Steve Francis just proved he is NOT a franchise player

me too..

 

if we dont have francis, if we let him walk next year, we are screwed for another couple of years. we need to treat him as a franchise player, and pay him the max for the most years possible.

if he doesnt want to sign, then we need to trade him. i hear gary payton is having some problems up in seattle. i would prefer francis over anybody but kidd, but if we have to, you do what u gotta.

 

Well I don't agree with Axeman any more than I do with Cheesy.

I think Steve works VERY hard and is very committed to winning. I'd like to see improvements, but he's young and dedicated (much like Yao) and I have complete faith in him as a player.

We had a different team when Steve came here. Don't blame him for the decline of Olajuwon, Barkley and Pippen. They got old. Not his fault.

I've said in other threads that the posts that bother me most are the ones that blindly doubt insiders like Doc Rocket. It's not true. My least favorite posts are the ones which pit Rockets against each other.

I don't care who's better when it comes to Steve and Cat. Nor of Steve and Yao and Eddie. They're all on the same team. It doesn't detract from supporting Steve to support Yao. In fact, if you're a Steve fan, you SHOULD support Yao. And Cat. And Eddie. And even Collier until his time is up.

Those of you who are so obsessed with one player's superiority over his teammates should find a new sport. Maybe tennis. A basketball team is strong because it has more than one good player and because they play like a team.

 

LOL!!!!

Or how about Crack the Whip. By its very definition, the best player anchors the team, and you fling the light-weights off.

 

Man, I am sick of these bashing. It seems that every single player on the Rockets has been bashed this summer. Sometimes I read some of the posts and I have to check to see if I am on the right site. It seems we bash our players more than other fans of other teams. I see nothing wrong with what Francis said because he actually said the right thing. If he had said that I hate this team because all my teammates suck and I want to be traded then you have a good point to argue. However, all he said is that he wants to spend some time thinking if this team is capable to make the playoffs. Every franchise player has the right to make that decision. Are you telling me that MJ never once doubted that his team would never win and he should go somewhere else? Come on people, Francis is our franchise player and we should support him. Ever since he has been here he has worked his butt off and been great to the fans and his teammates. Remember, he is the same guy that said he does not like to be called the Franchise because he does not want to discredit his teammates. Remember what T-Mac said about his teammates in the playoffs. Nobody started to accuse him of not being a franchise player. Axeman, we all know that you started this thread so you could get on the hot list on the front of the page.

 

oops...dbl post

 

Yes. That is partly what people are saying. MJ never once doubted his ability to win, much less being concerned with going somewhere else to play with a contender.

bad analogy dude.

Frankly, it makes Axeman's entire point.

try again.

 

And you will say Azadre agreed with you!

 

Really? So, Steve is the #1 evaluator of talent on the Rockets? He's always right about prospects? If so, why have CD? Let's just let Steve Francis run the team all the way!

Yao Ming is, frankly, a bigger prospect than Francis was when he arrived in the league. And we already know where Francis' ceiling is... and it's quite high. But he's not a Shaq, Kobe, McGrady, Duncan, or Pierce. He's a rung below that. Ming might be one of the top tier players. We don't know... but he could be.

And he was the only non-PG available who had that kind of potential. Of non-high schoolers, only Jay Williams and Ming had that kind of talent. Do you think Steve would have been any happier if they had taken Williams?

Francis wanted someone who could contribute immediately, was familiar, AND not a threat.

That's a few too many demands to place on an organization, don't you think? Caron Butler or Mike Dunleavy would probably have been good producers. And Steve would still have been in charge.

I think Francis is equally afraid of Yao turning into a Duncan/Shaq/Kobe as he is of him flopping. If Yao is a franchise player, what's going to happen to Steve? He'll get to be the guy who gives the ball to the franchise player in tough situations. I don't think he wants that.

 

As I've been saying for the last year, Francis is a damn selfish player. Only now has it seemed to shone on some people.

I really could care less if Francis never played one game for us. He is a loser. For him to complain about the team that he is supposed to lead, is total ignorance on his part. Take some f-ing blame Francis. It doesn't help the team's cause when you give up 30 ppg to the opposing PG.

Francis wants to win, but he doesn't know how to, so he is going to blame everyone but himself and Mobley.

I've had enough of his whining.

 

This all reminds me of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. You know, where he climbs up to the giant's ear with a flashlight, shines it into the cavernous brain and says... "Uh, what's up, Doc?". The noise echos around, he crawls through to the other side, comes out chewing a carrot, and says... "Not much, I guess."

We'll poke around, trying to shine some light on things, analyze it to death, not come up with much, then pat ourselves on the back for our efforts. We may as well have a carrot and relax. (give us a carrot, Doc... ok?)

 

Wasn't last season a year of optimism too? The biasness of some people here makes me puke.

 

What is suprising to you guys about what he said.

This is a contract negotiation, Hakeem threatened to leave too.

Give it a rest....he will come around, and be a part of the solution.

I truly think Yao Ming and Griffin are the answer.

Steve will not be the best player on this team in 2 years...Yao will.

DaDakota

 

Francis will re-sign, and then eventually ask for a trade, right when he is overshadowed by Griffin and Ming. There's no way that Francis is willing to sacrafice having the ball in his hands 99% of the game, for anyone else not named Mobley or Norris.

 

That is a poor summary of what people are saying. No one said Francis is threatening to leave.

This is not a contract negotiation like Hakeem. Hakeem was a contract re--negotiation, first off, and Hakeem ripped the pre-Les organization. This is not the same. Hakeem wanted more money. His was also in a previous era of salary cap.

Francis cannot get more money or more yrs. That is locked by the salary cap.

Francis is talking about the direction of the team. The worst case is not really Francis demanding a trade. The worst case is Francis not getting along with Yao. Hakeem never really cared what players he had with him, and it never really mattered.

This team needs chemistry. That's the best thing going for us. That is our team. If we lose chemistry, we will lose everything.

Francis must come out 100% positive for Ming and the direction of this team. I accept nothing less.

 

I really enjoy the part of the article where it says Francis hasn't had a migraine since the season ended.

I think Steve gave up on the season the minute MoT got hurt and then started stressing when he realized he still had to go out there and win.When he couldn't win he began getting the headaches.

I cannot see how some of you guys refuse to question anything Francis does, when he is quick to question everything the rockets do.

Sometimes I wish we could trade him for Garnett.Garnett may be a first round casualty but Ming.Griffin,Garnett!Come on...would we really need a point guard?Sure but a point guard who is commited to running the team, not dominating it.

In the NBA unless you are Jordan, and Steve is no Jordan, you got to have the big guys to bring it home.

I like Steve but over the last 2 years I'm really beginning to wonder if he is a franchise player, or just guy who wants to run the franchise.

 

arf!

Pot, kettle, black.

You do the rest.

 

Please. You guys are silly.

IF the Rox are smart, they will play up the 3 yr deal as best for everyone. Which it is.

 

It was until a string of devestating injuries brought this team to a halt, I'm suprised you don't remember that.

 

The Rockets will only go as far as Steve Francis can take them. If he's not happy, he doesn't play well, we don't make the playoffs. It's that simple. If bringing Yao Ming to the team makes Steve(and perhaps other players) unhappy then we should not have drafted him. That's all I have to say on this topic.