Steve Francis Turnover/assist ratio, Unbeleivable! Last amongs pg

There is no hate in asking Steve to try and increase his assist numbers and cut down on turnovers. These are 2 critical measures of a floor general (PG) in the NBA. If your PG is turning the ball over and not finding ways to make the other players better, then you have a big weakness:

either the PG is deficient for that role or the other players are very very bad.

It is a little of both, but Steve has the talent, desire and skill to be a better playmaker on the court.

It's not about him being Franchise, or the best player on the team, it's all about winning.

Just like Yao, JJ and Cat can improve in areas to help us win. Steve does have the most impact on these 2 vital areas of our game.

Just cut down on stupid turnovers and help make everyone else a little better by feeding them the ball when and where and as often as they should in this system

Also work on the fundementals of the fast break. Every time we get a break we breakdown and Calvin M. usually is all over it on TV.

I'm for Steve, but he still has to take his game up a notch for our playoff chances.

 

What I'm saying is that the traditional point guard is being replaced by scoring point guards.

Look at TJ Ford. As great a college player as he was, a lot of teams were put off by the fact that he can't shoot.

Also, most of the guys you mention aren't even in the league any more. And Francis averages more assists than Parker.

Now, this may not be the style of basketball that you personally like, but it IS the style of basketball that the NBA is adopting.

All of the young star point guards in this league are better scorers than passers.

You point guard had to be the primary passer/ball handler back in the day because very few other people could put the ball on the floor and create their own shot. Now that even centers are crossing over and driving to the hole, you don't need a point guard to get them involved. They can involve themselves.

 

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

Isn't it interesting on that list, only Lebron has more turnovers than Steve Francis. We can let the rookie slide....

 

If only Francis could be half the pg Nash is. With the big 3, Nash was still able to avg about 17ppg while taking the least amount of shots out of the three. This year he's taking his unselfishness to a whole new level with the arrival of blackhole Walker and Jamison. It's sad that Nash probably won't make the all-star team this year. His assist numbers are still there, but his scoring is way down as he's only taking about 9 shots per game. However, it's commendable that he's sacrificing personal stats and accolade in order to help better his team.

 

We also run an iso 40% of the time. All the times Yao gets the ball and movement ceases when everyone reaches the weakside.

We also lose the assist when the ball gets passed to Cat or Mo.

Yes, Steve needs to run more and get atleast one or two easy assists on a fast break per game. He also needs to cut down on the home run plays and make a nice dish off.

On the flip side, players are missing wide open shots. Calvin needs to get in their and teach these guys how to shoot. Our offense does not require a lot of movement. At most, we have one player moving and that player moving (usually the entry passer) will make a half a$$ed cut to the weakside and not even look for the easy bucket, which Yao could possibly thread a pass too.

 

How many assists did Kenny Smith average during his time with Hakeem?...I recall JVG wanting an "inside-out" game...not an "outside-in"....

 

Are you sure you know what you are talking about? This doesn't sound like someone understands bball at all.


--daoshi

 

No, I do understand bball.

The traditional PG role is to decide which plays to run, let the other players know which play he called, direct traffic (i.e. tell the other players where to set up), and then execute the play.

 

Trade Francis....move Yao to point guard.

 

and we've been that way steve's entire career, right? and, if in 10 year, we're still that way, the excuse will still be valid right? come on. at some point, you have to look at why we are the way we are. it's no coincidence that shooters have come here and gotten worse...

and i'm not just reacting to your post. i should have made that more clear. i'm reacting to 4 years of reading that same post from different posters.

 

I have thought about starting a thread on that very subject. I just don't have time to do the research, because of work. I can read posts and write short posts from time to time, but that's about it.

It does seem like good shooters go downhill, once they get to the Rockets. The two biggest and most recent examples are Glen Rice and Jim Jackson, at least until this point. I could be wrong, of course, but I think not receiving the ball in rythym has a lot to do with it. It is because a lot of shots come after receiving a "not on the money" pass with just a few seconds left on the clock?

 

Okay, what's the non-traditional role of a PG? Just dribble & shot the ball?



--daoshi

 

Dear daoshi,


Just dribble.


Sincerely,
Mooch

 

That's one of the lambest excuses for PG with low assists. As a PG you have to make good passes. You have to pass to an open man and, to be an elit PG, you should even pass to guys to their favorite spots so they have better chance of making the shots. Remember Stockton to Malone? How many times have we seen SF do that? Often times he will try to create his own shots, dribble and dribble, and only dish it out when he has no way out. That's just stupid basketball, no way to get high assists.

"I've been doing that for years" said SF. Well, look where you've been all these years?

"Our guards have been unfairly criticized" said JVG. Okay, maybe the stat sheet does it more fairly. Or better, maybe missing 5 playoffs in a row will do it more fairly.

 

After watching the last 2 Mavericks games, I have to tell you, Steve Nash is probably light years ahead of Steve in the PG role. He gets the ball to players in transition for easy buckets. He knows who to pass it to in the right situation. Because he can score, he penetrates and then dribbles out to be a decoy to open up someone else in a less defended position.

I am not saying Nash is the best PG ever, but after watching him operate and then Francis, the different in b-ball IQ was incredible. Francis has a long way to go in learning his position. To everyone saying, "TRADE HIM!!!!", if we see Francis' shortcomings, don't you think that other GMs see it too? And moving Francis to the 2 would just mean that Kobe, Sprewell, Bonzi, Finley, Allen, etc. would have a field day because Francis cannot spell defense.

Like alot of the Rox problems, I have no idea what they can do about this because they have no flexibility as far as the roster.

 

see they miss wide open shots, and not by average but way below....

 

if all you yao-only fans actually wanted to make him do what you want him to do, that is drop the ball to yao all the time, and you want him at the same time to get assists, its imposibble. Yao runs an iso play to his back or in other words a post up all the time, so if yao makes a shot stevestill doesnt get an assist. Same thing with Taylor, and Mobley are other leading scorers. All they do is iso once they get a ball. SO how in the hell will francis get assists??

 

We run a lot more Pick and Rolls than you think. I don't remember the last assist from Stevie off of a pick and roll. He does not know how to pass off of a pick and roll. Stevie could have gotten more assists if we play inside out by swing the ball around and not hesitating and dribbling. He does not know how to swing pass. He's missed many opportunities to get and easy assists off of the fast breaks. He's missed guys underneath the basket that are wide open after his pentetrations. It goes on and on.

 

Kidd and Nash have the ability to hit their teammates at the right time and place.

Kidd in particular also turns the ball over a fair bit, but he is always pushing the ball up and his turnovers are never passive.

I for one could live with Steve's turnovers if he could learn to push the ball up and run some sort of fastbreaks and transition offense, he needs to push the ball up and get us some easy quick baskets like Nash and Kidd do for their teammates.