<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Magic were practicing at Madison Square Garden on Monday morning preparing for a playoff-type showdown with the Knicks as General Manager Otis Smith watched the proceedings. "I've told you all along we'd make the playoffs," he said. I'm not betting the house and camper just yet. I then asked Smith where his club would be if it still had Steve Francis and the Knicks did not. Smith got one of those looks on his face, as if he had bit into a lemon. He shook his head. "I can't fathom where we'd be," he said. Oh, Smith knows: The Magic would be dealing with Francis' frequent missteps and also financially hamstrung by the $34 million left on his contract the next two seasons. The Knicks never worry about finances, but they are frustrated enough with "Stevie Franchise" to make him "Stevie Disenfranchised." <font size=""4"">They reportedly will try to buy out Francis' contract this summer, which, if true, will continue Steve-o's free-fall.</font> The Magic might be holding the same backroom talks if they hadn't found a sucker in the Knicks last season (and stole away Trevor Ariza in a masterstroke of a trade, to boot.) Francis has taken his hits, and deservedly so. But while the Magic cleared the financial and emotional costs of keeping Steve-o -- essentially, Tracy McGrady's replacement -- the fact is the move hasn't translated in the standings. (Neither has the Darko Milicic-Carlos Arroyo trade, for that matter, with Milicic still an enigma and Arroyo benched twice this season.) The Magic went 36-46 in Francis' first season. They were 19-33 last season up until his trade and again finished 36-46 after a flourish. This season, the Magic might finish only a few games better than that, probably still under .500 and fighting for playoff crumbs. And turnovers are still their biggest problem. . . long after Steve Francis threw his last pass in Orlando into somebody's popcorn.</div> Source Steve Francis has been playing better, and he hit a game winner a few weeks ago. I know he's frustrated with his role on the team, but he should take advantage of Jamal Crawford being out, and just focus on getting back to the playoffs.
Steve Francis needs to work on his game. Steve used to be awesome. Steve needs to imagine hiself back on the Rockets with Cato. He'd do better if he did.
I think Francis has undergone a lot of nagging injuries, and his confidence has been shattered since the Rockets traded him. He contemplated retiring earlier this year and spent time away from the Knicks with John Lucas trying to rehab physically and mentally. Steve Francis has amazing talent, but he's had a lot of setbacks and controversy with his career. He refused to play for team who originally drafted him, the Grizzlies. In Houston he fought with Van Gundy on who the offense should be run through between him and Yao. He suffered from migraine headaches all the time in Houston. When he was finally traded to Orlando he was a team cancer for them. I thinks it's a good idea the Knicks are planning on buying him out. They need to continue weeding out the malcontents from the team, and focus on building the team around their new young nucleus.
Steve appeared to be playing well his first season with the Magic. He had some ridiculous dunks and game winners just in his first month with that team. But it's been down hill for him ever since Cuttino got traded.
