I'm new here but do you real Rocket fans see the same Francis and Mobley that an outsider sees? Every time I look at the Rocket boxscore I see Francis 6-17, Mobley 7-18 and Yao about 5-8, 6-11. Are they ever going to learn that you have to ride the horse who is the most efficient? That the only way to win is to feed Yao then watch the opportunities open up? The epitome was watching the Rocket-Spurs game last week. After Yao just ate up Shaq, Francis/Mobley went right back to jacking it up. What a waste. If Yao played with real guards like Kidd, Stockton, or even the triangle with Kobe, the Rockets would be a contender. As it is, they will only be T'Wolve practice in the first round.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting philsmith75:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm new here but do you real Rocket fans see the same Francis and Mobley that an outsider sees? Every time I look at the Rocket boxscore I see Francis 6-17, Mobley 7-18 and Yao about 5-8, 6-11. Are they ever going to learn that you have to ride the horse who is the most efficient? That the only way to win is to feed Yao then watch the opportunities open up? The epitome was watching the Rocket-Spurs game last week. After Yao just ate up Shaq, Francis/Mobley went right back to jacking it up. What a waste. If Yao played with real guards like Kidd, Stockton, or even the triangle with Kobe, the Rockets would be a contender. As it is, they will only be T'Wolve practice in the first round.</div> I am a die-hard Rockets fan and I have agreed with you all along. For the Rockets to be successful Yao needs to shoot 12-15 shots per night. It seems that when he does that we win and when he doesn't we lose. I mean its not that hard to get him the ball since he is like only 7-6. This team has so much potential however at times I see it go to waste when Mobley and Francis try to "do it all". BTW, welcome to the site and I love your signature.
Man, the few times when I have seen Yao take determined shots, he's unstoppable. I only saw one shot he took in the All-Star game yesterday but he took a fadeaway over Wallace and it was money. He should take some tapes of Jabbar (sky hook) and the Big "E" (turnaround fadeaway) and he would be unstoppable. I only wish Yao had come to the Bay Area and the Rockets had Dunleavy.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dexter:</div><div class="quote_post"> BTW, welcome to the site and I love your signature.</div> Thanks.
I agree with you guys. Firstly, I believe Steve Francis to be a highly overrated player, he's a two guard being forced to play the point - and he's done so very inneffectively this season. Mobley is a nice player, but he's not much more than your typical streak shooter. In my opinion, Cuttino is a sixth man, not a starter. The Rockets need to start getting Yao the ball, as Starman pointed out in his piece earlier this year. If Yao could get 12-15 shots per game, he would average 22-24 points. I just don't get it...My solution would be to capitalize on Francis' image as a top-flight NBA guard and move him for a solid PG and another shooting guard, giving the Rockets the ability to move Mobley to the bench. What would Rocket's fans think about moving Francis/Mobley or others to Philly for A.I.? Iverson's best performances came with Deke on the blocks, I think he would thrive with Yao down low. Yao would get half a dozen gimme's with AI driving to the hoop and drawing the defenders. PhilSmith75 = I also dig your signature, I was fortunate enough to attend John Wooden's basketball camp when I was young, and the fundamentals I learned from coach elevated my game tremendously. I'm forever grateful, and hope to someday teach the younger players the same things JW taught me. If more players knew how to shoot the mid-range jumper, or the bankshot today's game would be much more entertaining.
It's no joke that the Rockets need Yao to be efficient to win. By Yao being efficient, I mean that he has to take no less than 15 shots per game and get to the line 10 times. He can outplay anyone when he desires and it's just that he doesn't get enough touches in games. Van Gundy has already done a better job than Rudy has of doing that. Francis and Mobley are used to shooting the ball for the Rockets. Before Yao's arrival, they were basically the only players who could score 20+ points on an offense-challenged Rockets team. I believe that they are growing out of this habit in time, but for now, be happy with the 11 shots that Yao is getting per game.
I think the only way we can possibly teach Francis and Mobley how to run the system right is to go back to elementary school. Make a rule that Yao must touch the ball at least twice in the low block before a perimeter jumpshot can be taken. Who is with me?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dexter:</div><div class="quote_post">I think the only way we can possibly teach Francis and Mobley how to run the system right is to go back to elementary school. Make a rule that Yao must touch the ball at least twice in the low block before a perimeter jumpshot can be taken. Who is with me?</div> I'm with you man. It's pretty sad to see Francis driving to the lane and forcing up a shot or a pass or Mobley shooting contested J's. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Do what the Spurs do with Tim. Give the ball to him in the low post and MOVE! Knowing Yao, he can find a cutting Steve or a wide open Mobley. Better yet, he'll do a dream shake ala Hakeem for an easy two.
the big question is does does Les alexander or CD have the kahunays like Isiah THomas to get blockbuster trades going and if they do trade Francis, who would the rockets get that would turn the rockets to a better team
Blockbuster trades have never been part of the Rockets' tradition for the last 5 years. This year, however, might present a different. The Rockets are good enough to make the playoffs, that's obvious. However, with a blockbuster trade, we might actually rise to a contender's position. If this doesn't happen this season, it'll at least be in the offseason, unless JVG and Franchise reconcile, that is.
The fact that Jim Jackson and Maurice Taylor look to pass to Yao even less often doesn't help matters. I can't even remember how many times I've seen Yao establish position 12' from the basket only to watch Taylor in isolation or Jackson trying to post up his man for a fadeaway.
Francis plays too much like AI (shooting %) and it doesn't make sense because he has so many other scorers on his team. This year his scoring has dropped by about 6 ppg i believe, and he is shooting worse! I really think that Francis would be better as an sg, but maybe that's just me. Mobley is a great player, but he collapses during crunch time and makes silly mistakes.
Build around Yao with role players and shooters like what was done with Olajuwon, my favorite player of all time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting King James:</div><div class="quote_post">Build around Yao with role players and shooters like what was done with Olajuwon, my favorite player of all time.</div> Well, Drexler wasn't exactly a role player , but you're right, they should focus on Yao and make him option n? 1... And the only way to do this is get rid of Mobley& Francis or make them realise that they won't be playing better when they're shooting the ball most of the time... The offense should run trough Yao and right now, that isn't the case in Houston, and it seems their will be a long time for that to happen...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trail_Blazer76:</div><div class="quote_post">Francis plays too much like AI (shooting %) and it doesn't make sense because he has so many other scorers on his team. This year his scoring has dropped by about 6 ppg i believe, and he is shooting worse! I really think that Francis would be better as an sg, but maybe that's just me. Mobley is a great player, but he collapses during crunch time and makes silly mistakes.</div> I agree with you, I'd put Francis at the SG spot myself too, and trade Mobley for a real point guard. There's just too much shooting going on from the backcourt, and not enough touches inside from Yao. Like many of you have said, Francis is a Point guard in a Shooting guard's body, and I think we all know that. Doesn't make sense for Yao to only shoot the ball 10 times a game. I think Francis is set in Houston, but Mobley is the guy that needs to go. He's simply just a shooter, a streaky shooter at that, and he only makes this Rockets team worse IMO. I like Francis at the SG spot because it could be more of a Shaq/Kobe type thing, let the offense flow through Yao, and use Francis's explosiveness and his shooting ability carry you from the outside.
I wish more players would watch tapes of the Lakers and the Triangle Offense and see that while Kobe and Shaq get the majority of the shots, the Georges, Paytons and Medvedenkos are at least touching the ball most of the time.
Too bad Medvedenko shoots the ball everytime he touches it. Anyway, the reason Francis plays more like a shooting guard is because he is a shooting guard; it's the position he played in college and they've just been trying to convert him (obviously without a great deal of success so far) because 6'3" is pretty undersized for the 2-spot. The fact that before JVH arrived Francis was essentially free to do whatever he wanted didn't exactly help to dispel that mentality.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ThaLord:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, Drexler wasn't exactly a role player </div> And Drexler only one one of those titles with Houston.
IMO, Francis is a high flying, Marion-style (I'd even go as far as Amare) SF that's trapped in a 6'3 frame. Let's face it, he's not an SG, DEFINITELY not a PG. He's a board-crashing, undersized slashing SF that's a freak of nature with streaky shooting, end of story. I propose, just like everybody else pretty much, that we trade Francis and/or Mobley for a superPG such as Kidd, Marbury, or Cassell. AI is out of the question as he wants to stay in Philly for the rest of his career. At this point I'd even settle for Billups or GP. All we need is some steady, consistent role players around Yao (Rockets have none. Nobody in there is consistent), a good PG that knows that he's doing, pass the ball to Yao often, and we'd be deep in the playoffs. If you've seen Yao's recent games (especially vs Shaq), you'll see that he's a dominant player in the making. Somebody please direct this thread to JVG or whoever Rockets' GM is.. probably too late though, the trading deadline is near.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SupraJames:</div><div class="quote_post"> Somebody please direct this thread to JVG or whoever Rockets' GM is.. probably too late though, the trading deadline is near.</div> I'm sure JVG and Rockets management has been exploring possible trades for Francis/Mobley for a while now.
