Steve Francis decides on Houston
July 19th, 2007by John
You probably already heard the news about Steve Francis turning down more lucrative opportunities from the LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat to come back to Houston. It’s reported that Yao and Tracy McGrady recruited Steve to come back, and I guess it made a difference.
Still, I’m shocked he didn’t go to the Clippers to be with good friend Cuttino Mobley and business partner Sam Cassell for more money. Considering Cassell is old and Shaun Livingston blew out both knees last season, LA needs more guard help than the Rockets.
I’m not as excited about this move for the Rockets as the Mike James, Luis Scola and Bonzi Wells deals this off-season. I have a feeling that Francis hasn’t matured enough and will expect to plop himself back into the starting lineup like a few years ago before he was traded. Francis has that kind of ego, and perhaps his motivation to come back to Houston for less money is to prove the world wrong after the Magic, Knicks and Trailblazers gave up on him.
This is a dangerous and combustible addition, especially since I expect Mike James to start at point guard. Francis may think otherwise (that’s one of the Houston Chronicle writers wrote).
It would be one thing if Francis was on the tail-end of his career, was trying to win a ring, and was willing to play limited minutes a la Michael Finley with the Spurs. But Francis just turned 30 years old, and is probably a few more years away from taking the Finley route. Something tells me he still wants to be The Man.
The problem is that there just isn’t that many balls to go around: give or take a few, the order of priority for the Houston offense is 1) Yao 1a) McGrady 3) Mike James 4) Luis Scola 5) Bonzi Wells.
And don’t forget about guys like Luther Head, Shane Battier, and Rafer Alston. I just don’t think Francis can handle shooting the ball just a few times each game. If he does more than that, then I’m very worried he’ll take higher percentage shots from the aforementioned in favor of those awful shots we saw him jack up when he was a Rocket.
In addition, there are so many great stories to watch this coming season for the Rockets that everyone will be fixated on, like…
- Can McGrady get his team over the hump and win a playoff series?
- How much of an impact will Scola make on the team?
- Can Mike James bring back the scoring punch and effectiveness the Rockets missed after they stupidly traded him for Rafer Alston a couple of seasons ago?
- How will Alston take the demotion to backup…that is, if he stays around?
- Can Bonzi make a comeback after being in JVG’s doghouse last season?
- How will Rick Adelman’s coaching philosophy change the Rockets, and how will he blend all the new pieces together?
When in Houston, Francis became accustomed to being the big story along with Yao. Now he’s going to be taking a back seat to more talented players like Yao, McGrady, Scola, Battier, and James? I don’t think so. I just don’t think he will be able to handle being a bit role player compared to these other guys, and he could become a 2007 Spanoulis-esque and Bonzi-esque distraction.
The only way it can work out is if Francis has changed his ways and is willing to do exactly what Adelman tells him to do. We saw how that worked out when Jeff Van Gundy was his coach.
July 19th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. This move unsettles me, whereas the others thrilled me (sans the coaching change).
Also, are you sure that James will start over Alston? I realize Alston can’t shoot, while James can, but Alston has always had a better turnover to assist ratio, and in many ways was a good point guard. His lack of penetration ability, ability to finish at the rim, and poor streaky shooting are obvious, but also overshadow his ability to pass and run an efficient offense.
I really liked when James was the sixth man. It allowed him to jack up as many shots as he wanted without penalizing the touches for Yao and Tmac (and yes, he is shot happy, that’s why his numbers in Toronto are somewhat inflated).
Thanks for always staying on top of things and keeping us informed.
July 20th, 2007 at 12:57 am
I would argue that Francis is way more talented a player than Battier and Mike James. Definitely when comparing Francis to James, Francis is bigger, more athletic, and better at creating than James. James might be considered a better shooter. But don’t forget the Rockets final series against the Lakers, I thought Francis did a tremendous job in that series. Even though we lost. I would like to see Francis start at PG and MJ coming off the bench. If Francis is willing to be the sixth man and come off the bench like Manu does in San Antonio, that would be wonderful.
July 20th, 2007 at 1:53 am
John,
I’m with you. I was hoping the last days, that Francis will NOT go to Houston, I just can’t see any room for him in the Rockets line up. It seemes like the erfect composition before Steve’s ego come in. But a cheap Steve Francis was perhaps too much of a temptation for Morey (thank’s to Portland who are actually paying the salary).
I’m worried now, hopefully all the good work by Morey (Scola etc.) were not ruined by this one …
Anyhow, since it has been done anyway, let’s hope the Franchise has really matured, accept his new role, and the Rockets, dare I to say it, repeat the story of the 2006 Heat: Starstudded Team that nds up with Championship
July 20th, 2007 at 9:00 am
I am not excited about SF’s return as some other people. He looked like a damaged goods in Knicks’ uniform. If he is to be a factor in the team’s run to the championship, he has to be extremely motivated. He has to work hard, and be coachable and unselfish. No more I-don’t-want-to-fly-with-the-team-because I want to-watch-the-Superbowl stuff.
July 20th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
John, I normally agree with you (90%+ of the time), but this time I beg to differ. Francis if healthy is still way better than any of the guards on the current roster and can easily be the starter. His style also fits well with Adelman’s offense. He does have some attitude problem at Magic, but I think he was by and large a good citizen in Houston (except the superbowl act). He is fully aware of the fact that this is an M&M team now, so it is reasonable to assume that he is ready to play a good supporting role similar to Finley when he chose to come back to Houston. In the worst case he blow both his knees in training camp and rockets waste 2.5m. Best case he can provide 15-6-5 day in day out, and play a bigger role if one of M&M got injured in regular season. I say it’s a no-brainer!
Regarding your statement that “Francis if healthy is still way better than any of the guards on the current roster,” remember that McGrady is a guard. Francis isn’t better than him, and I think Mike James is better than Francis. Rafer Alston and Francis are probably a tie. So that makes Francis tied for third. I still think it’s a risk worth taking, but Francis will have to prove he is much more mature in his game (cut down on the turnovers, better shot selection, don’t dribble so much trying to play one-on-one).