But you'll quickly look away...or maybe you wont. While you're at it, look for 2gilrs1cup. It's a very educational video.
I think it's safe to say a thread should be locked when the discussion has dumbed down to "ass to mouth"
I think he has the iq - i saw it last year. problem is his body was broken...if it heals everyone will be in for a pleasent surprise. His game has evolved, he's been humbled - i think he just needs a chance which he will get. let's all hope his body holds up.
Man I hoe francis proves people wrong....It seems like he should be motivated more than ever with 3 stars and a good team
<BR> So if Francis' surgery doesn't restore all of his athleticism but still enables him to play pain-free, that makes him a "below-average player"? Whatever. That's good enough for backup PG, and a big upgrade over Bjax and Brooks. Aaron can run circles around anyone on the court, but is completely outclassed when he has to defend... well, pretty much *any* PG in the league. And I don't think people remember what a good, hard-nosed defender Steve can be, especially considering he's only played one year on a team that really valued defense. Plus, I'm already sick of Brooks driving to the basket and getting either a blocked shot or a miss in return. Francis has always been one of the best PGs in the entire league at getting to the free-throw line. Lack of athleticism may keep him from making some of those sick shots he's famous for, but it won't keep him from driving in and drawing fouls -- and he hits 80% of those FTs. The only things Brooks does better than Francis is get the ball down the court quickly and shoot the three, and him shooting the 3 better than Steve is a theory, because Brooks wasn't doing it last year. Steve's lifetime average of .341 from 3pt-range is greatly affected by his having been the primary option nearly everywhere he's gone. I'm betting that average goes up if he's on the court with T-Mac, Yao, Artest, etc. and defenses no longer keying on him. Besides, if we're depending on our PGs to be knocking down 3s again this year, then we're just as hosed as we were last year. I stand by my two previous statements: 1) Those of you who say Francis is definitely done are as clueless about the truth as EVERYONE else here. Nobody knows with any certainty what we're going to get this year from him. 2) If he's able to play pain-free, even at a reduced skill level, he's in the rotation as the backup PG. EASY decision. As for BrooksBall being amazed that the Blazers paid him $30 million NOT to play, Portland was rebuilding and never wanted Francis to begin with. They only took him because the $34 million left on his contract was much more attractive to a rebuilding team than the $61 million left on Zach Randolph's contract. And though Isiah Thomas was the only GM in the league stupid enough to take Randolph off their hands, he was smart enough to force them to take one of his twin big-salary PGs in return. Then Portland bought Francis out because during the rebuilding process, they didn't want a two-year rental at PG. Better start fresh with Oden and the other youngsters. BrooksBall might have been amazed, but I guarantee you Daryl Morey knew what was really going on. If Portland had dumped Francis ONLY because he's no longer capable of playing at an NBA level, Morey flat out would never have signed him.<BR><BR>
I would love to see Steve Francis return and excel. Having said that, our offense will always rely on the pg or any other wing shooting the 3 point shot because that is what defenses will give us and its what we need to hit in order to space the floor for Yao and TMAC. When Francis was the primary scoring option with us, a lot of his 3 point shots were pull up 3s off the dribble, not spot up catch and shoot threes like he will have in this offense. In the 2004 playoffs against the Lakers, teams would sag off steve because they knew he wanted to drive rather than shoot the 3. He could have shot that 3 almost any time he wanted but didn't because he couldn't hit it consistently(shot 29% that year). I hope that Francis will work on his catch-and-shoot 3 this year. If he could hit it consistently, he could then drive in at will when defenders play him tight.
When he was the main horse it was Drive and Dish - The dish was normally to a 3 pt shooter Drive and Dish was that era's version of surrounding Olajuwon . .and having him dish to the shooters Rocket River Rocket River
Steve Francis better be hitting the weight room right now preparing for the season, cause i think there is a good chance of him getting a starting job now. Either that or Morey needs to get a new point guard, just in case. Aaron Brooks isnt ready to lead a title contender.
Agreed....so if he plays he'll be playing off the ball the majority of the time, so I am curious to see how he does. I want to see him launch the three without dribbling first, when wide open.
c'mon now, with 5-7ast per game, steve was a willing passer. but just look at who surrounded him on those teams. not only was he suppose to be their star PG, but he had to be their main scorer at the same time. rudy t also favored the ISO too.
