Fascinating... I'm sure all those times that Rafer and James played together that Rafer was not the point guard, since James only plays point guard. While you're trying to get a grip on 82games.com's methods, some of us here are making simple factual observations from watching the games. That James has not been playing point guard lately is not a defense of James -- it's a fact. So like I said - before resorting to your "slight correction" smartass routine, try watching a game and getting back with us.
What happening with the Rockets is what had happened with the Houston Astros. You cannot have too many holes in your daily lineup... Astros: Aumus, Everette, Craig Biggio, and Luke Scott... Rockets: Alston, Battier and Hayes... You don't have to have all-stars at every position, but you do need to have a decent starting lineup... May be one bad offensive player for our team, but you cannot have three bad offensive players. Our 94-95 team: Kenny Smith: dead-eye shooter, Vernon Maxwell: Penetrator and three point shooter, Hakeem Olajuwon: No comments needed, Rober Horry: Three point shooter, Otis Thorpe: Inside force... That's how you win period... Repalcing Steve Francis for Alston and Luis Scola for Hayes will be 10X better than current lineup.
I was at the P. Diddy event at Club Hush last night and had the opportunity to briefly interact with a few of the Rockets' players (sorry no pics). After exchanging greetings with them, I bluntly asked them why Rafer is still playing or why Steve isn't playing. I wasn't expecting any candid answers, because they were speaking to somebody they didn't know. Aaron Brooks, who nobody other than me recognized, paused for a long time and told me Rafer is playing "because he's good." But the look on his face showed that he really didn't believe what he was saying. T-Mac said that "we're trying man, we're trying," when we asked him about Steve playing. On a side note, that was the closest I've ever been to him and the guy is really skinny and bony. He looks like a taller version of Soulja Boy. I can definitely see why he's so fragile and keeps getting injured as he gets up there in years. Chuck Hayes, who was the coolest out of all of them, actually spoke with us the longest out of anybody. We told him we appreciated all his hard work and that he doesn't get the credit he deserves. When asked why Rafer is still playing, Chuck, with a look of frustration on his face said, "we don't control that." I didn't get a chance to really talk to Mike James, because he had like a five person entourage with him. Also saw Dsigana Diop (spelling?) and there is no way in hell he is 7 feet tall. This stuff is really anecdotal so make what you want out of it, but if they react like this to a complete stranger/fan, imagine how upset they are that Rafer continues to play in private. Since Adelman doesn't look like he's going to bench Rafer or play Steve, I expect management to trade Rafer. Rick doesn't control personnel moves and this would force him to replace Rafer in the starting lineup and distribute the remaining time to another player(s), which will hopefully give Steve a chance to finally play. The worst move the Rockets can make is to trade Francis after Dec. 15th. This team is going no where real fast with Rafer. Happy Thanksgiving.
I think Adelman is close to making a change. I don't know if its going to be Rafer, Mike, or Luther getting benched, but I expect Steve will start getting some minutes within the next few weeks.
I'm sorry, exactly what facts are you presenting? James not playing point guard is an inference by you, there is NO source that backs you up. James bringing the ball up and being a primary ballhandler and option to start offensive possessions are facts. Obtained from watching a game even . I suggest you take your own advice, or at least try taking off your Mike James hat and T-shirt first. As for "smartass routine," well... APOLOGY ACCEPTED.
I do agree with this... he even mentioned "rotation problems" in his post-game interview from the Mavs game.
i must say that like durvasa has already stated to you that at the beginning of the season james was playing point guard but now he is not even bringing the ball up when playing with either luther or alston.yes he may be one of the first to receive the ball to initiate the offence but that doesn'y mean he is playing point guard ,he is playing more like a shooting guard there is only the fact of watching games that allow us to see that and not on 82 games.com.but its cool.your opinion afterall. i think that adelman tried james at point guard and didn't like it,tried head at shooting guard didn't like it and now i'm thinking that francis will get head's minutes at first but if james or rafer does not improve it may go either way.
No just look at the stats and think about the game. If anyone is going to be benched soon it's not going to be Head. James is the one most likely to get benched.
I think that Jeff Van Gundy had one thing right. We don't have the personnel to run. With Yao we are a big slow team. If we try to run with the Suns and the Mavs we are flat out going to lose. These teams outquick us, they are more athletic than us, and they can outshoot us. When college teams face this situation, they slow the ball down. Pete Carrill was really good at this at Princeton which is what Adleman runs. It's what gave Princeton a fighting chance. Granted against really athletic teams, they eventually just wore Princeton down and they still lost but it gave his team the best chance of winning. What Adleman can do to help this team the most is what Carrill did with the Princeton Tigers. Crisp Backdoor Cuts. Slow the Ball down and pass the ball around. Wait for a really good shot to open up and take it. Play hard nosed defense. Rebound Rebound Rebound. Take the ball to the rack whenever the situation dictates. Play Francis with T-Mac and Yao. Who gives us the most trouble? Hornets, Mavs, Suns. This is what we need to do to beat them. Return to our fundamentals. We can play the switching motion offense against the likes of the Trailblazers, Spurs, Heat, and bottom feeders but against these really athletic teams, I think a slower pace would really help.
hmm. i think we have capable personnel on the fast break. hmm. maybe not. Sounded like Rafer was frustrated that nobody was running with him on the break. Rafer Alston is at his best with the ball on the middle lane of the floor with a wing on each side on the fastbreak. When no one decides to run with him, his best quality (running the fast break) is gone ... This team needs to find an identity. Tmac talked about it: "We don't know who we are" is basically what he said in that interview. And I'm sure Rafer's frustration with no one running with him on the break has to do with the team's uncertainty of who they are. Before the season began, I recall everyone thinking how we'd run n gun almost all the time if given the chance, and if that fails, then post up Yao. But what I'm seeing is that we aren't running ... And due to all this uncertainty of who we are, we rely on our most constant (certain) players (Tmac and Yao) to carry us. Obviously we know where that'll lead. It'll lead to a good record of 50+ wins, and another 1st round exit. Judging from what I've seen so far of our role players, none of them have what it takes to take the Rockets to the next level. It's evident that some have the talent to do so, but it's just not getting done. I'm not sure exactly what Adelman is up to. It's definitely going to take a lot of patience. Regardless of how anyone feels about Francis, his drive to win will carry us far. He needs to get some time ... (as said for the millionth time). It's like our players forget that the aggressor has the advantage and they settle for jumpshots instead of driving the lane. Francis understood that when he was the go to guy in Houston. I'm sure he understands that he's not the go to guy but that this advantage is still good in today's game. If he gets time, I hope he doesn't settle for his jumpshot like T-Mac has done far too much of. Scola needs to be used the way he was those 2 games w/o Tmac. Last game, he simply didn't get enough playing time ... Bonzi needs to stop blowing layups and he needs to be able to see when his defender is going to flop (most of us can tell when it's going to happen ...) so he can make his move w/o getting called for the foul. Mike James has been okay ... But very frustrating in late game situations. All we can do is hope that his shot will come back. Yao needs to regain that confidence where he's the #1 center in the league. It seems like he's letting this high post thing distract him. I've been realy impressed with his shot blocking this year though. Someone suggested somewhere that we should pursue Cassell. Now I'm thinking ... we don't exactly have a solid vocal veteran like that. Most championship teams have players like that ... or generally high IQ players. Our team is lacking in this area. Wow, what a long post.
They read like polite answers not to provoke anyone. I guess every fan is a possible crazy for them and it's best to avoid any situations.
Leandro Barbosa received five stitches in his bottom lip after Steve Francis elbowed Barbosa during Saturday's game against the Rockets. He was unavailable for post-game interviews, understandably, but this shouldn't affect his on-court performance at all.Source: Arizona Republic LOL - I think we could have used Francis for that game against the Mavs.
"We feel very good about having him on the team," said Morey. "He is going to play a key role. "He's a former Rocket -- that played an important role. We took a close look at his performance in New York. He's still one of the top 10 guys in the league at being able to get to the basket and get to the line. Players with that skill are at a premium in [coach] Rick [ Adelman]'s system." When asked exactly what role Francis would play, Morey said Adelman "doesn't have any preconceived notions about how he's going to use a pretty deep set of guys at the guard positions." But Morey was confident that the 30-year-old Steve Francis who rejoins the team is different from the three-time All-Star who was traded from Houston to Orlando in 2004. "He is coming to the Rockets at a good time," said Morey. "He's very focused on winning. He turned down significant financial offers to come to Houston. He's taken steps in terms of what's important to him and that bodes well for his attitude in other areas." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/marty_burns/11/21/francis/index.html No regrets Rockets believe marriage with Francis can be saved Posted: Wednesday November 21, 2007 12:31PM; Updated: Wednesday November 21, 2007 12:45PM When the Rockets convinced veteran guard Steve Francis to return home to Houston and sign with them as a free agent this past summer, they hailed it as more than just a happy homecoming. Francis, 30, was the kind of proven NBA scorer who could complement stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady -- and perhaps help the Rockets get beyond the first-round blues that have plagued the team in recent seasons. So far it hasn't worked out as planned. Francis, a three-time All-Star, did not even play in the first 10 games. He finally got in last Saturday night against the Suns, contributing eight points and two assists in 23 minutes, but only because Tracy McGrady was out with a strained elbow. Still, Rockets GM Daryl Morey says he has no regrets about bringing the former Stevie Franchise back to Houston. "We definitely feel like he's going to help us at some point this year," Morey said Tuesday. "He just needs some time to get his game in shape." Some Rockets fans believe Francis should be playing more already. After a 6-1 start, Houston had lost four straight heading into Wednesday night's showdown against the Mavs. Their point guards, Rafer Alston and Mike James, have been inconsistent. Yet Rockets coach Rick Adelman has thus far been reluctant to turn to Francis, who showed up for camp in less than perfect condition and quickly fell behind on the depth chart. On Tuesday Adelman called Francis' increased playing time against Phoenix "a one-game situation" and said he expected to return to his normal rotation with McGrady back in the lineup. But if Houston continues to sputter on offense, Adelman might have to rethink his strategy. Despite his tendency to pound the ball, Francis is a proven scorer who can shoot the 3 and set up teammates. Against the Suns he hit just 3 of 11 shots, but played fairly well overall given the rust factor. He made some nice passes, including a beautiful wraparound feed to Yao for a bucket. "Our guards are all different. They do different things," Morey said. "Steve gives us someone who can attack the basket. Tracy is our only [regular rotation player who] has that skill on our team. "I don't know how Rick is going to handle things from here, but Rick will go with whoever helps the team win." Francis' disappointing start so far has led to speculation the Rockets could seek to move him at some point after Dec. 15, the date when most of last summer's free agent signees become eligible to be traded. The Heat, Nuggets, Cavs, Pacers, Kings and T'wolves are among the clubs that could use some scoring help in the backcourt. But Morey said he has no plans right now to shop Francis. "We wanted to give Rick a lot of options at that spot," Morey said. "It's a spot where we were behind other key Western Conference opponents in terms of Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Jason Terry, Deron Williams, Chris Paul. So far our play overall [at the point] hasn't been great. Rick is looking at all options. But I don't think he's looking for change right now." As for Francis, he is saying all the right things while trying not to show too much frustration. Though he turned down more lucrative offers from the Clippers, Heat and Mavs to sign a two-year, $5 million free agent deal with the Rockets (he holds a player option on the second year), he clearly isn't hurting in the pocketbook. After all, he did receive a buyout in excess of $31 million from the Blazers last summer after being traded to Portland by New York as part of the Zach Randolph deal. Still, Francis is a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve and he's got to be hurting. After a dismal season in New York in which he was plagued by knee problems, he wanted badly to show he could still play. He also wanted to do it in Houston, where he keeps a home and where the Stevie Franchise tag still carries some cache. "I think it's too early [to write him off]," Morey said. "The season is 82 games. Obviously things haven't started out like Steve would have liked, but we've got a new coach, a new system and some new players. It's just going to take some time." AP Beauty before age Steve Francis isn't the only veteran who has found himself in a dramatically-reduced role so far this season. Here's a look at some other vets whose minutes are down significantly from a year ago: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kings The 12-year veteran power forward underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in June, and has experienced some swelling, but that's not the sole reason he's collecting cobwebs on the pine. He has barely seen the floor since the first two games as new coach Reggie Theus has opted to go with Mikki Moore, Kenny Thomas and rookie Spencer Hawes. Wally Szczerbiak, Sonics Traded from Boston to Seattle in the Ray Allen deal, this nine-year veteran's minutes and numbers are down significantly as new Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo begins the rebuilding process around young stars Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. But Wally World's minutes have gone up lately, and his role should continue to expand. Jorge Garbajosa, Raptors A key contributor in Toronto's resurgence a year ago, the 6-8 Spanish forward has found his role drastically reduced this season. He apparently hasn't recovered fully from the broken leg that derailed his season a year ago, and coach Sam Mitchell has opted to go with Andrea Bargnani, Jason Kapono and even Jamario Moon more at the SF. Raef Lafrentz, Blazers He barely played last year due to a calf injury that hobbled him most of the early part of the season, but the 10-year veteran has seen even less of a role so far this year. His minutes are down from 13.0 to 5.5 as coach Nate McMillan continues to go with LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye and Joel Przybilla as his main big men. Stephon Marbury, Knicks OK, so maybe this one doesn't really count since he is back in the starting lineup, and he's still logging heavy minutes. But the former All-Star guard -- and close pal of Francis -- has been threatened with a demotion and seen his status in Gotham reduced as coach Isiah Thomas tries to get more defense and play-making from his point guard position
Dude, do you know whose house you are in? To quote 82games as a "source" (as SamFisher constantly does as well) for which position a player played is a joke - how would they even determine that, do you think they have Phil Jackson sitting there analysing all 48 minutes for every single player "Is he now playing PG or SG?". I trust Clutch's judgment over yours.
Looks like our GM knew everything and I believed Adelman can also see just like what we can but then .. still no action. This is irrational. I can only think that they are hoping the current slide is a fluke and hence no changes.
I watch the games and I back him up! I also back him up on you being a smartass! By the way you must not like this board or you are just stupid. You should listen to the words of Yao. "It is only when people lose something precious that they start to treasure and cherish it."
He hasn't been playing the point much at all lately. That is quite obvious to those who have actually watched the games. 82games.com is a very interesting website. They have a lot of interesting information, but they are wrong on this. A good portion of us have seen every single game thus far this season and we would all say the same thing because we have seen it with our own eyes. The Rockets are playing on ESPN tonight, so you might actually get a chance to WATCH them. I'll be interested in what you have to say after that.
