Steve is really upset about getting Ming. I tend to agree more with Rudy and CD's vision of how the team should proceed than I agree with Steve's, but everyone is entitled to their opinion, and evidently Steve has a very strong one. But... Steve, despite his own wishes on the draft, has never gone public with any threats to disrupt the team or leave. He hasn't demanded a trade, publically bashed Rudy, CD, Ming or anyone else. He's been diplomatic in interviews, and kept any disagreements he's had in private where they belong. Steve is actually handling it in a professional manner. I applaude him for that. I doubt Steve knows more about what the team needs to move to the next level than Rudy and CD. But he obviously has his own beliefs, and apparently has the confidence to stand by them. I think plenty of times players take their grievances to the media, and handle things in a selfish and unprofessional way. Steve at least has the maturity to keep it internal. I believe it's this same professional attitude that will enable him to evntually try his best regardless of who the Rockets select with the draft, and should the team show improvement, and things work out well, then I doubt Francis will have any lingering resentment. Steve's professionalism is the key, and if he holds the same course then I'm not that worried.
You are correct sir! I totally agree, people were quick to bash Steve on speculation that he was angry about the Rockets taking Ming. Yet all of the people that have demanded that he be traded or called him immature, have failed to point out his profesionalism in handling the matter. He has an opinion, and everybody is pissed with him for not being a good little conformist and agreeing with everything the team tells him to. But he keeps it in the inner circle of the team where it belongs. In his 3 years here, he has been a media darling. Except for the DWI and Barkley calling him out (but the Chuckster didn't mature until his late 30's so he shouldn't be one to talk, even though he is the funniest guy on tv and i hope he never stops talking), there hasn't been any crazy problems with Francis. He is always candid, never controversial. If he had a real problem with Ming, he would have said more about it than not saying anything at all. This is all going to blow over and we are going to laugh at all the people that wanted to trade him when he makes the allstar team and 2nd team all NBA honers this year. For you stat gurus who complain about his PG skills, he improved during his 2nd year. In the month that he played before his injury, he nearly had a 2.00 ast/to ratio. I'm going to take it easy on the guy and assume that an injury riddled, migraine headache of a year, Steve had to much to deal with to play at his best.
True, and in some categories he even improved last year despite all the injuries he and everyone else on the team incurred.
