http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpYTg2ZTBwBF9TAzk1ODYxOTQ4BHNlYwN0bQ--?slug=knight-strictparentspoiledchildf&prov=knight&type=lgns This whole plan to have a disciplinarian Van Gundy coach help a misguided star fulfill his limitless potential, is not working out quite as planned. Not the Stan Van Gundy-and-Lamar Odom matchup. That's coming along swimmingly. It's the Jeff Van Gundy-and-Steve Francis affair. The two clearly are not getting along, even after more than half a season in which the Rockets have established themselves as players in the incredibly deep Western Conference. It would seem that Francis, who never has been to the playoffs, would respond well to the coach who has taken the team this far. But Francis is acting less like a leader and more like a child trying to rebel against a strict parent. Sure, he is averaging a healthy six assists and is deferring to 7-5 center Yao Ming -- per Van Gundy's request -- more often than he did last season. But Francis is far from the kind of team leader Van Gundy had in New York with Patrick Ewing. Last week's Super Bowl incident made it as apparent the "Stevie Franchise" moniker is a definite misnomer. SUPER STICKING POINT When the Rockets boarded the team plane to Phoenix last Sunday, Francis decided he would stay in Houston to attend the Super Bowl, telling his coach he would take a charter and be there in time for the Monday morning shootaround. Van Gundy, however, wouldn't hear of it and told his star point guard to stay in Houston the extra day because he was suspended for the game against the Suns. "I talked to Steve," Van Gundy told The Houston Chronicle. "He was in the parking lot of the Super Bowl. We had a long discussion about him thinking it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and me talking about the commitment to the team." Of course, instead of letting it go, Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, tried to absolve his client by saying Francis was not at the Super Bowl but rather "dealing with these family circumstances." "I was on the phone with Steve last evening from his home during the Super Bowl," Fried said. Van Gundy scoffed at that assertion. "Steve knows what the truth is," he said. "Everyone involved knows what the truth is. That's up to them if they want to try to spin it a certain way. Everyone knows what happened. What agents say doesn't have any bearing. "I talked to him [Sunday] night. He disagreed with the decision vehemently. He just thinks it was the wrong decision." But the Francis spin continued once he rejoined the team Tuesday. Not only was he not at the Super Bowl, Francis said, but he was simply late and missed the team flight by 15 minutes. That Super Bowl story? Francis said he was simply upset at his coach's decision to suspend him and made up that part, which is inconsistent with the conversation Van Gundy said the two had Sunday afternoon. "I don't feel like I let [the team] down," Francis said. "I missed the plane. That's it." TRADE NECESSARY? Not only are Francis and Van Gundy not on the same page, they're not reading from the same self-help book, and it seems only Van Gundy's has something to do with winning basketball games. What might have seemed inconceivable just last season -- and still might be to the fans who voted Francis an All-Star starter -- is becoming more and more of a reasonable option: Francis needs to be traded. Having begun his career playing for the more lenient Rudy Tomjanovich, Francis has yet to accept Van Gundy's ways. If Stephon Marbury can be moved as often as he has, despite having better career numbers than Francis, why couldn't Francis be dealt as well? Both have been told they don't pass enough and shoot too much, and neither has had postseason success. With the Rockets succeeding this season, such a move probably should wait until next season. But if this coach-player power struggle remains an issue this season, it's clear which of the two should not be around for a playoff run next year.
