Steve Francis is untradable. Because he is the Rox' Franchise player? Maybe. But definetly due to his contract status, as better described by David Aldrich of ESPN: Please don't believe 97 percent of the trade rumors you hear about Wally Szczerbiak . Folks neglect to tell you that Wally World now has a "poison pill" contract by virtue of signing that $63 million extension before training camp. Because the first year of his extension will exceed the 12.5 percent maximum raise allowable from the $2.9 million Szczerbiak makes this season, for cap purposes his contract is averaged out through the life of the deal. What that means in English is that his cap number is much higher than his actual salary -- while Minnesota could only receive a player back in a trade for Wally who makes his actual salary. Which means he is next to impossible to move. The same is true for all the other players from the '99 draft class who signed extensions last summer, including Steve Francis, Baron Davis and Shawn Marion. Thanks. Now back to coach and player bashing. BTW -- this is a 2003 playoff team. 2nd Round? I just don't know that.
If he is the Real Franchise player he would try to improve the team and not try to improve his stats. He would do this by playing his position of Point Guard( A playmaker) as it should be played.If he is deliberately trying to sabotage Yao Mings Career with the Rockets then he should be Traded.
Yetti, "sabotage" has been the word lingering in my backhead for weeks. At beginning of the season, I felt Yao was lucky to be drafted by a team like Rockets, who has backcourt talents of Francis and Mobley, and expierenced coach Rudy T, who coached Hakeem his entire career. But half way through the season, I am not sure anymore. Yao's talent is being serioulsy wasted here on the Rockets, with Rudy T's stupid ignore-Yao offense, guards's ISO dribling and selfish plays. If Yao were with Mavs, Nets, or even Jazz, they would instant title contenders. Somebody bumped up Yao Ming Elephant Thread, which is very good. http/bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?threadid=46750 On defensive end, Yao has double duties, guarding opposing centers, as well as the basket. Everybody knows playing defense is very tiring, but Yao never quit playing defense. However, he is not awared by his guards on the offensive end. Instead, he is just being used as a giant screen, a sidekick for our guards. I think Yao himself is getting more and more tired of seeing Francis and Mobley's selfish play. In his public comments after the Pistons game, which is really rare for a humble player like Yao, he said "Our assists are getting fewer and fewer." Don't be surprised to see Yao to want to play for LA, NYK, or GSW after his rookie contract expires in 4 years.
I am beginning to think more and more that Francis' problem is not that he is a poor point guard, but that he would be a far more effective two. That's not a new revelation here, but it' is for me. I have resisted that stance for some time. I think the key is trading Mobley to get a top tier "old game" point guard and move Francis to the two. It would also move his focus back to the immediate game plan and the business in which he has chosen to be employed.
Steve is a player who needs the ball in his hands to be effective. That's why he is a PG not a SG and should remain so. However, he indeed needs to learn to give up the ball more. And I think that eventaully he will learn to do it. I don't think that Steve is a selfish player as some posters here think. He wants to win as bad as anyone. He just needs to learn to trust his teammates more and play more intelligent basketball, especially with a player like Yao on the team. And I have no doubt that as Steve matures, he will learn how to do that. In fact, he admitted after the game today that he didn't feed the ball inside enough and I think that he'll adjust in the future. Steve Francis is a very special player and this team should never trade him. You never trade your franchise player and Steve is our franchise player, period. It is simple as that. If we have to trade one of our guards in the future, it will have to be Cat. We can bring in a player in Brent Barry's mode and our rotation would be complete.
I don't think Steve has any way that he will pass more. Today he had 5 assists and 7 turnovers. Steve comes first , the hell with the rest of the team. Steve wants his stats above all else.
Well he's alway acknowledge the problem, that everyone is talking about after a lost, but he seems to ignore what he said the next game he plays. He seems like a hypocrite to me. I won't buy whatever Steve says anymore. Unless he consitently shows me that he's willing to be an unselfish team player.
You don't think The Nets or the Suns had these thoughts when they traded Marbury and Kidd?.. Look what became of that!
Rant, rant, rant. But Francis can't be traded. It cannot happen in this NBA. Trade Cat, or fire Rudy, or shave Moochie's scalp B U T you cannot trade Francis. It cannot be accomplished.
ANYBODY can be traded. Hell, Juwan Howard and his albatross contract were traded TWICE... Except for Yao, NOBODY on this team is safe once we miss the playoffs again...
