Ric Bucher: The case of Steve Francis , from ESPN.com

That is actually the first unbiased, knowledgeable and insightful article I have read about the Rockets from ESPN all year long. Kudos to Bucher. And a Snickers too.

 

Not the kind of post I want to read on Game day...on this game day

Thanks

 

man, i hear what francis says and i see how hard he plays, and i really want him to stay, but........

i just don't see this team progressing much anymore. we're just as inconsistent, and we make the same bonehead mistakes we were making at the begininng of the season. it's frustrating.

if he could start nailing his mid-range, i'd be all for moving him to the two and then trading mobley for a real point. take the pressure of being the point off him - let him create w/o the ball.

but if not..........

 

Creditbility.

 

I like Steve a lot... and if I had my choice, I'd wish that he would retire a Rocket, go into the Hall of Fame, and lead us to a couple of championships along the way. I think he gets a lot of deserved criticism for how he manages the mental aspects of the game.

All things considered, if we're a better team without Steve, then I say by all means make that move.

However, hearing van Gundy speak of Steve's effort and play like he did made me feel good. It's just that everytime you think Steve is "getting it," he has lapses in concentration and play that make you wonder if he will ever get it.

Bottom line, championships over continued player loyalty. Hey OT was shipped out, and most people were pissed, but they got over it and came out to celebrate the championships on the strip.

Go Rockets.

 

pgabriel- Bucher said "winning record and a playoff berth." I stumbled on his wording there, but it's true. Steve has led 3 of his 4 teams (I'm excluding the year he was injured forever) to winning records, and the only one he didn't was in his rookie year. But this is his first winning and playoff-bound team.

 

Okay, but he should have left off winning record. What's the point, he makes just as strong a case with saying playoff birth and to a reader who really doesn't follow the Rockets, they may assume it is the first winning record with Steve.

 

WOW, is this really coming out of JVG's mouth? Yao really proved himself to him then!

Do anyone know what are the plays/games he was refered to? I thought Yao didn't play very well near the end of the season.

 

This Bucher article is awful... he tries to paint it as a picture of "Steve Francis' days are numbered", yet none of his quotes or evidence supports that... in fact, they downright contradict it.

The article focuses more at the beggining of, "Can Steve be one of the all time greats," rather than should the Rockets trade Steve.

Then, after pointing out that adjusting to JVG has been a slow, yet productive, process.... he bashes both his performances in the playoffs with some pretty sketchy logic. (how did Steve shut-down the offense in game 2? I thought Yao's 1-6 quarter pretty much did that on its own).

Then, he just throws his arms up at the end when predicting the future. "Will it be like Antoine Walkers? or Rasheed Wallaces? Who cares... as long as I'm working for ESPN and you're not."

Great insight Bucher... maybe you should join your friend John Lopez, and together you can write all the awful columns, that don't really say anything at all, that you want.

 

Pretty worthless article for all the reasons Nick mentioned. I'm by no means a Francis apologist, but I cannot fathom how anyone can criticize Steve's performance in Game 2. He slowed down the offense because he was dribbling the ball? So I guess Kobe Bryant just shoots the ball the second he touches it? What's Steve supposed to do, stand there and watch Yao Ming drop passes and get his panties handed to him by a 40 yr old? I've been as critical of Steve's play this year as anyone else, but it's the turnovers and decision making that irk me. For the most part, he was under control in Game 2. To criticize his play that game is ridiculous.

 

I don't understand something here. Steve isn't considered to be the cornerstone on this team anymore. But if the team fails, he's the one accused of failing to lead his team to victory?

Maybe I'm just confused, but I thought it was Yao's job to lead the team to victory ... I mean isn't that the reasoning behind designing and imlementing a new system catered to Yao? Guys like Bucher and Lopez seem to be ignoring reality here: Yao doesn't look like he's ready yet. He may be ready in a couple of years or so, but he certainly isn't showing readiness now. Let's face it. If the team fails in the play-offs, it'll be because the system failed, and Yao wasn't ready to assert his dominion over the opponent --- and/or because the opponent was just a better team.

It's a serious fallacy to just blame it all on Steve's failure to lead the team when he's been put in a position that doesn't allow him to be the leader on the court anymore, a position that doesn't allow him to assert his will. If you take the reins of leadership out of his hands, how do you expect him to lead? Under the circumstances, I think Steve's done a good job (so far) of leading the team in the play-offs considering he's playing in a system that wasn't designed for him to be its leader.

 

I admit I don't like Ric Buchker and usually find his opinions and articles CRAP but this was the first time he has written something good. It was amazing to read quotes from JVG actually complimenting Steve and Yao instead of trashing them as he usually does without mentioning them by name. I really hope Steve is here for the long-term but if he is traded I will have a second team to route for. Peace.

 

Exactly!!! I agree...Steve gets the blame for everything. Another thing that bothers me is that people want to trade him ( b/c he has never led the team to the playoffs and isn't a franchise player) for Elton Brand who, undoubtebly is a really good player, but has only been on an NBA team that has had a winning season once, if that, in his career.

 

Yao himself admitted openly that he is not ready yet to carry the team on his back alone. And even Shaq at his prime needs Kobe to win the title. To play in the super tough west, Yao needs SF3, and probably more to get us to the promised land.

 

Steve Francis is playing the position of Point Guard and the Point Guard is the General on the Court. Yao Ming is possibly the best Player and leads the direction that the Team is moving to but remember he is only in his second year and still learning the NBA Game, hes not ready to lead the Team and won't as the team has its leader in Francis.

 

ive been trying to say that to steve-bashers for a long time, alas, they still dont listen. but, a very very good point there wigman! steve shouldnt get all the blame coz the team loses. heck, people here doesnt even consider him the leader anymore.. then who is? yao? cat? jj? the reason why steve is havin a mediocre season is because jvg's system is centered only to yao. im not saying its a bad thing. it will help yao in the long run! all im saying is steve plays he's heart out night in and night out. he has the "i must win every night" attitude. he's number's season doesnt give justice to how hard he plays every night. now, dont say he's havin too many turnovers. jason kidd and allen iverson has the same t/opg. we might not see him as a leader when he handles the ball and playing the point, but i do consider him a leader when it comes to playing with hardwork, heart, passion and intensity.

 

Possibly the best article about the Steve Francis situation and the Rockets from an outside source that I've seen this season.

 

I also don't understand how you can bash francis for his play in game 2. He had a triple double and like 2 turnovers. Yes, there was one play where he dribbled the clock out and tried to go one on one against Kobe, but any other year he would hit that shot at least half the time. Francis' teammates did not step up. Cat had what, 9 points? Yao disappeared in the second half. No one can hit a 3. Bucher's article is crap.

 

In an inside-out system, it is the inside player who dominates the ball and is the "General" making the decision to either shoot or pass to the open man. The Point Guard's traditional "run the offense" role is greatly reduced.