steve francis update...

[cbs134679]

O.k., my dad's a custom contractor and does big houses around the galleria and such and custom ranch houses. He's well-respected and has been on TV shows and in many magazines for his works. He and I are also huge Rox fans, and he got me hooked on them waaaay back in the early 90s (pre-championships) when I was a little kid. Today I got a text from my dad that said "So been hanging with Stevie shooting hoops. Talking draft picks. What ya think?"
My first reaction was to laugh and think he was joking....nope, he went in to check out the house and could end up doing a bunch of work for him.
To get to the point, me and my dad had been talking since last year's "failed" return to Houston about how out of shape and un-motivated Steve seemed a lot of the time....well today my dad said Steve appeared to be in better shape than he's seen him in many years, and that he had actually held Steve up from getting to the gym on time (Steve said he was just waiting to talk to my dad then he was gonna hit the gym for the afternoon). Apparently he's been training very, very hard this summer and I was impressed to hear that. If my dad goes back, I'll make sure I get some pics or even I get to go to the house too so this seems a little more credible. Either way, thought I'd share with y'all!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Sx2QlD ... e=10&pp=20

[ShaY]

Highly doubt Francis will be a rotation player in the NBA ever again.

It's sad that he lost all of his physical abilities , in his 1st preaseason game he had a very nice put back dunk and I though we might have something there , but as the season went on when he started getting minutes he just broke down more and more.

Also it looked like he completly lost his confidence , passing up on WIDE open three's , barely getting the ball past half court and then stops dribbling and all that sort of stuff.

BTW it's hilarious that he said Bobby Jackson can't hold his jockstrap and next yearSteve will be on the inactibe list , and Bobby the backup pg (hopefully not for long).

[moofs]

I'm surprised he had enough makes last season to fill that video (only 19 on the year).

[jove9]

I think it would be great if Steve could come back, contribute, and not commit 5 turnovers a game, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Could you guys imagine what it would be like to have a PG who can finish at the rim? One can only dream...

[CJballa14]

this is copied and pasted from clutchfans... and like a week old...

[tha_rock220]

I

Could you guys imagine what it would be like to have a PG who can finish at the rim

or shoot 40+% from 3 point land, not pick fights with Chris Paul, not be a crackhead, look to pass 1st, etc???

I'd like it if Stevie could come back and be a contributor. He's still got some of his former athleticism.

[RaoulDuke79]

hehehehehehe

[Rocketsterps]

I think it would be great if Steve could come back, contribute, and not commit 5 turnovers a game, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Could you guys imagine what it would be like to have a PG who can finish at the rim? One can only dream...

Yeah, the name is Crittenton...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyv6dE8QZw

[jove9]

I think it would be great if Steve could come back, contribute, and not commit 5 turnovers a game, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Could you guys imagine what it would be like to have a PG who can finish at the rim? One can only dream...

Yeah, the name is Crittenton...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyv6dE8QZw

You have Crittenton listed in your depth chart at the two, which means (per our earlier discussion) that he's really playing backup to Battier at the 3. My question is, can he play the 1?

Those highlights are mainly of him attacking the basket and trying to score, which is nice, but aren't necessarily the qualities you want in a point guard.

[Rocketsterps]

I think it would be great if Steve could come back, contribute, and not commit 5 turnovers a game, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Could you guys imagine what it would be like to have a PG who can finish at the rim? One can only dream...

Yeah, the name is Crittenton...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyv6dE8QZw

You have Crittenton listed in your depth chart at the two, which means (per our earlier discussion) that he's really playing backup to Battier at the 3. My question is, can he play the 1?

Those highlights are mainly of him attacking the basket and trying to score, which is nice, but aren't necessarily the qualities you want in a point guard.

Crittenton is a 6-5 point guard that can also play the wing positions. You are allowed to play multiple positions if you have the skills. Similar to a 6-7' Brent Barry, early in his career played the 1/2 and 3.

Highly competitive player that will not back down from anyone … Approaches the game with a great attitude and is very coachable … Has the biggest upside of any point guard in the country …
http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php ... 5&Itemid=5

Crittenton is solid on defense, with a team-high 65 steals, and his size and rangy frame make him a difficult assignment for opposing point guards.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basket ... 60121.html

Strengths:
Size (6-foot-5, 198 pounds) and rebounding ability for a point guard, fearlessness, will and ability to drive and elevate in traffic, competitive nature. Good, not great, speed. Better than average free throw shooter.

Weaknesses:
Lets emotions get the best of him sometimes, and will occasionally zone out and try to do too much by himself. May over-dribble.

Why Hawks fans should want him:
Ultra competitor who very badly wants success. Works hard, and is very coachable in practice. Good hands on defense, where he was among ACC steals leaders, and not afraid to take a money shot. Wears colors on sleeve; he's in it to win, not just cash a check.

What might give Hawks fans pause:
Point guards need to keep themselves under control, and Crittenton was known at Tech to occasionally deviate from the plan when under emotional duress. Needs to be better at letting go of what happens, and at assessing and implementing in-game adjustments. He's 19.

What current player he reminds you of:
Chauncey Billups minus a few pounds, and not yet that kind of shooting threat although he may be one day.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jav ... enton-562/

http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksb ... enton.html

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profile ... enton.html

[tha_rock220]

Why are you so high on Crittenton, and how do you propose we bring him to Houston????

[HTown_TMac]

He reminds me of Francis...

[Rocketsterps]

He reminds me of Francis...

a 6-5 version

[Rocketsterps]

Why are you so high on Crittenton, and how do you propose we bring him to Houston????

I'm high on Crittenton because he's a young, tall, athletic point guard that can create his own shot and finish. Once he puts things together, he will be a major matchup problem for most point guards in the league because of his length and quick 1st step. He's versatile enough to play the 1-3 positions and he plays solid defense. In addition, he fits our new team personality of highly competitive team players w/ energy that will not back down from anyone.

I like Aaron Brooks but he will never be able to defend taller/stronger points like Deron Williams/ Jared Bayless/ Russell Westbrook/ Baron Davis/ Jason Kidd/ Steve Nash/ Gilbert Arenas/ Rodney Stuckey/ Derrick Rose/ Devin Harris/ etc.

The beauty is we can come off the bench w/ Brooks or Crittenton at the point depending on the opponent. In RA's offense Crittenton would be amazing -- he would slice and dice teams trying to defend him one on one while doubling Yao & T-Mac and forced to respect Battier or Barry's 3 point corner shot. Sick!

Since Memphis drafted OJ Mayo and still have Mike Conley Jr., Kyle Lowry and Marco Jaric they can afford to move him. I'd give them Luther Head who they can use to replace Juan Carlos Navarro who left for Europe.

[tisbee]

I watched Crittendon in LA last yr and I like him too. But he is a shooter,not a playmaker. Instant offense off the bench and will drive as well as shoot the 3. He loves to score a little too much to be a starter and he'd have to be teamed w/a playmaking SG/SF. But Memphis is going to want a First or a solid big for him and that's not a price the Rockets are willing to pay now.

[Rocketsterps]

I watched Crittendon in LA last yr and I like him too. But he is a shooter,not a playmaker. Instant offense off the bench and will drive as well as shoot the 3. He loves to score a little too much to be a starter and he'd have to be teamed w/a playmaking SG/SF. But Memphis is going to want a First or a solid big for him and that's not a price the Rockets are willing to pay now.

I agree that Crittenton (and Aaron Brooks) still needs to learn how to run a team. That's why I have him as a backup. Rafer still has another year in the tank as a lead guard. Hopefully Brooks and Crittenton would reduce Rafer's minutes and workload. McGrady and Brent Barry are both playmakers that would assist in the decision making.

As far as trade bait, I mentioned above Luther Head (and perhaps Novak) may be enticing since Memphis lost Juan Carlos Navarro to Europe and Mike Miller to trade. I'd also part w/ a 2009 second round pick since we have 2 next year.

[jove9]

The more I read about Crittenton, the more he reminds me of John Salmons.

Salmons is a decent player, but he's not someone I'd break the bank over. Let's see if Crittenton's career turns out like that.

[A.J.]

Crittenton is going to be a great player in 3 more years. Remember, he was a freshman 2 years ago at Georgia Tech. Give him time and he will be great.

[Rocketsterps]

The more I read about Crittenton, the more he reminds me of John Salmons.

Salmons is a decent player, but he's not someone I'd break the bank over. Let's see if Crittenton's career turns out like that.

Salmons is a pretty good role player but that would be Crittenton's worst case scenerio comparison. Crittenton will be MUCH better than him. Salmons would never cut it as a full-time point guard in the NBA. I would not be suprised if Crittenton is a future all-star. He's a better ball handler and much more athletic than Salmons. I agree w/ Draft Express and NBADraftNet that the best NBA Comparision is a 6-5 Steve Francis in his prime. If we get Crittenton now we wouldn't be breaking any bank. He's on a rookie salary for 3 more years and his current team has 4 guards (Conley Jr, O.J. Mayo, Kyle Lowry and Jaric) ahead of him on the depth chart.

Salmons
http://hoopshype.com/players/john_salmons.htm

vs

Crittenton
http://hoopshype.com/players/javaris_crittenton.htm

[wadero]

lets get it done. I wish we could have landed him in the draft a year or two ago.