Those 3 things that you listed are SIGNS of a true PG! The point is that Steve is currently NOT capable of doing those. Now the question is do we continue to wait around for him to learn and adapt or do we find someone who already has those skills for us to reap the benefits now.
You don't think the Kings could win this year? I don't see a top 5 player on that team. My player ranking for the top 5 is 1. Shaq 2. Duncan 3. Garnett 4. Kobe 5. Jason Kidd I think the Kings could actually win the championship because they are a machine. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts at least for that team.
Are they things that a true PG does? Yes. If Steve did those 3 things, would he be one? No. Essentially, those are things that any fundamentally sound basketball player does... that Steve has trouble with. Any decent guard or swingman should be able to do all of those things.
You must think I am a Ming-only fan, but I assure you, as much as I like him as a person and a player, I would trade him in a heartbeat if I thought it was in the best interest of the Rockets. Like you, I am a long-time, hardcore, been there since Rudy played, heard most of Gene Peterson's radio broadcasts, attended games even though living out of town kind of fan. I was there when Rudy played, when Calvin played, when Moses played, when Hayes played, when Hakeem played. Great history, great tradition. During the "Francis Era," I have never been more frustrated, ever. Despite the occasional highlights, it has been more than painful. I gather from your posts that you see something in him that I don't. Maybe you know him personally. He obviously is a great raw athletic talent, BUT IMO he is simply not cut out to be in the position he is in. He has a "break down my man," "go one on one," "make the high degree of difficulty shot," "iso," kind of mentality. I think he over dribbles. I think he has limited court vision. I don't think he is a good passer. I don't think he is a great outside, long-distance shooter. He can't run a break. He is not a great defender. And so on. So, tell me what makes him one of the top 25 players in the league. Also, IMO, I think he would be great lurking around the basket. He is deadly underneath. His put back in the Wolves game was stunning. He is an excellent rebounder. His leaping ability make much taller. Isn't there another place for him instead of point guard. You are one of the "elders" on this board, I always read your posts, and I am curious about your response.
francis does more than finishing. He is the best creator for his own shot... and he was a good shooter last year alteast!! HE did much more than just dunk and layups. He didnt get 2o pts just on fastbreaks...
last year the sixers and the rockets had alomist identical records... with seixers in the east!! WHat intangable does AI have that steve doesnt... the mentality to jack up 30 shots?
Look, SF will never be JKidd, or Stockton, or even like Bibby in terms of the classic, passing PG. You have to make a decision to take SF and be fan of his for what he is. Like most people, I agree that this has been the most frustrated I have ever been watching the Rockets, but I finally realized that SF is what he is-an athletic, high-flying guard who will always use his instincts first instead of his brain when playing. Even against the Pacers tonight, we were up by 4 points with about 3 minutes left and SF had 2 straight turnovers which allowed Indy back in the game. But at this point, it did not even surprise me that it happened. The point is, you can only hope that he will become a semi-"real" point guard one day, but until that day comes, I won't be surprised by his erratic play b/c I've accepted that as part of his game.
I disagree. There is a huge difference from expecting Steve to play like the classic PG... and expecting him to play intelligently as a combo guard. The first is wanting Steve to be something he's not... the latter is wanting a good player to fulfill his potential and learn how to win.
solid, your above summary pretty much sums it up. He makes great plays, and then goes on to make bone-head plays a minute later...it's just frustrating to watch as a fan. I never know what to expect from him play to play...
Francis the great first half vs Indy 5/6, 3 reb 5 ast 1to 12 pts +4 Francis the bonehead second half 2/9, 4 reb 1ast 4to 7 pts -3 Go figures
We should go for Jason Kidd the end of this season. Looks like he will be available by then. Reasons: 1) He has promised to leave Nets if the team moves to Brooklin, which has just happened. 2) His relation with coach Byron Scott remains cold, to say the least. His team won't survive their ongoing struggle without letting one of them go. 3) Kidd had a brief flirtation with one of the Texan Triangle teams last year before he decided to stay with New Jersey, for now. In his heart, however, he is really yearning for a chance to play with a champion-calibre team to get the ring before he is too old. (Kust ask Payton or Karla Malone). Don't you think his joining Houston would instantly make Rox a team of that level? Therefor, Rox should save everything to prepare for the coming bidding war for Kidd.
Thanks DavidS, RileyDog, and others for your comments. Interesting non-response by Jeff; maybe he just didn't want to go there. He seems very partial to Francis, which is fine. Francis is the Agony and Ecstasy. Apparently, some of us see the Agony more than the Ecstasy. I want a playmaking, pass-first type of guard running this team. Others see it differently. If Francis were six inches taller, he would be one of the top forwards in the league; he is deadly near the basket.
If Jason Kidd is available, then uniting him with Yao would be a dream move. Francis for Kidd straight up, kinda like the Kidd and Marbury trade a couple of years ago. If this happens, we will be title contenders. Imagine Kidd feeding Yao to perfection and running the fast break like a symphony... Is it really true that Kidd doesn't want to play in Brooklyn?
Actually, it would not be a dream move. The #1 thing that Kidd does is run transition O. He's a good half-court passer... but he's the best in transition I've ever seen at the pro level. That sort of pace would not suit Yao... and he's not effective in the transition game.
After you mentioned this I thaught about it and you are so right. Going in the Kidd direction would be the wrong move for the Rox.
Don't worry about Yao keeping up. It's not about that. Kidd would pass to the best possible option. There would be three other guys on the court too. Most likely, would be outlet passes from Yao, to Kidd. Then, the passing aristry begins with the rest of the team. If Yao chooses to run the floor, then he'd get rewarded by Kidd. By the way, I'm more interested right now in getting Sheed, than Kidd. Any major trades for Kidd wont happen unless we just mess up in the play-offs.
