I think that it is unfair to Steve. There are so many people want him to change his style of play. I came to the conclusion that he may not be able to do so. If he changed his style, he may no longer be Steve and may not be as effective player as he used to be. He may need to play iso ball to be effective. This is incompatible with Yao's style and it hurt them both. Therefore, it may be best for them and the team to split them up. Steve was once and is still a franchise player. The rocket may want to trade Yao instead. Either trade Steve or Yao (for a more compatible player) may help the team.
The quintessential Steve Francis tonight: 1. Dribbling the ball off his foot. Turnover! 2. Driving the lane in an uncontrolled manner, amidst multiple defenders. Turnover! 3. Traveling. Turnover!
Yao clearly had position a multitude of times tonight, but yet, only got four shots off. Many here will blame Yao for not being physical enough, but tonight he was very physical. I watch Moochie just dribble his life away at the top of the arc, all the while staring at Yao, who had dominant position deep in the paint. Did he end up passing the ball? Yes. To who? Jim Jackson on the wing, who from there, tried to make an entry pass. But for this to happen, Yao had to again try to regain post position. But this time he was fronted. Clearly wasting time and effort. This type of garbage falls on the shoulders of the players. As for Francis, I saw at least 3 times where Steve tried to make a post entry pass into Yao. Immediatly recognizing this, the Pacers fronted Yao. Did Steve look to rotate the ball around the perimeter, so that Yao could regain a solid post position? No, he just stood there, wasting time, looking for Yao to somehow lose the front. Steve is the most ridiculous player I have ever seen. I will credit Indiana for a solid defensive game plan to combat Yao, but from what I witnessed, Yao should have had a much bigger impact. I directly attribute this to the ineffectiveness of our guards. Primarily Steve Francis and Moochie Norris for not recognizing the defense and let alone solid wide-open post position.
