Steve Francis Decides to Return to Houston

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Steve Francis to return to Rockets
Three-time All-Star picks former team over Heat, Mavs and Clippers


By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Francis chose the Rockets over the Heat, Mavericks and Clippers, his agent Jeff Fried said on Thursday.

"I just hung up with Daryl (Morey, the Rockets general manager)," Fried said. "He is dealing with facilitating the contract.

"It's a combination of a variety of factors including the fit with the team, a comfortableness with the organization and a familiarity with the surroundings. He has a home in Houston. In so many ways, it has remained his home, despite some interim stops, Orlando and New York.

"For Steve, it's coming home."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4982185.html

[Kermit]

Wow. That solves their point guard problems.

[mardigan]

Hahahaha, now there off-season rating will slide down to a f

[Kermit]

It's funny until you realize that he's 100,000 x's better than Rafer.

[mardigan]

^^Yea he is, but bringing in James, Brooks and Francis all at once seems a little much, does that mean Rafer is gone?

[duncan228]

The Clippers must be bummed.

[mardigan]

The Clippers must be bummed.
you mean Mobley must be bummed

[monosylab1k]

between Rafer, James, and Francis, this team has a shitload of chuckers. McGrady's head will explode before the season is finished.

[Kermit]

^^Yea he is, but bringing in James, Brooks and Francis all at once seems a little much, does that mean Rafer is gone?

He's got to be. They still owe him $10 million though. Maybe they'll have Steve back up Tracy at the 2. Damn. Four PGs?

[monosylab1k]

one thing is certain - houston will lead the league in "total number of ill advised three pointers jacked up with 20 seconds left on the shot clock"

[Kermit]

one thing is certain - houston will lead the league in "total number of ill advised three pointers jacked up with 20 seconds left on the shot clock"
Easily. Golden State might make an argument.

[Shred]

Locker room poison.

[spursreport]

While it may be possible that this could hurt team chemistry, it is also very possible that this could make Houston a sick ass team. Say what you want but Houston has really addressed their supporting cast issues right now on paper. They have more than enough scorers to help out Yao and Tmac. IF they play together and can stay healthy, this team will make ALOT of noise.

[monosylab1k]

Easily. Golden State might make an argument.
haha true, but Golden State will make theirs.

[Flo-Rida]

between Rafer, James, and Francis, this team has a shitload of chuckers. McGrady's head will explode before the season is finished.
very very true none of those are pass first execpt somettimes rafer

[ArgSpursFan]

So the rockets are for real this season,huh?
francis,james,T-mac,Scola & Yao=interesting lineup.
but Not Defensive at all though.

[mardigan]

I dont know how there will be enough ball to share with 3 ball hogging points, T-Mac, Yao, Bonzi, and now Scola

[DOMINATOR]

FUCK i don't like this move at all... James and francis are practically the same player. francis better have agreed to not dribble the ball for an hour then chuck it up.
francis + james + bonzi + Tmac = bad chemistry

this is a step backwards FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

[spursreport]

FUCK i don't like this move at all... James and francis are practically the same player. francis better have agreed to not dribble the ball for an hour then chuck it up.
francis + james + bonzi + Tmac = bad chemistry

this is a step backwards FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

Walker+Payton+Shaq+Wade+Zo+J Will=bad chemistry. Oh wait they won a championship with a roster that many said would implode. While I am not saying 2007 Rox=2006 Heat I am saying this could turn out to make Houston deadly.

[DOMINATOR]

Walker+Payton+Shaq+Wade+Zo+J Will=bad chemistry. Oh wait they won a championship with a roster that many said would implode. While I am not saying 2007 Rox=2006 Heat I am saying this could turn out to make Houston deadly.
yes but adelman sure as hell has his hands full.
at least their clearing the mess out... john lucas 3 is going to the Hornets supposedly.
guess rafer/sura combo is next

[spursreport]

yes but adelman sure as hell has his hands full.
at least their clearing the mess out... john lucas 3 is going to the Hornets supposedly.
guess rafer/sura combo is next

Are you guys going to resign Hayes? I also wonder who Rafer/Sura will be dealt to

[bdictjames]

He's still a former All-Star (I think), so does Houston have the most talent in the league now? They might actually get out of the first round this time

[DOMINATOR]

Are you guys going to resign Hayes? I also wonder who Rafer/Sura will be dealt to
yeah morey said he was offering a contract... dunno if it's a done deal yet.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I said it the last two Rockets pre-seasons, I said it earlier this year, and I'm saying it again now. The Rockets probably have the widest range of very possible outcomes of any team.

One one end Scola could be the player he's cracked up to be, Wells (in a contract year and back with Adelman) gets his shit together and plays like we know he can, they stay healthy, and Adelman ups the offensive tempo enough that everybody gets enough touches to keep them happy. I could see that happen.

Equally likely T-Mac gets hurt again, Francis goes toxic in the locker room, and Bonzi Wells singlehandedly raises Shipley's stock by 4 points.

This is a team that is going to be equally dangerous to their opponents and themselves.

[bdictjames]

This is a team that is going to be equally dangerous to their opponents and themselves.
That's all I needed to hear.

[shyne]

you mean Mobley must be bummed

You mean Mobley's bum must be bummed.
:cry

[JamStone]

Mobley jealous of Yao Ming? He knew something was up with those two.

[mavsfan1000]

Houston needs a power forward still. Should be an interesting chemistry next year. Francis doesn't like passing to Yao though or to anyone for that matter except his buddy Mobley.

[florige]

I expect them to FINALLY make it out the first round next year. But I don't worry about them on the same level as Dallas and Phx yet. I guess alot depends on too how good Scola turns out to be. On the Francis deal I think as long as Adelman can get through Francis' thick skull what his role is it shouldn't be a problem. I'm still shocked that he didn't go to LA to be with Mobley. Must have been about the Benji's.

[spurscenter]

WOW

WATCH OUT FOR HOUSTON,

FRANCIS wants to rebuild his image, he will shine .

McGRADY, FRANCIS, YAO and SCOLA

WOW

WOW

Watch Out.

ADELMAN is the coach, DONT FORGET. he is no slouch.


"I think he sees this as a rebirth, as a restart of his career," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.


I think Houston just arrived.

NO ONE WILL WANT TO COME TO TEXAS, Dallas, S.A. , Houston, is the worst 3 days of any team's life.

WOW

This is big guys, dont downplay this as if they will only get out of the 1st round and stuff.

These are big moves that have changed the dynamics of the west yet again.

[JamStone]

I'm guessing the Rockets hope Scola is ready right away. If not, they still have Chuck Hayes (reportedly he'll be re-signed) to start until Scola is ready, and Carl Landry might surprise as well. They definitely need better production and more athleticism from the power forward spot, but at least they have options in Scola, Landry, and perhaps even Jackie Butler to go along with Hayes.

As for Francis passing or not passing to Yao, I'm sure his experiences in Orlando and New York has humbled him somewhat. Choosing to go back to Houston over the Clippers or Miami probably demonstrates that he wants the challenge of playing with Yao Ming and T-Mac to help put them closer to title contention. I think the easy thing to do would have been join Miami or to the Clippers to be with his best buddy Cat. After playing with Marbury and seeing how talent alone can't help a team win, we might expect him to be determined to be a better, more unselfish player to help the Rockets win.

I guess we'll have to wait and see though.

[boutons_]

If Franchise gets enough minutes, Rox will struggle to get above 5th seed.

New coach of long career but not top rank, lots of new players, Yao and Tracy fragile, Franchise a perennial loser, Scola an unproven rookie, Rockets gonna have a tough year.

[spurscenter]

Franics will not be selfish. he wants to win now and leave a champion.

[JamStone]

Steve Francis >> Mike James >> Rafer Alston >> Aaron Brooks
Tracy McGrady >> Bonzi Wells >> Luther Head
Shane Battier >> Kirk Snyder >> Steve Novak >> Justin Reed
Luis Scola >> Chuck Hayes >> Carl Landry
Yao Ming >> Dikembe Mutombo >> Jackie Butler

That looks like a solid team on paper, even for the Western Conference. They also still have trading pieces like Alston, Luther Head, and Bobby Sura's expiring contract with a million dollar buyout. They might not be done. I think they'll be an interesting team to watch all year round. Can they stay healthy for the most part? That might be one of the bigger questions that could determine the success of that team.

[JamStone]

If Franchise gets enough minutes, Rox will struggle to get above 5th seed.

New coach of long career but not top rank, lots of new players, Yao and Tracy fragile, Franchise a perennial loser, Scola an unproven rookie, Rockets gonna have a tough year.


That's an extremely negative way of looking at it.

If they do stay healthy, they have a lot of talent and could be a real contender in the West. If Francis adjusts his game to be more of a scoring role player than a number 1 or number 2 option, that Rockets team could be one of the best teams in the entire league.

[DOMINATOR]

T-Mac talks about Francis signing (Video) (http://www.click2houston.com/video/13717432/index.html)

[Dalhoop]

The Rockets always look good on paper, its their health that is the issue. Francis becomes the starting PG ... T-Mac needs the ball, Bonzi needs the ball, Yao needs the ball, Scola needs the ball. Battier will be aboutt he only "team player" on the squad.

All these players will be counting on Steve to pass them the ball ... Health will not be the only problem with the Rockets this year.

[mardigan]

T-Mac talks about Francis signing (Video) (http://www.click2houston.com/video/13717432/index.html)
:lol He said Scola was a nice addition, and then went on to say they still need a 4 who can rebound and play good d

Good interview

[Dreamshake]

Lost in this conversation is that Houston with Yao down 30 games last year and TMac out a bit, with JVG's boring ball, the Rox still won 52 games and took the Jazz to Seven (eventual WC Finalist). All the Rox have done is delete Juwon Howard...no big deal, added Bonzi Wells (according to reports is in much better shape this year), added Mike James who is a definate upgrade to Rafer Alston, added Steve Francis, who is a definate upgrade to Rafer Alston. Then got Louis Scola and Jackie Butler. And hand picked an offensive minded coach. I dont know, seems like a pretty good offseason of additions to me. I still think we need a veteran PF with size and muscle, but that may still come with Sura's expiring contract, Luther Head, Rafer Alston all that can be dangled, especially with teams just Dying for PG help like Miami.

[Dalhoop]

Lost in this conversation is that Houston with Yao down 30 games last year and TMac out a bit, with JVG's boring ball, the Rox still won 52 games

It was because of the "slow it down" pace that the Rockets played last year that made up for the loss of the star players. Without Yao or TMac the Rockets could still score 80 points, With the style of play they could hold their opponent to under 80.

With the loosening of the offense comes more posessions with means that scores will go up .... Will the Rockets still be able to keep up with the higher scoring pace with the same injuries?

A team adds James and Francis ... Both play PG-SG, they already have Head, Alson, Bonzi and T-mac all of which also play PG-SG ... The names look good, but how will the playing time play out? Unless the Rockets plan on going the Warrior route with playing all guards and forwards, some of these guys will not see the floor ... If Francis, Bonzi, T-Mac or James don't see the floor very much just how happy do you expect the locker room to be?

They do need to trade some smalls for a big, but will he be a starting PF in the league? For Head and Alston and a contract? ... Thats not a whole lot to be getting for a PF that can make an impact.

PF will be the problem with the Rockets (If Scola doesn't learn the bigboy game quickly)

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

He said Scola was a nice addition, and then went on to say they still need a 4 who can rebound and play good d
Pwnt.

[DOMINATOR]

It was because of the "slow it down" pace that the Rockets played last year that made up for the loss of the star players. Without Yao or TMac the Rockets could still score 80 points, With the style of play they could hold their opponent to under 80.
you do know rockets were like 0-7 with tmac/yao both out of the lineup.
and while yao was out JVG actually picked the tempo up and pushed the ball.

[JamStone]

It's pretty obvious that Luther Head and Rafer Alston are out, whether by trade or by being at the end of the bench.

Bonzi or T-Mac can spend time at the small forward spot, which will open up minutes at the guard spots. I don't see a playing time issue with anyone but Mike James. And, he's going to have to deal with it like any other quality back-up point guard in the league.

[DOMINATOR]

could Battier be traded next? along with rafer/head. would have to get a solid PF in return. move T-mac to the 3.
i dont think it would be a good move considering battier is the ultimate glue guy but it would an interesting thought to toy around with.

[O-Factor]

you mean Mobley must be bummed

LOL, thats funny

[Flo-Rida]

Houston needs a power forward still. Should be an interesting chemistry next year. Francis doesn't like passing to Yao though or to anyone for that matter except his buddy Mobley.
There has been a rumor that they want haslem

[Roxsfan]

While it may be possible that this could hurt team chemistry, it is also very possible that this could make Houston a sick ass team. Say what you want but Houston has really addressed their supporting cast issues right now on paper. They have more than enough scorers to help out Yao and Tmac. IF they play together and can stay healthy, this team will make ALOT of noise.


If health sustains, yes you are correct. I love that he had to leave to bring in mac and now we get him back.....lovely, just lovely. Is it October yet......or better yet....November? :pctoss :elephant





I dont know how there will be enough ball to share with 3 ball hogging points, T-Mac, Yao, Bonzi, and now Scola

Depth is a son of a bitch, isn't it? Adelman will take care of that.




FUCK i don't like this move at all... James and francis are practically the same player. francis better have agreed to not dribble the ball for an hour then chuck it up.
francis + james + bonzi + Tmac = bad chemistry

this is a step backwards FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

Relax, steve has been humbled thru his tour thru the association. He has matured and wants to clean his image and win a championship. Pl do not judge him strictly based on his previous play in Houston. Perhaps you must wait and see if this works before you are on board....but be open minded.

[O-Factor]

"I can't put it into words. Playing with a guy, living with a guy, just knowing that every day when I wake up that's something I can count on, that I'm going to be in practice or in a game with Cuttino. Him not being here is going to be tough for me. I don't know what I'm going to wake up for."
-- Steve Francis on the Cuttino Mobley trade

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

What a fag. :lol

[Roxsfan]

http://clutchfans.com/news/1430/second_coming_francis_to_return/



Since Wednesday morning, rumors have been swirling from the Toyota Center that Steve Francis was set to be a Rocket once again.
Not that the Rockets were in the running, nor that they were the frontrunners to land the free agent ... but that it was done -- Francis was returning to Houston.

Why was the buzz so strong?

Word was the Rockets had ordered Francis' new Rockets jersey made for a signing press conference, and sources told ClutchFans that his new jersey was already hanging in his locker. Several scoops appeared on the BBS thoughout the day, but no one with the Rockets would touch the report, on or off the record, that a Francis signing was imminent.

But on Thursday, Francis' agent Jeff Fried broke the silence and the word was out: The Franchise is coming home.

It's a truly stunning move for the Rockets in yet another "something-for-nothing" move by Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who is looking more and more like he's upgrading the roster on a video game. The new executive used the Morey edition of NBA 2K8 to bring home the one star player who bridged the gap in Houston pro hoops between the eras of Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming.

The Rockets acquired Francis as a rookie in a 3-team, 11-player blockbuster deal back in 1999 after Steve, drafted #2 overall by Vancouver, had problems with the Grizzlies (primarily that they were located north of the border).

Francis promptly won co-Rookie of the Year his first season and averaged over 19 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds in five years in Houston.

To Weisbrod (verb)

Signing Steve Francis turns the word "Weisbrod" into a formal name (e.g. Allan Houston Rule), meaning "a transaction so ridiculous that ALL the principal players in the trade eventually end up playing on the same team."

Ex. "I think this offer from the Celtics is pretty much a Weisbrod." or "We trade Padgett for Garnett, and Weisbrod him back in two or three years."

-- CBrownFanClub of the Clutch BBS


In the summer of 2004 the Rockets traded Francis to Orlando, along with Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato, for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines. Francis had a strong first season with the Magic (21.3 points, 7 assists) before tailing off in his second year and being sent to New York in a trade.

Francis was brought in to a mess of a situation with the Knicks and never found his niche, playing behind or alongside a similar guard in Stephon Marbury. Steve averaged career-lows last season in New York, averaging 11.3 points on 40.8% shooting in just 28.3 minutes a night, though his three-point shooting (37.8%) and free throws (82.9%) were improved.

From a marketing standpoint, adding Francis is a coup for Rockets owner Les Alexander as he gets a big name star with Houston roots and history to join forces with Tracy and Yao.

Yao. T-Mac. Francis. Wow.

From a basketball standpoint? That's tough to say right now. Francis, at 30 years old, has shown signs of decline. He also has never been much of a sure-handed point. The Rockets are also loaded with "small guards" who expect playing time. Clearly a player or players are going to be moved very soon, and all signs point to Rafer Alston and/or Luther Head right now.

The big question now is how will Francis and James do manning the point?

But at this cost? It's a ridiculous no-brainer. And right now the Rockets are deep -- very, very deep. I'm not sure if they are elite in the West, but their bench is probably a contender in the East.

Last year the Rockets didn't have anyone they could use to create their own shot outside of their top two players. This season? The Rockets are loaded with talent, reminiscient of the late 90's Trailblazers or 2003-04 Mavericks. They can throw out Francis, James, Bonzi Wells and possibly Aaron Brooks as instant offense.... not to mention Luis Scola is a very skilled offensive player.

This is all on top of a core of Yao, T-Mac and Shane Battier.

It's basketball, so the question has to be posed if one basketball will be enough to please all these players (see: egos), but that's a problem I'd rather face than ask who could we possibly turn to when the defense is taking away our primary options.

Right now, there have to be some concerned fans of Western Conference teams, because it's been one hell of a summer for the Rockets.


ClutchFans
McGrady thrilled with Francis addition
ClutchFans
Potential Rocket Profile: Steve Francis

[Findog]

Nobody's had a better offseason that Houston. Francis isn't quite the savior some Houston fans are making him out to be, but at the very least he's injury insurance for Mike James.

[Supergirl]

awesome, before i thought the rockets were cruising and finally had enough pieces to get tracy mcgrady out of he first round.

now i think francis will find a way to fuck it all up. dude has been a cancer for every team he's ever played on.

[Roxsfan]

awesome, before i thought the rockets were cruising and finally had enough pieces to get tracy mcgrady out of he first round.

now i think francis will find a way to fuck it all up. dude has been a cancer for every team he's ever played on.
:rolleyes

[baseline bum]

Shit. Looks like Francis becomes the guaranteed All-Star starting point guard again. :(

[MWILL]

Thanks Stevie, for not coming here. :spin

[resistanze]

"I can't put it into words. Playing with a guy, living with a guy, just knowing that every day when I wake up that's something I can count on, that I'm going to be in practice or in a game with Cuttino. Him not being here is going to be tough for me. I don't know what I'm going to wake up for."
-- Steve Francis on the Cuttino Mobley trade
LMAO.

[icem]

how has steve francis been a "cancer" on ANY team hes been on ?

francis was a great player until JVG came in and tried to turn him into charlie ward. he tried to make the rockets an inside-out team when yao was nowhere near ready to be the main guy. in orlando and in new york, francis was not a cancer, those teams just werent very good with or without him. when has francis ever been a problem in the locker room other than when they traded mobley in orlando for doug cristie (basically gave away their 2nd leading scorer for NOTHING) ?

i do not understand why francis gets called a "cancer" when he hasnt done anything to merit it.

[Roxsfan]

how has steve francis been a "cancer" on ANY team hes been on ?

francis was a great player until JVG came in and tried to turn him into charlie ward. he tried to make the rockets an inside-out team when yao was nowhere near ready to be the main guy. in orlando and in new york, francis was not a cancer, those teams just werent very good with or without him. when has francis ever been a problem in the locker room other than when they traded mobley in orlando for doug cristie (basically gave away their 2nd leading scorer for NOTHING) ?

i do not understand why francis gets called a "cancer" when he hasnt done anything to merit it.


something about not taking the team plane to a road trip to be at the Reliant Center for the Superbowl, then taking his jet to the road trip........err he loves to dribble or whatever.

[Supergirl]

You know, when a player can't get along with 1 team/coach, maybe it's them, but when it happens, 2, 3, or 4 times, I think it's time to take a look at yourself. It can't ALWAYS be everyone else. So at this point, if I were a team, I wouldn't touch Steve Francis with a 10 foot pole.

[Dreamshake]

How about using real information then.


Steve had 0 Issues with Rudy T.

Steve had 1 incident with wanting to go to a superbowl party and flying back in time for his team event. Whoa. JVG was on record as to saying that Steve was a great player, and that he would love to have him back.

Steve was upset at the Magic, who were still in a playoff hunt at the time, trading away their 2nd best player for the pile of dog poo that was Doug Christie.

Steve had no issues with Isiah. Actually Isiah just called Steve's agent and had this to say.


"Isiah just called to tell me how ecstatic he was for Steve. He felt it was the right fit and how he felt that we have now caused him tremendous headaches because he believes that Houston is going to be a force in this league next year,"

Over exaggerate much when making a *cough* point?

[JamStone]

He didn't get along with Jeff Van Gundy, but he didn't want to leave Houston. He got along fine with Yao. He was fine in Orlando until they traded Cuttino. It was just that Orlando wasn't winning. And, as fucked up as the Knicks have been over the last three years, Steve Francis was not a problem on or off the court. Where are all these examples of him not getting along with teammates or coaches? It's one example with Jeff Van Gundy. He's been in situations that weren't good. But, teams not playing well doesn't mean he wasn't getting along with coaches or teammates.

[Dreamshake]

It was because of the "slow it down" pace that the Rockets played last year that made up for the loss of the star players. Without Yao or TMac the Rockets could still score 80 points, With the style of play they could hold their opponent to under 80.

As already noted, the Rox didnt win a game with TMac and Yao out. And I believe were 1-7 or something with TMac out. Misinformation does not = truth.


With the loosening of the offense comes more posessions with means that scores will go up .... Will the Rockets still be able to keep up with the higher scoring pace with the same injuries?

Ok, Tmac played most of the year with no probs, and Yao had his leg rolled over on, came back early and played pretty damn decent ball. I dont think injury bug will be too much of an issue this year.


A team adds James and Francis ... Both play PG-SG, they already have Head, Alson, Bonzi and T-mac all of which also play PG-SG ... The names look good, but how will the playing time play out? Unless the Rockets plan on going the Warrior route with playing all guards and forwards, some of these guys will not see the floor ... If Francis, Bonzi, T-Mac or James don't see the floor very much just how happy do you expect the locker room to be?


Here let me help you out.

-The rox could go big with Tmac playing the point.

Bonzi/TMac/Battier/Butler/Yao and then drop a second team of Francis/James/Snyder/Scola/Deke

-If they wanted to play small ball they could do this for speed.

Francis/Head/Tmac/Hayes/Scola

-For a defensive team they could do

James/Bonzi/Tmac/Battier/Yao

-I think that their primary lineups will be

Francis/Tmac/Battier/Scola/Yao

With the reserves being

James/Bonzi/Snyder/Hayes/Deke (Butler) Thats not a bad second team at all.

The Rox have alot of options now. They can match up with just about anyone unlike last year, when we had Yao and TMac with a sprinkling of Battier.


PF will be the problem with the Rockets (If Scola doesn't learn the bigboy game quickly)

I agree that Rox could use a rugged, rebounding, defensive veteran at the PF/C spot. And from the rumbling I hear they are still trying to address this need. Haslem maybe PJ Brown who knows. But even with Chuck Hayes starting for them last year, the Rox were a 52 win team.

[DOMINATOR]

like Dreamshake said this year the rockets will be able to play every style of ball in the NBA... half court with spurs and run with the suns.

[spursreport]

I agree that Rox could use a rugged, rebounding, defensive veteran at the PF/C spot. And from the rumbling I hear they are still trying to address this need. Haslem maybe PJ Brown who knows. But even with Chuck Hayes starting for them last year, the Rox were a 52 win team.

What about Etan Thomas? Wiz are dying to get rid of him and Sura/Rafer/fillers could do the trick.

[The_Game]

rockets are looking very strong

while the spurs do nothing. we need to add talent as we are only going to get older....need to add some young talent

[Dreamshake]

What about Etan Thomas? Wiz are dying to get rid of him and Sura/Rafer/fillers could do the trick.

I don't know, Etan's alright and all. Id rather have a little more athleticism and speed at the 4. Like a KG. You know a poor mans KG. There are still rumors of Udonis Haslem going to Rox. That would be OK I guess. He would make a nice upgrade to Hayes. Speaking of when I said the Rox were a 52 win team with Hayes as the 4, I should of said "with Hayes at the 4, TMac missing 10 games or so, and Yao Ming missing about 35 games, the Rockets were still a 52 win team.

I mean come on people. The Rockets pretty much Pick up Bonzi Wells, Mike James, Steve Francis, Louis Scola. Are paying Wells, Francis, and Scola a total of 8 million or so this season, and only gave up Juwon Howard, and V Span. Plus assuming no one rolls on Yao's knee we will have him back for the entire season, and really the Rox havent made any progress to some of you? They took a step back by signing Francis who is lightyears ahead of their starter from last year.

Im bamboozled by these thoughts. Im not claiming Championship, but come on people.

[Roxsfan]

I don't know, Etan's alright and all. Id rather have a little more athleticism and speed at the 4. Like a KG. You know a poor mans KG. There are still rumors of Udonis Haslem going to Rox. That would be OK I guess. He would make a nice upgrade to Hayes. Speaking of when I said the Rox were a 52 win team with Hayes as the 4, I should of said "with Hayes at the 4, TMac missing 10 games or so, and Yao Ming missing about 35 games, the Rockets were still a 52 win team.

I mean come on people. The Rockets pretty much Pick up Bonzi Wells, Mike James, Steve Francis, Louis Scola. Are paying Wells, Francis, and Scola a total of 8 million or so this season, and only gave up Juwon Howard, and V Span. Plus assuming no one rolls on Yao's knee we will have him back for the entire season, and really the Rox havent made any progress to some of you? They took a step back by signing Francis who is lightyears ahead of their starter from last year.

Im bamboozled by these thoughts. Im not claiming Championship, but come on people.

spurs homerism :p:

[dave]

francis is a douchebag
actually, stu jackson is a douchebag

[Cry Havoc]

I don't know, Etan's alright and all. Id rather have a little more athleticism and speed at the 4. Like a KG. You know a poor mans KG. There are still rumors of Udonis Haslem going to Rox. That would be OK I guess. He would make a nice upgrade to Hayes. Speaking of when I said the Rox were a 52 win team with Hayes as the 4, I should of said "with Hayes at the 4, TMac missing 10 games or so, and Yao Ming missing about 35 games, the Rockets were still a 52 win team.

I mean come on people. The Rockets pretty much Pick up Bonzi Wells, Mike James, Steve Francis, Louis Scola. Are paying Wells, Francis, and Scola a total of 8 million or so this season, and only gave up Juwon Howard, and V Span. Plus assuming no one rolls on Yao's knee we will have him back for the entire season, and really the Rox havent made any progress to some of you? They took a step back by signing Francis who is lightyears ahead of their starter from last year.

Im bamboozled by these thoughts. Im not claiming Championship, but come on people.

The Rockets have clearly improved the most out of any team in the off-season.

There are a slew of teams that would be improved by gaining Francis. To say otherwise is to ignore his obvious talents.

I can't wait to see what this team can do against the rest of the West. I'm still not sure they'll learn to mesh as well as the Spurs have, though. That is the task before them... they have a lot of scoring, but their defense might have problems with speedy teams.

[Dreamshake]

I agree. Its one thing to have the talent, its a whole other story to put it all together. I dont think Houston is going to have a Defense issue. Last year, they were #1 in total team Defensive Field Goal percentage, and #3 in PPG given up. That was with Yao missing 35 games, and TMac out 10. Houston only gave up Juwon Howard, who was nominal at best, and gained a defensing PG in James and will Have Bonzi for the whole year, who is a pretty good Defensive SG. So Im not too concerned with D as much as I am with Implementing Bonzi, Scola, Francis, James into a cohesive offensive Unit.