Ric Bucher: The case of Steve Francis , from ESPN.com

I think what he was saying about his play in Game 2 was the fact that no one got involved in the second half and, as THE point guard, it is you job to do that. Especially in a big game where the opposing team's defense was very tight, the point needs to run the offense and get either easy baskets or open looks for others where they like to get the ball. I'm not completely blaming Steve either. That one play where Kobe was smiling at him, I noticed no movement whatsoever by the other players. They completely left him on an island out there and Kobe knew it. Turnovers aside, that is one aspect of Steve's game that needs improvement. I witnessed too many times this year in tight games this offense falling apart and it is the point guard's responsibility to keep it productive.

As for Yao, I think everyone is right about him. Yes, he is THE cornerstone for this franchise now and for the future. If we win championships, it will be him leading us there. But, also he is not ready to burden all of that yet. But then again outside of maybe Jordan, Bird, Magic and very few others, second year players are not ready to lead a team to championships and those mentioned never came from the opposite side of the world and completely adjust the way Yao has. I think we all need to stay neutral on Yao until after next year. The 3rd year is typically the year a player shows what he is made of and we owe Yao that much. He is not a bust nor a savior, but he could be either.

Should we trade Steve? I'm very torn. I like Steve but, as stated, he just may not be the right man for the job. If he gets traded I will be sad to see him go, and hope that my Rockets are a better team for it.

 

Decent article. People are reacting as if it's trying to paint a conclusive piucture of Stevie in the negative, which isn't at all the take I got.


I think he's saying there are serious questions, and if you disagree with that, I've gotta say you just ain't looking.

 

Regurgitated crap I didn't even necessarily by the first time I heard it.

 

couple points. we "supposedly" run an inside out offense does it really look like it? doesnt that mean Yao should getting more touches? (I dont mean more shots just more touches)

I liked the article and I think Ric was actually saying nice things about both SF3 and Yao which is a refreshing change. Why are people taking it in a negative light? SF3 is the leader of this team, you think the reigns are taken out of his hands? He's still the captain of the team isnt he?

anyways what I see is that right now SF3 is the captain "Leader" of this team and we live and die by the decisions he makes because he dominates the ball and the ball movement. This isnt to say SF3 is playing well or not.. if you look at stats only look at the win/loss column because thats the only one that matters right now.

I like SF3 alot.. he is probably one of my fav. players and I cheer like crazy for him.. I hope he retires in Houston but whatever benefits the team in the long haul so be it..

J

 

Do you seriously think that Steve's lack of adjustment to the system has been a problem these first two games? Yao was ineffective the first game and the second game Steve got a triple double, while getting Yao more shots, so how is Steve's adjustment to the offense in question after these two games?

 

I dont think anybody believe SF3 doesnt have the ability.. he has the ability, but people have questions about his leadership and decision making. Personally I think SF3 needs some more time to develop in this system and needs different pieces to work along side Yao and himself. I would like to give this team a lil more time but tweak a few pieces .. (PF/SF) and see how things develop from there.

J

 

Any way we can KEEP SF3 and TRADE MOBLEY/ TAYLOR/CATO (some kind of combo? for RAY ALLEN? or ELTON BRAND?? or basically somehow get another STAR PLAYER on this team without losing SF3

SF3
BRAND
YAO
JJ
sign PG

or

SF3
ALLEN
CATO
JJ
sign PG

 

Yao gets more than enough touches, there are just some many touches where he does nothing with the ball. Go back and watch tapes of the Rockets games and actually count how many times he touches the ball in the hallf court set. It has always been 30+.
What's really said is that Steve is more respected outside of Houston than he is inside. Of course he has his short comings. Every player has them. Steve isn't a traditional point guard and has never proclaimed to be. Most of the basketball analyst that have actually played basketball such has Doug Collins, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley have all mentioned that despite JVG's system, he needs to make sure Steve is a big part of this offense.

 

There is a difference between Steve having been A problem and Steve being THE problem. When asking whether or not he has been A problem, noting what Yao did is irrelevent.

 

I agree. How people have read that this author is out to bash Francis is beyond me. I thought it was about as fair and as accurate as I've seen from an author not close to the Rockets' situation.

 

Inside out does not mean throw down to Yao in the low blocki every time down the floor. Steve driving down the lane on a pick and roll and kicking it out for an open three does the same thing. There is more then one way to play inside out.

 

Again, how has his lack of adjustment to the system in THESE playoffs been either THE problem or A problem.

 

A problem?


*Despite wanting to be in a controlled offense prioritizing maximum efficiency of possession, Steve had 7 turnovers in Game one, many of which were of the careless variety.

* Despite Yao getting off to a hot start and having Shaq on the bench, the offense effectively stopped running through Yao in the seond half. Steve, as the point, bears some of the responsibility.

* On a few occassions our possession has consisted of Steve dribbling the ball down, driblling the ball around for a bit, and launching an outide J. Wasted possessions.



Again, pg, this is not to say he has been THE problem. Nor is it to say that he has hurt more than he's helped. But his play has been questionalbe at times in the playoffs, and more so in the regular season. At least part of that seems to be due to friction between the type of team JVG wants to run vs. the type of team which Francis wants to run in, or suits him best. That's all I think the article is saying. The writer made a specific point of the fact that Steve is trying, so this isn't a bash...


...I think the polarization of Yao vs. Steve has gotten people in here hypersensitive to the point where anything short of absolute agreement with their position on both players, negative vs. positive, whichever it may be, is seen as an attack on their player of choice.

 

I'm not making this a Yao vs. Steve argument. I said Yao got his shots in Game 2 and he had. As far as Yao not getting involved in the offense when Shaq went out of game two, I specifically remember him missing three shot while being guarded by Malone. What is Steve supposed to do in that situation, make the shots for him?

The majority of Steve's turnovers were in the first half of game 1, and they were only down by 4 at the half. In the second half he played a good game, taking advantage of his mismatch, keeping the Rockets in the game, as he was the only reliable offense, and doing what a point guard should do, getting a good shot for the win.


So again I ask you, how is he A problem, when he did his job. If a player does what he is required, and the team loses, obviously the problems of the team start elsewhere. And I will help you out as to where this team has been show to have its biggest weakness. That's the power forward position.


Anyone who finds fault with a 6-11 shooting night scoring 18, grabbing ten boards and dishing 12 assists while only comitting two turnovers is reaching.

 

when the rockets lost in 92 . . . .No one blamed Kenny Smith
THEY BLAMED HAKEEM

Rocket RIver

 

Question . . . .esp on the moving away from YAO thing in the second have
IF THIS IS WHAT JVG CALLED [because he didn't look overly pissed about it . . just his normal pissed] . . . .then where is his accountability?

Rocket RIver

 

No kidding.

 

1) Ok...suppose you feel Yao got his shots in game 2. I might disagree, given the circumstances ( against the Lakers with SHaq either sitting or on the bench) but still, that leaves half of our games where Yao DIDN'T get the ball enough. That's A problem.

2) The missing the 3 shots thing is the problem with this team, IMO. 2 or 3 years ago, when Steve was The Man, would 3 misses have stopped us from going through him? Or Hakeem? Or any guy an offense runs through. It's easy to run an offense through a guy when he's hitting ( although we often don't)...but what defines you as an inside out team is that you sustain it through the bumps. We give up on Yao way too easily. Steve is part of that.

3) And if he hadn't made those, we'd have been closer or up. In that we lost the game by one shot, that matters, no? A problem.

 

I'm not at all sure that reading facial expressions is all that reliable of a means of determining our game plan.


That said, IF SF was running the game as JVG wanted, then, no, that apsect would certainly not be his fault.

 

What I want to say is Keep Steve for at least another year and get a good PF who can really make jump shot with fair defence. I am enough with Cato, who is nothing on offence and has done little on defence. Yeh, you read it right, defence. How many times do you see Cato altering others' shot? seldome. How many times do you see he foul opponents? Too many. How many times do you see him not boxing opponents out for defence rebound? Too many... If I have to choose, I would have Talor who is said to have bad defence however could neutralize oppoents by his offence power.

Again, like many other posters said, get a PF which is most needed by Rockets instead of PG.