steve francis to return to the houston rockets

[Tokey41]

Originally Posted by alby

Yao got enough touches last year. 25 PPG 9 Rebs.

It wasn't about T-Mac or Yao last year--their supporting cast was the problem.

Like I said it's great they have some players who can score around them (finally), but these are not the type of scoring players you want. They are going to jack ill advised shots all over the place and with both James and Francis on the team I think Yao's touches will drop significantly. And for the record, if he was on my squad I would give him the ball even more than he had it last year, some teams are absolutely helpless against him but JVG was absolutely clueless on offense (another reason their supporting cast stunk was because their execution stunk). We'll see how Adelman handles his talent and his brick layers.

[alby]

well considering their style of play, 25 points is a lot

[alby]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2943970

HOUSTON -- Steve Francis is no longer Houston's "Franchise."

But the man who was once the anchor of the Rockets' rebuilding effort was elated Friday to be back at the place he calls home.

Francis, who earned the nickname "Franchise" during his first stint in Houston from 1999-2004, signed a two-year deal to return to a team that now boasts the superstar duo of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

He won't be the star of these Rockets, might not even start and his nickname could be retired, but the 30-year-old Francis said that's OK with him.

"I have no problem with somebody calling me that," he said of the moniker. "But if the Rockets win and I'm out there, I'll be more happy if that happens."

Francis was a three-time All-Star with the Rockets before he was traded to Orlando in 2004 in a multiplayer deal that brought McGrady to Houston.

He went to the New York Knicks in another trade in early 2006 and was dealt to Portland on draft-night this year. The Trail Blazers bought out his contract for a reported $30 million last week, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Francis was pursued by Miami, Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers, and agent Jeff Fried said he was offered more money to play elsewhere.

"We were thrilled," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. "I think it speaks a lot to Steve's character that he's chosen winning over everything else. We really feel like he's a strong piece to get us, deeper and farther into the playoffs."

The Rockets were ousted from the playoffs in the first round by the Utah Jazz last season, but things were worse for Francis. He played just 44 games for the Knicks while dealing with injuries, averaging a career-low 11.3 points. He has averaged 18.4 points and 6.1 assists in his eight-year career.

Back in Houston on Friday, Francis made jokes, laughed easily and his grin was brighter than the yellow button-down shirt he wore under his cream-colored suit. He sat down for a news conference, glanced at the Rockets logo behind him and did a double take, as if he couldn't quite believe he was back.

Francis will reclaim the No. 3 jersey he wore the first 6 1/2 years of his career. He took No. 1 in New York because Stephon Marbury had No. 3.

The importance of the number wasn't lost on Rockets officials, who planned his introduction to begin at promptly 3:33 p.m.

In the days leading up to his trade in 2004, he made it clear he didn't want to leave Houston. The success he found in his time with the Rockets has proven elusive in his subsequent stops.
"I never thought that this day would come where I would actually be back here playing for the Rockets," he said, shaking his head. "It's been overwhelming. I still can't come to grips with it. I think to me it's another step that can not only help myself, but help this franchise go to the next level."

Francis said a key part of his decision was his belief that Houston is a team "ready to win now." He also talked about his evolution as a player and how his recent struggles have made him more humble.

"I'm not really looking to do the flashy stuff like I used to," he said. "That was just to get on SportsCenter. Now I want to get on SportsCenter by winning games."
This new "mature Steve Francis" he thinks will translate into more success for those playing around him.

His return to the team will almost certainly mean the end in Houston for at least one of other four point guards on the roster: Rafer Alston, a starter for the past two years, John Lucas III, rookie Aaron Brooks and newly signed Mike James.

Morey said he and new coach Rick Adelman hadn't determined Francis' role or whether his arrival will force them to unload players.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[GuerillaBlack]

Originally Posted by The Crippler

hahahahahaha. This makes me so very happy. Less touches for Yao which means nothing but good things for opponents of the Rockets. Yes.

Well, if Stevie comes off the bench and is our sixth man, Yao will get plenty of touches. It should work out great for us. We have like a 10-man rotation.

[thewillis12]

so basically rockets got tmac for cuttino mobley and kelvin cato...lol =D

[blathersby]

Originally Posted by dalmations202

What a strange group for Adelman to be coaching!

He uses a passing/cutting hi/lo offense, and now has an inside threat in Yao, and a bunch of one on one dribbling fools. I am not sure that James, Francis, or even TMac will work in Adelmans offense. Either that or he changes his offense to better utilize the skills his team possesses.

Don't forget that when Franchise played for us way back when, he was responsible for a lot of turnovers. Personally, I'm happy to see Franchise come home, but I think he'll be a 6th man off the bench playing at the 2.

[JDMDC2]

remember what josh howard said about the rockets bench last year "I cant even name one player off their bench" Look who is laughing now

[And1]

Originally Posted by thewillis12

so basically rockets got tmac for cuttino mobley and kelvin cato...lol =D

ha, you're right

[alby]

I hope Mavericks fans realize that the Rockets will finish ahead of Dallas=\

I really feel we'll be in the 5-6 seed, which isn't a bad thing IMHO. Maybe we are better in the underdog role anyways since we've always been favored in every series the last couple of seasons.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by alby

I hope Mavericks fans realize that the Rockets will finish ahead of Dallas=\

I really feel we'll be in the 5-6 seed, which isn't a bad thing IMHO. Maybe we are better in the underdog role anyways since we've always been favored in every series the last couple of seasons.

just had to quote you for next season.

[alby]

=]

expect the worse
hope for the best

[blathersby]

Originally Posted by alby

I hope Mavericks fans realize that the Rockets will finish ahead of Dallas=\

I really feel we'll be in the 5-6 seed, which isn't a bad thing IMHO. Maybe we are better in the underdog role anyways since we've always been favored in every series the last couple of seasons.

Go over to ClutchFans and see how we feel. While there's a lot of optimism, the general consensus is this:
On paper, the Rockets are the better team. We have more talent and more depth in more places. But in reality, the Rockets have a long way to go to catch up to the Spurs/Mavs/Suns. This is our first season with a new coach in a new offensive system. We have BOTH Stevie Franchise AND Mike James. Luis Scola, though and INCREDIBLY talented Euroleague player (go check out spursreport.com if you don't believe me on that one), has yet to prove himself in the NBA. That phenom Aaron Brooks we picked up is also unproven. But the Mavs have the chemistry issues down. They're not cooking up a new offense or incorporating 6 new players (Scola, Butler, MJ, SF3, AB, and, yes, Bonzi) into a team.
But what we DO have above the Mavs is Yao Ming. Y'all seem to be utterly incapable of defending against Yao in the low post. And since Dampier/Diop are incapable of scoring the easy buckets, if Dirk is taken out of the equation, your only reliable scorer is Josh Howard. The Mavericks are a big jump shooting team. Dirk didn't drive to the hoop in the Finals because Dirk doesn't drive to the hoop. He drives left and shoots jumpers (and, no, that's NOT a bad thing; that's just his skill set). But the Rockets are now stacked in areas where the Mavs are not: slashing (T-Mac, Franchise, MJ, AB) and scoring in the post (Yao, Scola, Butler). It's going to make for an interesting season.

BTW, I've heard the same phrase over and over again up here (I'm in Denton): trade Josh Howard. I don't know what the consensus is on this board, but that's among the stupidest things this team could possibly do right now. Once again, he's the only reliable scorer when Dirk's shot isn't falling. Give him more touches, and don't let Terry jack up as many 3s, especially when his shot isn't falling.

One last bit of complaining before I finish: THERE IS ONLY ONE JET, AND HIS NAME IS KENNY SMITH.