LOL. sorry, won't much waste much time if you've already concluded Steve's worthlessness ... time will resolve our differing perspectives. for the record, my opine, a good coach will find ways to utilize SF3 skills. your take, Francis isn't needed. normally i'd wish yah luck, but in this instance you're an advocate for Rocket failure, SO NO GOODWILL! may you find peace in Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio ... or r u a Faker fan?
If ya really want to trim the roster and everyone is thinking about dropping our scrubs. But there's another way. Package up Alston and James. I bet we could get a really good point guard or player for those two. Use our scrubs to make the money work. I would take Monta Ellis in a second if we could somehow make the money work.
O.K. this is where I crush your argument. For all you know yes the Rockets haven't talked to anyone since Miami, but this situation now is more delicate, and less concrete. With Roster trimming time coming soon all trade talks and press statements from the team come with a little hint of gamesmanship. You Really think Dirk and Howard were out for legit reasons the other night??? NO. All trade talk isn't leaked to the press. If the Rockets were say... having trade talks with The Lakers for Kobe for TMAC...as we speak. That information would never make it to the web or news because the Rockets would request that these talks would remain secret in fear of what backlash it would have on the organization and its players if the deal broke. You think that a muti-million dollar business cant talk, make moves, or have an alternative motive without having it leak. Hell no. Chuck Hayes= insurance policy if Scola can't either start or pick up pack up minutes for the power forward that's coming soon.... Wait and see
Everything isn't set in stone. As the season rolls through, some heroes will rise as they adjust to the system. It's only been a couple of preseason games....I'm not ready to throw Steve to the curb, considering that he was a 3 time all-star, averaged around 20 points 6-7 rebounds and 6-7 assists for 4 years and he signed for little money to try to win here. Rafer is used to playing with the starting unit and knows there tendencies so it would easier for him to look good right now. Steve is adjusting to a whole new team and a whole new offense, while changing some of the way he plays. Bonzi was practically written off last year and even before training camp....but he's now looking like a huge weapon for us. Well said. Adelman was brought in partly because it was perceived that he could maximize talents that went unused in our past. Despite some of his flaws, Steve is not trash. He was a former 3 time all-star and can finish around the rim and rebound incredibly for a point guard. If Adelman doesn't use Francis because he doesn't exactly fit into a square box, I would be very disappointed. If he doesn't fit in perfectly, well, go into the romm with the assistant coaches and modify the forumla see how you can better use his talents. Leaving him on the shelf is just a waste.
Lol. you really crushed me. For all I know, that's laughable. Apparently I know more then you do by your post. You aren't even familiar with me so tell me how you know what type of access i have to the Rockets. I have also reported insider information since I got here. So far, I've been right. Although it's just preseason so we'll wait until the season starts. Lol, Howard was out because he said his leg hurt ( he hurt it during the game he got suspended) and Dirk was dressed. He still played minutes the next game and ther game before that. Teams rest star players. The Mavs aren't trading Dirk for one and have no reason to hold Howard out of a game. You are making yourself look foolish. A Kobe deal is far from imminent with Dallas. The Rockets did that a while ago. That's old news. We aren't talking to LA for Kobe. We aren't discussing that deal. Say what you want though. I know they talk behind the scenes but they aren't doing anything of signifigance now. They knew Hayes and Scola were both foul proned. Mike Harris is the guy they like and brought in to make the team. Oh well. No point in this. You said Rafer won't be starting on opening night. Exact words. So, we don't have to wait long to see who's right and who's wrong. We'll leave it at that. in fact, you said he would no longer be on the team. We'll see. Also, since you act so arrogant in what you say, why did you not take me up on my offer for a bet. I understand passing on a monetary wager but a sig bet?
Francis' strengths are definitely needed on this team. What remains to be seen is if he can adapt to Adelman's offense and contribute more. At the moment, both MJ and Rafer are clearly more effective on the floor. How long it stays that way is anyone's guess. Maybe the whole season. But you can't make a judgment on 3 very soft scrimmages. During the heat of the regular season grind, I suspect Rafer's effectiveness will decline, MJ's will increase some and SF will eventually find his offensive role on this team. I don't believe for one minute Rafer will continue this kind of productivity (or anything close to it) over the course of the season.
Yeah like we are going to get Monta Ellis with a package of Alston and James. Why don't you think for a second and consider why GS or any team for the matter would trade one of their up and coming stars for two mediocre to above average point guards, whose salaries equal around 10 million. The T-wolves got JUWAN HOWARD for Mike James, do you think we are going to do any better just by adding Alston? We aren't going to get much for our PGs, especially Rafer, if anyone even wants him after his perceived off season troubles. Why are you even proposing to trade our 2 PGs who are signed for the next couple years to make room for Francis, who hasn't shown the ability to play well when he doesn't dominate the ball. Chances are hes going to bolt at the end of the year, not before complaining about PT, once he sees hes going to be playing behind James and Alston and even perhaps Luther. Don't get me wrong, even though I don't like Francis, I'd love to see him succeed and integrate his strengths into our offense since it would make us that more dangerous, but I don't see that happening and he hasn't shown anything since his first departure that he could be effective without reverting back to dribble mania.
Someone is getting traded, whom will depend on 1. The value of the player to the team and 2. The value of the trade offer. We might not keep the best of the 4 (or 5) guards in question if the trade offer was worth it. My guess for the guard to be traded would be 1. Alston 2. Head 3.Brooks just guessing about their value. I just don't think you bring in James and Francis and then ship them out. One thng that would be fun, but will never happen. A few years ago in the Texas 4A State Tournament one of the historically great teams (Port Arthur Jefferson or Dallas Kimble, I think) rotated 5 man teams..without much drop off in talent. It was a devastating tactic, it just destoryed the moral of the other teams. The A team would start and just run till the other team was sucking wind; then with about 2 minutes left in the first quarter the coach would put in an entire 5 man B team, The crowd went wild. The opposing team figured they could handle the B teamers but they were just as good as the A team and they were fresh. In the semi-finals the opposing coach figured he would counter the tactic with his own 5 man substitution but his B teamers just didn't have the talent. It would never happen in the NBA but this year's Rockets could do it. (And think it could work) Each 5 practices against the other 5, each 5 wants to outplay the other 5. Steve, Luther, Bonzi, Scola and Deke vs Mike, Tmac, Battier, Hayes and Yao. Rafer (or whomever Adleman decideds ) waits for an injury or trade.
Rafer may start, but as I have already adressed, by using HISTORY and proof when it comes to Alston, he will NOT be any better. This team remaining the same with Rick Adelman does not make it a Finals contender....sorry, not going to happen. Your last statement makes all your arguments on this point mute from here on out. Your obviously nothing but a Steve hater, and are looking for any reason to hate. Thanks for letting us all see you for what you are. It wasnt that hard to draw it out.
no. that's a very silly position, beyond ridiculous ... my Rockets can absolutely use a rebounding, penetrating guard with an ability to create his own shot. and those are just the tangibles ...
Ohhhhh how I yearn the for days when we had REAL insiders, like Doc Rocket, instead of cranially challenged microcephalic nimrods like what's-his-name here.
Rafer+Butler+Reed+Snyder for White Chocolate Parker+Wade are injured Shaq+Zo+Doleac+Simien are injured Rafer gets them a dependable starting PG, ie no injury worries. The rest are an upgrade on their current scrubs.
Rafer will start. I don't see how it is much of a question. He will make the offense flow through Tmac and Yao. He is not in for his scoring. When those guys are out we will have some more instant offense guys like James and Bonzi in. Adleman just said that Franics has a hard time playing without the ball. It might take some time. He said he wants to give Steve more time with the ball at the point. Time will tell how Francis will fit in. I don't think anyone knows right now. It will be interesting.
Francis looked so lost out there today =\ He doesn't really know how to move without the ball, and when he does have the ball, it seems like the play is always broken.
After a Francis turnover or bad shot or something, I noticed Bullard kind of trying to ease the fans, as if he could tell people were sighing at Steve's performance. "Well he is coming off injuries from New York and is adjusting to a style he isn't used to, he will get better at it in time, he is the Rocket making the biggest adjustment, etc..." Something about those lines. Who knows, though. But it seems pretty clear Francis' role on this team is questionable at best.
Throughout most of the game, he seemed to look to pass first rather than look to score. But after passing he seemed to float around a lot, not really part of what was going on on the play. He looked pretty tentative, like he's trying to figure out what his role is on this team. I thought he looked better at the end when he was playing with the scrubs, looking to penetrate rather than dish off so quickly. Oh well. There's a few more preseason games to figure things out I guess.
It's a small step but the fact that he was giving up the ball is an improvement. I think Steve will eventually get it and when he does, he will make us so much tougher to beat. It's probably gonna take him awhile, probably halfway into the season before we see him really fitting in. After watching James with the first unit last night, I think it's very possible that he eventually supplants Alston as the starter. Frankly, I think we should go ahead and make the move now while Alston's value is as high as it's going to get. We could go ahead and package him with Sura, Butler, and Synder and get us a big while dumping bodies and salary. I'm on the bandwagon for a player like Raef Lafrentz. He's way overpaid, but he's a huge expiring contract going into next season that some team may jump at. Not to mention, Raef has the offensive skillset to really do well under Adelman. Raef is every bit the shooter Okur is. Trading Rafer somewhere would open it up a little for James and Francis. I liked the way Rafer has looked this preseason but after watching James last night, James' D on opposing point guards is superior to Rafer, and you know he's a much better shooter/finisher. It's only a matter of time before it becomes obvious that he is the better point with the starters. And if Stevie gets it, he is even stronger physically than James is. Rafer and Luther, no matter how good they look on the offensive end, are still a liability defensively. That's just not going to change. If we are gonna go small, we're better off with guys like James and Francis on the backcourt, because at least they aren't undersized.
