing a team flight to Phoenix. On Saturday, Dawson said: "I haven't talked to anybody about anything involving Steve." But the rumors persisted to the point that 76ers star Allen Iverson, himself the subject of a reported deal to the Rockets for Francis, offered Francis advice on dealing with having his name caught up in trade talk. "I don't care. I talked to some players over the weekend who ... (have) been rumored to be traded for years," Francis said. "The best advice I got is: `When you wake up, and you're traded, that's when you worry about it.' Until then, you're content with where you're at, and you keep playing. "To me, I'd love to be here, but you never know what can happen. The NBA is a business. Some of the best players have been traded. If that's what it is, I'm willing to be man enough to face that. Whatever happens." But since a trade almost certainly won't happen by Thursday's 2 p.m. league deadline, the remaining 30 regular-season games could determine whether the Rockets will be willing to keep their roster together long-term. In a tie with Memphis for sixth place in the Western Conference heading into tonight's game with the Washington Wizards at Toyota Center, the Rockets have a 4 1/2-game cushion on Utah, the team currently ninth in the playoff race. "It will be a test, these 30 games," Francis said. "We want to be consistent, and we want to hit a stride in these 30 games. I'm not going to say it'll make or break us, but it will be a time to tell us where we stand." Asked if the team must prove in the remaining games this season that it should remain together, Francis said: "I know that for sure. It's definitely going to determine the makeup of this team in the next couple of years." As for the next couple of months, the Rockets will be tested as they have not been so far. Of their remaining 30 games, 24 are against Western Conference teams, and half are against teams in position to make the playoffs. "Our whole goal from the beginning of the year is to be in the playoffs," forward Jim Jackson said. "We're in a position now, when we play well, we can play with anybody. Anything short of that (the playoffs) will be a disappointment. "We have to be focused. We have 30 games to make a move. You want to be in a position to get a really good seed." If there is any area in which the Rockets said they must improve after the break, it's consistency. They reached the break winning four of five games, but they lost four in a row before that streak. With 11 of their last 16 games on the road, the Rockets might need a cushion. "I think we're in a good position right now," forward Maurice Taylor said. "And the way our conference is, if we don't play well, we can be on the outside looking in. I think our chance is as good as anyone four through eight. We went into the break winning four out of five. That's always encouraging. We just have to get better. I feel we're going to make the playoffs. I think it will happen for us. I'm confident about our team." The front office apparently feels the same. How the team's management feels after the season is to be determined. "I think certainly, myself included, we should all be judged by the results," Van Gundy said. "There's nothing wrong with that. We should look forward to that. I'm excited about tomorrow, about the four (games) in five nights after that (beginning Saturday in Dallas), playing great teams the rest of the way. I'm excited about that." .............................................................................................. No more trade threads!!!!! This is the team.
Thank God. Francis is my favorite Rocket, and I think he is also the best Rocket. This is still his team, he is still The Franchise. This team can win, but only if Yao is willing to co-exist with the leader of this team. My prediction? Rockets rise to the challenge and surge to the 4th seed.
Yeah I read that article this morning, but come on....the is the NBA. ANYTHING can happen. Plus, if you notice, JVG doesn't fullly commit to saying that Francis won't be traded. "But our team is going to be our team -- I would think, going forward -- and certainly Steve, I can't see any possibility of him being traded right now. " --notice the word "think" "Carroll (Dawson, the Rockets' general manager) hasn't brought anything to me. I think we'll be the same team after the deadline, and that's not a bad thing." --again, "think" I'm not saying that JVG is lying or something, but with the nature of this business, it's hard to tell. I really don't think the Rockets will make a move, but don't be too surprised if they do.
Now the update by my source from LA. Rumors say Iverson and G.Robinson for Francis and Mobley. My best friends brother is my source, he is working at LA right now. He is part of the NBA TV staff. He also has access pass to talk to other media and Gm's. He is giving us the backstage details. He is still in L.A. because of the remaining jam session. He also told us yesterday that the knicks,hawks, and bucks deal would go threw, involving Van Horn and Thomas. Now the talk are that it would probably be a 3 team deal. He also said the rumors.....are just rumors, so no proposed trade has happened yet.
I like AI and think he is an awesome player but I dont think he is a good fit for this team. If we somehow trade for AI I hope shuffle him along to fill some of more immediate needs. J
If we trade Francis then it signifies that there is NO QUESTION this becomes YAO's team, and YAO's team alone. Furthermore, with any trade with Francis the goal would be to obtain players that best augment Yao's game. Iverson does NOT do this! If you are going to trade Francis you are going to look for a PF that would compliment Yao's game down low (Elton Brand, Rasheed Wallace etc). Or you would look for a sweet shooting SF/SG (Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis etc). Iverson for Francis is just making a trade for the sake of making a trade. It doesn't make sense.
I agree that he does. One of the best things about Iverson, is that he's fearless and he does and will put his body on the line every night. He's a sensational player. I don't think he's right for the Rockets, but he's a great player. And even though his body will continue to take a beating some more conditioning would probably help his body out. After all Steve takes many hard hits and goes to the floor from hits every night as well. Steve isn't as small as Iverson, though, but he still takes a lot from bigger stronger players.
