Sensei's Lines of the Night - Champ v. Chump

[sensei_hanson]

He's a talent, no doubt about it, but him starting in the All-Star game is a joke. He's a fcuking punk on a below average team where he's forced to carry the load. He should shine given the talent he has, and the lack of talent his teammates have. Here's a quick comparison between him (the starter) and Gary Payton (the reserve):

Points Per Game :
Francis - 21.4
Payton - 23.0

Assists Per Game :
Francis - 6.4
Payton - 9.1

Games Played:
Francis - 25
Payton - 44

Double-Doubles :
Francis - 10
Payton - 20

Records :
Francis' Rockets - 15-30
Payton's Sonics - 23-21

Just another reason why fan voting stinks. Its a travesty that Payton has to back this spoiled brat up. I'll give the nod that Francis is an amazing talent, but he's simply not at the level to displace Payton on the all-star team. And, Francis is a beeeeyotch.

 

[The Apprentice]

some good points

Thats pretty weak to compare the two considering the amount of Games Francis Missed. Sure he carries a team but so does Gary Payton. Payton averages more assists cause he has better guys surrounding him who he knows can step up at times. You can't even compare double-double numbers cause if Francis played the same amount as the Glove has his double-double would be probably even ith Gary.

I thought Gary was starting but both are deserving of being there!

 

[sensei_hanson]

Sure as sh*t games played has something to do with it. How can a guy be an all-star starter when he's only played half the games the competition has?

I don't think C-Webb should have made the team over Rasheed Wallace or Elton Brand. While they were battling to keep their teams afloat in the tough West, Webber sat half the season and saw the Kings tear up the conference without him. While there's no denying he's an excellent player and worthy of all-star status, the situation and events of this first half just didn't add up to him making the team.

Same with Francis. The fact that fans voted him in, despite playing less than half of the Rockets games this season, tells me that the voting process is flawed. Look at other teams with similar records to Houston. How many all-stars represent those teams?

I mean, the fans could have voted in Jamal Mashburn and Grant Hill even though they were injured for most (or all) of the first half, but they didn't.

I'd pull a Coppertone and say something along the lines of "stick to the HABS thread, buddy," but that's just pointless. I agree with you on Francis' talent level and potential (he's going to be the best guard in the West in about 3 years), but I have reservations about sending him to all-star week-end based on what he's done so far.

 

[sensei_hanson]

Why the Dunk contest is doomed to suck, again

Basically because the NBA keeps on fcuking with the style of competition for the damn thing.

This year, they have only four participants, who will face one another in a bracket-type playoff. The only thing they got right is getting some good, well, better than last year, competition:

Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
Desmon Mason, Seattle Sonics (defending champ)
Gerald Wallace, Sacramento Kings
Jason Richardson, Golden State Warriors

These are four of the best up-and-coming dunkers in the game. Wallace and Richardson are both under 6'7 (Wallace is 6'6, Richardson 6'2) and can climb the ladder like nobody's business. So, decent choices there, although they missed out on Carter, McGrady, Kobe, Darvin Ham, Baron Davis and Stromile Swift.

But they keep screwing with the format, and this year the fans get to vote online, in real time, to make up one of the judges scores. That's awful. I don't know how well it will work, but the thought of NBA.com crashing due to excess volume voting is enough to make this a bad decision.

The only hope is that they put Francis and Mason in different brackets, in the hope that Franchise can up-end the defending champ in the finals.

I've seen Wallace do some pretty nasty sh*t during college dunk championships when he was at 'Bama. He's my underdog pick to win it all.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Follow college basketball as it is more enjoyable and less frustrating.....