I do not think Steve Francis is the right fit for the Rockets team we saw from 04-05 to 06-07... I think the PG position requires, as Deuce called it, a ball "caretaker" and that's not really Steve. His three-point shooting is not top notch really either. BUT, this once was the future of the franchise -- a guy who atleast used to be able to get by opponents and attack the rim. He is pretty tough too (always have to respect the forearm to Stoudemire in defense of Yao). But most importantly, he could potentially be had CHEAP. The Rockets, with limited assets, desperately need some luck and need to find some diamonds in the rough. My concern right now is that the Warriors and Baron Davis may generate a style shift (if it hasn't already) and make some teams think about taking on the final two years of Francis' bloated contract, rather than the Knicks buying him out (as has been rumored). If he's bought out, I think Steve has to have Houston as his #1 choice. If it costs us the full MLE though and there are other options ... that's a tough call.
Nobody is going to touch that contract with Steve's health in question. He's due like $30 million over the next two years. I'm sure Francis and Isaiah will agree on some kind of buyout so that they can part ways this summer. Look for Houston and the Clippers to compete for his services, although I see us as the frontrunner since he could be the one to put us over the hump.
Kenny mentioned that he thinks Tmac should be moved to the 3 and use less energy being the primary ball handler/playmaker (thats why he gets more assists than Skip). Steve at the 2 would be good.
Ya. He may turn it over like its his job but the Rockets need someone who can attack and has size. And at least offer a change up to Alston who we simply cant afford to have playing 40mpg anymore. With Van Gundy seemingly out the door it makes sense.
If Isiah is able to find somebody willing to take on his contract i'd be astonished. For fun I mentioned the idea of trading Howard for Mobley in a different thread. While, I don't think this is the smartest move in the world (paying him $8,9,10 M to come off the bench) but i'm sure a move like this could easily persuade Francis to come back for cheap. Possibly even the LLE?
If we pick him up, the coach for next year has to make him realize that he is the 3rd offensive option on this team. The coach for next year will also have to let him know that he is in to penetrate and create shots for others. If it works out that way, I would sign him for the vet min.
I'd love to see SF back in Houston. I think we'd see an older more mature Steve this time around. He knows he can't rely on his athleticism alone anymore. Be fun to see what could happen.
kenny's analysis of the rockets has been money as far as i know. he also encouraged the rockets to run a faster tempo, which they should have done, despite what people think about yao's 'inability' to do so. tmac is a natural 3, no doubt about it. maybe in his younger years he could be a 2, but its clear now that running him as a 2 makes him look slow. and jvg's '1, 2, or 3 are the same' is utterly insane. theyre the same when you have no real ballhandler and force tmac to be the 1 even though he's a 3, but if this team had a real shooting guard then tmac would flourish at the 3 spot.
SF3 would not be a good fit with the current Rockets at all UNLESS he's willing to accept a role as the 6th man off the bench, whereas he would have the kind of offensive freedom that can make him dangerous as a player. But if you think SF3 is the type of player who would "put us over the top", then you're setting yourself up for a major letdown. Having him on this team doesn't even guarantee that we can get past the first round. It's a move that can work out for the benefit of the team or prove disastrous if SF3 isn't utilized in a way that would emphasize his strengths (penetration and dishing/scoring, mid-range shooting) and minimize his glaring weaknesses (dribbling, decision-making with the ball in the half-court offense). In reality, it's a high-risk-high-reward type of acquisition. But it in no way guarantees that we would be a better team for it.
I would not bet my life on it, but I am almost sure that a player who has been cut and recieves a buyout does not make any more money by signing a large contract the Rockets would just pay a portion of the buyout so he may be willing to sign for dirt cheap because it offers him no money advantage in signing a big contract the money simply comes from the buyout and the rockets pay a small portion of said buyout.
Bonzi's gamble would have payed off greatly if he decided to at least try. I understand that his groin kept him out of shape going into training camp, but let's not forget about all the off-court issues with JVG. I believe that hindered his PT more than his injury. As for Steve, he may not be the best fit for this team but I would love to bring him back. One thing that really disturbed me this season was a lack of passion and toughness at points throughout the season. As Clutch posted, Steve's forearm to Stoudamire alone showed me more toughness than I saw all season long from this past team. Also, I'll never forget Yao holding Steve back after Malone tried to undercut Boki after that dunk in the playoffs.
they should have ran it more like kenny said. yao running full court straight threw the lane then pass him the ball right under basket for easy layup. instead of waiting for him to post and turn it over.
More than likely he has to sacrifice money to get the buyout, so he will be looking to make up the money he gave up to get free of his contract. Never underestimate any NBA players' greed though. Once free, Francis may seek years, more money, best situation ... never know. Tim Thomas, for example, played his cards perfectly by going to Phoenix after being bought out, where he could inflate his numbers and get another multi-year deal from some sucker.
tiger, if he's bought out, and we were able to get him "cheap," then I don't see it as a high risk. The reward would be adding a known quantity (yes, that could be argued both ways! ) to our backcourt. A very strong PG/SG who can rebound very well for his size, who can get hot and score a hell of a lot of points when he does, who could take minutes away from Rafer (thank god!), who loves playing with Yao, and could let McGrady slide over to the 3 spot, as was pointed out. Francis would get open looks here that most players would salivate for. If he's not hot, then if you can't get him to stop shooting, sit him down. He certainly could play team defense as well as Rafer, IMO, and if he could use his body like Fish did against McGrady on D, it would help negate his lack of height against taller players. One just would have to keep expectations low, and hope to be pleasantly surprised. There is a question concerning his intelligence. IMO, he's at least as smart as Alston. Hell, I don't know... we have to do SOMETHING, and certainly this would fit the bill in that respect.
I have a feeling the only way he'll consider coming back is if Van Gundy is gone. I know there were "no hard feelings" when he left, but that trade hurt Steve's career. Personally I'd love to have him back for cheap. He may not be the same as he used to be, but we don't necessarily need that guy. We just need someone that can score a little to take some of the pressure, hit the open three (better than Rafer anyway), and play decent defense for about 25 minutes a game. Gotta make sure he's healthy though.
I think, especially if Adelman is our next coach, Francis would be a *perfect* fit here. Yao would partially function as a passer in a motion-type offense (similar to what Webber and Divac did) and you'd have Francis to serve as a Bibby-type creator/slasher/etc. And then you have McGrady who is free to roam and take advantage of his primary skill, scoring, instead of having to initate offense and constantly try to get everyone involved. Basically, it lets Francis, McGrady, and Yao all serve as passers/playmakers, which may make it possible to have a dynamic half-court offense (we'll never be a major running team with Yao at center). Francis isn't ideal as a first or second option, but he would be perfect for that third scorer role. This, of course, assumes an Adelman-type coach. Plus, say what you want about Francis' brains, he plays with fire - which seemed to be a bit lacking on this team in the playoffs. He didn't make the best decisions his one year in the playoffs, but he did exactly what we were begging Tracy to do: drive to the basket non-stop and make things happen.
