From ESPN "11. Why is it better for Houston if they get swept by the Lakers?

From ESPN "11. Why is it better for Houston if they get swept by the Lakers?

From ESPN "11. Why is it better for Houston if they get swept by the Lakers?

Because that means they'll clean house. We have now wasted two years of Yao's career. The best passing big man in two decades ... and he's stuck playing with shoot-first guards and people who can't move without the ball. It's criminal. Do you realize that Yao finshed the season with 122 assists in 82 games? How is this even possible? Imagine him on the Kings, or even the Jazz? This is insane."

I totally agree with this.. Obviously Yao doesn't get the respect from the teammates who call the plays and whom are supposed to pass (Mobley+Francis) so it's time to offload ..I don't get Van Gundy though..if he's so technical in his coaching..why can't he get the simplest words to his players to 'pass the rock to yao' and cr-8 openings for him..in the 2nd half of game 2..they set very little plays for yao and JJ who had hot hands also got little plays set up for him! WHy? was it SF's obsession to get a triple double that ruined it all ..if not..its still time to offload because obviously the team isn't doing well together

 

This year's playoffs is a learning experience for many of our players, and it showed. I feel no change to our strategy is needed.

 

I think any changes this offseason would be extremely detrimental to the team...atleast give this same squad another year together...they have made huge strides and progress since the beginning of the season to this point...Francis has made huge progress in becoming a true leader and point guard....this squad deserves another shot with the same team...maybe a free agent pickup of a big man or backup scoring guard, but not to trade any one of our players now...I actually hope we can re-sign Mark Jackson to play 10-15 minutes a game next season...but I'm loving this team as it is, and hope it stays together...

 

Everyone is saying that Francis needs to be moved for a passing point guard, but take a look around the league and you'll see that almost every stud point is a shoot-first kind of point guard. Francis just gets all turnovers, that's all. If he can keep his turnover numbers in check, I think he can still be an valuable player to us.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Q Rich3:</div><div class="quote_post">that isnt the point. The point is that he does not fit into JVG's style of offense, he wont take the backseat to Yao, he wont be in Houston next year.</div>

What is JVG's style of offense? I've been watching the Rockets play all season and I still haven't figured it out. It's like the Rockets don't even run plays on the offensive end half the time. Man, if only we could get Jerry Sloan's coaching on the offensive end and JVG's coaching on defense, we'd have an awesome team.

 

We have trouble establishing a pattern on offense. There are times in games when our players just get confused and do not know what to do. It is no secret that Van Gundy knows a lot about defense but offense is needed to win games at time as well.

 

GET RID OF VAN GUNDY!!! GOD!!!
seriously, yao and steve are just beginning to learn how they need to play in order to compliment each other....i totally believe that they too can reach the kobe+shaq team level of play if given some time. personally i love seeing yao and steve interacting, it's cute and whenever i see them working together on the offense it just appeals to me...=P
van gundy is the cancer in houston! didn't u guys see that yao and steve were a lot more in sync when rudy was coaching.....yao's spectacular passes to steve....steve's assists.....only then did i sense that the two guys were really enjoying their time playing on the court.....now.....it's just.....it's just different....in a really negative way....it's like for each game...everyone's just waiting for game to end and they are just robots under command....

SUMMARY : DITCH VAN GUNDY

 

That article GREATLY overrates Yao's passing ability. I've seen every Rockets game available in this area this season, and each time I've observed that while Yao's vision is very good, his passing SKILLS need work... His judgement on what type of pass to throw is shaky, and his passes from the post to cutters result in turnovers quite often.

I'm actually impressed with Francis's decision-making (relatively, of course) over the last few games of the season and particularly his performance in Game 2. Some plays he tried to make were still anally-invoked, of course, but compare this to the dribble-dribble-dribble-oh-shit-I'm-not-supposed-to-let-the-clock-run-down-when-we're-trailing-dribble-dribble-dribble-*buzzer sounds*-hell-yeah-I'd-do-that-again-if-I-had-the-chance-to moments and the improvement's definitely visible.

 

fransic needs to go. rockets should get a REAL point that can pas the ball to yao. some1 like mark jackson should be resigned. see if eric snow could be aqquired.

 

There is no way steve francis would leave. He is the star player of the team, and he is a pass first point guard. Yao Ming is not even close to the level franics is playing at.

 

Once again Espn finds away to produce some of the dumbest statements I have ever heard. Whether the Rockets get swept or not there front offive will review whats best for the team. Whether thats keeping francis or not.

Espn is just hoping that the Rockets get swept to insure that the Lakers advance in the playoffs. They know that if the Rockets win this next game at home. And get some confidence. And get some rythm on excuting down the stretch of ball games they can still turn this into series. And maybe steal the series from the Lakers, That doesnt hold well for the NBA playoff tv ratings. Last year the playoff ratings went down the tank after the Lakers got defeated by the Spurs. And Espn knows that, so they need the Lakers to stay around as long as possible. Espn could care less whats best for the Rockets.

Anybody would know that the long the Rockets stay in the playoffs. The more playoff situations Ming & Francis face the better they will be in the future because of it. And thats what best for the Rockets fanchise. The Rockets core young players need to learn how to excute in the playoffs. And the only way they will learn is by the more playoff games they play.

 

i like francis like everyone else, but he just doesnt fit. no clue who should take over for him or be traded for (there were rumors in the reg season around trade deadline time about steve for iverson, but that won't help the rockets out), but it should seriously be a thought, if he doesnt change his ways, in the offseason for houston. he still seems to want to break some ankels and take over and make the play to get on sportscenter instead of just gettin a win. the turnovers kill the rockets and francis obviously turns the ball over too much. i hope he learns from this series and improves and now might realize what it takes to win and maybe change his ways and realize that the ball needs to go through yao for the rockets to have any success. just look at the lakers, they go through shaq and they are obviously successful and then kobe takes over when need be. thats what francis needs to do. make the offense run through yao and that will make your life easier and his game will improve b/c of it. he is a great talent, hope he can just become a point guard and not a scorer,thats what houston needs

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting timduncan021:</div><div class="quote_post">There is no way steve francis would leave. He is the star player of the team, and he is a pass first point guard. Yao Ming is not even close to the level franics is playing at.</div>

Pass first point guard? He's a shoot first point guard. No, cancel that. He's a dribble first point guard. He'll dribble all around until about 3 seconds to go in the shot clock then drive to the lane only to be met by a big man. Then he'll have no place to go and kick it out and may the basketball God lead the ball to a teammate. By some stroke of luck, a teammate caught the ball but the buzzer sounds, 24 shot clock violation.

Van Gundy's offense? Give the ball to Yao at the post then MOVE and look for an open space just in case Yao gets doubled. Yao can score 30+ points and grab 10-20 rebounds. That's with a high shooting percentage. If his teammates know how to move without the ball, they'll receive a pass.

Oh and somebody commented that the stud PG's in the league are shoot first PGs. Let me see. Last time I checked, the most stud PG goes by the name of Jason Kidd who'll pass first before he shoots and the greatest example of a shoot first PG got swept in the 1st round by the Nets.

 

if anything, this series is proof that we NEED Francis in order to compete with the top dawgs in the West...Francis is the perfect backcourt scoring mate to mesh with Yao's inside presence...Francis is one of the most athletic and talented guards in the West, and he needs to stay if we want to be competitive in the future...our needs are: a toug veteran scoring presence at PF and a solid backup scoring guard...Francis has proved that he can play the PG position in JVG's system and all he needed was time to accomodate himself to the style...

 

Passing would be a nice addition to our limited arsenal.