I thought that you might have said that tongue-in-cheek, Sherlock. Damn, I got to do a better job of reading between the lines here in this forum.
Speaking of Francis being the Rockets GM, here is a quote from the chronicle. "But coach Rudy Tomjanovich and general manager Carroll Dawson have entrusted Francis with more than lottery luck. Francis has met with Tomjanovich and Dawson since the end of the season, offering input on the top players in the draft and how he thinks they would fit in. "Everyone in my position thinks they know how certain players can help the team," Francis said. "I've said some things that I think they can probably listen to and process. I told Rudy and (Dawson) what I thought and who I liked ... and they're not all (Maryland) Terps, either." School pride doesn't count here and now. This is too big, too important. The future of the Rockets is at stake and taking center stage will be the heart of that future."
Here's the whole article. May 18, 2002, 8:59PM A lot rides on Francis' luck By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle LITTLE-KNOWN fact No. 1: Rockets guard Steve Francis is anything but a novice when it comes to luck-of-the-draw things like today's NBA draft lottery. "When I was a kid, I was a bingo guy," Francis said. "I was always the first person to yell, 'Bingo!' " Little-known fact No. 2: Francis is experienced with pingpong balls, too. "I'm a great pingpong player," he said. "I love playing pingpong." So, then, the combination of luck and pingpong skills might well suit Francis and the Rockets in today's lottery. Bingo! They can only hope. Francis will arrive in Secaucus, N.J., today in the role of general manager for the Rockets in the NBA's annual version of The Weakest Link. Sending a player to the lottery is not unprecedented, but teams often send coaches or general managers to the multimillion dollar game of cutthroat. The Rockets simply hope and desire a change of lottery luck. When it comes to coin flips, the Rockets' record has been impeccable, winning the rights to Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983 and 1984, respectively. But the lottery has been a different, sadder story. The Rockets and Francis realize that with two picks in the top 15 this year -- including one from the Olajuwon trade with Toronto -- a stroke of luck could change fortunes drastically for the club and its most important player. "It definitely means a lot that they asked me," Francis said. "I think it showed that I've matured and (the Rockets) want this to be my team and I'm in a leadership role." Which leads to the not-so little-known fact: The Rockets can't waste much more time hoping for a big turnaround. For the club's sake and because this summer they hope to secure Francis with a long-term deal, the team needs to show vast progress. For two seasons now, Francis and Cuttino Mobley have led the Rockets' charge, with Francis becoming the leader on and off the floor and Mobley maturing into a huge scoring threat. Mobley last year received a new long-term contract. Francis has just one more year on his contract, but the Rockets have indicated they would offer a seven-year, big-money extension this summer. Francis likely will take the offer, but a great draft would go a long way toward making Francis the face of this franchise in more ways than just on stage at the NBA Entertainment studios. The Rockets and Francis have a huge investment in what happens today and this summer's draft. "This is a real important year for us, you don't get these kinds of chances very often," Francis said. "We've got two good chances to get two good players early. I really think we're going to take advantage. We have to take advantage." For the Rockets' sake, they must. And for the sake of the franchise guard they hope to keep around for at least seven more years, they must. That's why Francis was the choice to represent the team at today's lottery. He represents those rare franchise players who have a say and a stake in how a team builds for its future. Certainly, the Rockets' front office will have the final say in what players it will draft, no matter if Francis' luck brings the No. 1 overall selection or -- in the worst-case scenario -- the No. 8 pick. But coach Rudy Tomjanovich and general manager Carroll Dawson have entrusted Francis with more than lottery luck. Francis has met with Tomjanovich and Dawson since the end of the season, offering input on the top players in the draft and how he thinks they would fit in. "Everyone in my position thinks they know how certain players can help the team," Francis said. "I've said some things that I think they can probably listen to and process. I told Rudy and (Dawson) what I thought and who I liked ... and they're not all (Maryland) Terps, either." School pride doesn't count here and now. This is too big, too important. The future of the Rockets is at stake and taking center stage will be the heart of that future. "I hope I'm lucky," Francis said. "No pressure, but I hope it works out." The old bingo player in Francis feels good about it. He's feeling lucky. Francis is not much into good-luck charms, but he says he will pick out a special suit to wear for the event and take a nap before heading to the studios, as he does before every Rockets game. At roughly 5:30 p.m. today, the Rockets hope to hear those magical words from Francis. Bingo!
No matter where the picks end up, or who we lose. I don't care. I have this HUGE, STRONG feeling we're going to come out of the offseason with changes. Not major, not minor. But it/they will make us a better team.
