I still remember Franchise forgetting the Magic uni he was wearing and almost looking to give the Rox players a high five after he hit a free throw. That was incredibly sad to watch and I really felt sorry for him. T-Mac...sigh, I absolutely detested the move when the Rox picked him up. He won me over, but the last couple of years were not good to say the least. I think T-Mac played exceptionally well in Houston for a few years before he simply lost interest for a number of reasons (the biggest of which is probably injuries).
Ironic, since I'm sure many doctors advised Rox fans against watching Cat play as it could mean our death at any moment that Cat threw up an ill advised shot.
This. I never understood why many posters here would bash fans who stayed loyal to Francis. He kept the dark ages somewhat enjoyable and loved this city with all his heart. Forces out of his control (injuries and the salary cap) are what caused his demise here in Houston and the NBA.
Steve Francis was probably the worst decision maker at the guard position in NBA history. Just because he was more "popular" than Mcgrady doesn't make him more valuable Tracy mcgrady>Stevie "F"Up
wow...I had a dream about Cuttino last night crossing the court to the lockerroom in uniform prior to game one. I had courtside seats, and couldn't get my buddy to look ... despite my urgent "hey dude it Cuttino" nudging... because he was preoccupied with watching the dancers. I vividly recall saying, "damn, it's Cuttino, I d i d n o t know this. I wonder what number he is wearing, since Courtney has his number now." It was #9. Number 9, Number 9. That was a weird dream. I get these weird dreams prior to Game 1. Game On! Fixed it for you .
Cuttino is one of my favorite Rockets we've had. I don't understand why anyone would dislike him. He was a second round pick who worked his ass off and became a solid NBA shooting guard for us. Always played hard, was good with the fans and never got into any trouble. I really like Francis as well, but I do understand why a lot of fans grew sour on him. His biggest problem was what he did after he came back here. If anyone disliked him if after the TMac trade had happened and he had never had a second stint here, I wouldn't understand that either. All the dumb quotes, lack of dedication, sense of entitlement and general attitude rubbed tons of fans the wrong way. I had friends who absolutely loved the guy who can't stand him now because of all that. Like i said, I'll always like him because of his first stint here and the fact that he loves this city so much. But, I've pretty much erased his second stint here from my mind. Some can't or choose not to do that. TMac's problem is that he's delusional. Until he got injured he was great for us. He's extremely soft and has a huge ego, but if he never had racked up the injuries here I'm convinced nobody would hate him. His problem is that he can't accept that the injuries knocked him down from elite player status. Much like Iverson, he can't accept this and that's going to continue to be his downfall. I don't think this will change in Detroit. It's a shame that he lacked toughness and injuries derailed his career. He's one of the most talented players ever. JVG even got him to play defense and he was actually solid despite it being the first time I think he'd ever put any effort in on that side of the ball in his entire career.
Francis was all heart all the time. Never backed down and wore his emotions on his sleeve. Same with Cat, all heart, very talented, bleed Rocket Red, but ego's ran too high. Really loved these guys, but kinda sad on Stevie second stint here. I expected more from him and expected R.A. to give him more of a chance. But, that's what ego's and entitlements will get you. Anyhow I wish Steve and Cuttino the best of luck and maybe things will come back full circle. As far as Tracy, I wish I could erase every second of his existence here. He had a bad attitude and never really cared about anything other than himself.
All heart? Steve Francis? The same guy who partied to hard for superbowl the night before a game? The same guy who had no idea how to give up the ball up on a fastbreak? The same guy who refused utilitze Yao in the post? Maybe Cuttino. Atleast Cat played with a sense of team. But Francis was all about himself.
I hated watching Steve drain out the clock and made bone headed decisions day in and day out as a Rocket back in the day. I was thrilled Steve got traded the first time although really sad that Cat was involved in the trade. A coincidental side note, I despised MerGady as a Magic player (although I grew to liking him soon after) and I hated the trade because I thought we basically traded all of our offensive power for just 1 person. I thought "what happens when that person gets injured?" Boy was that one question I wished did not get answered. I respect Francis' heart though. I remember his first game here under Hitler's rule. He was a sub in and the crowed were chanting his name to get subbed in. He made some really good plays and had some important steals and blocks. That almost brought tears to my eyes. and then we traded him.
