That's definately true, however Nash can dribble quite well, while TJ Ford has horrible handles for a pg. He just compensates with the fact he is really quick on his feet. But i think we can agree TJ's problems in this area are more related to our offensive setup than his own decisions.
Really? I always thought TJ was a pretty good dribbler, but just moved too fast for his own good sometimes. I actually think Calderon needs to dribble the ball lower when he's coming off a screen. Either way though, they both do a good job of not picking up their dribble. And yea, the general consensus seems to be that the offense deserves the majority of the blame. Incidentally, TJ kind of fell back to earth today. I think he was too confident in his jumper, because he was taking shots that even he didn't try before.
I cant help but feel that Ford is trying to compete with Marbury on a personal level. As chuck said hes "toying" with him. He cant win against Marbury, so there's no need to mess around.
<div class="quote_poster">TorontoRaps Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I cant help but feel that Ford is trying to compete with Marbury on a personal level. As chuck said hes "toying" with him. He cant win against Marbury, so there's no need to mess around.</div> Swirsky was a complete idiot this game, how can you dole out criticism of the Knicks when the raptors are getting it handed to them by 20 points? Give me a break! TJ Ford has this need to go back at the player who just scored on him all the time and it's super anoying.
I'm sick of defending this loser TJ Ford. It's blatantly obvious we will lose to even crappy teams without Calderon over time. This is ridiculous, and i'm annoyed by ppl saying, give TJ some time, give him some time. Bargnani plays good right off the bat, pretty much all of our players.. except for TJ. We will usually either have TJ make the score equal or have the raptors lose, then Mitchell would put Calderon in then suddenly we're up by 10. Yes Calderon hasnt been playign well now because he's tired, but even when he's tired he' still better than TJ. People are just used to Calderon playing better, then acting like he's not better afterwards. I think the only reason Colangelo keeps him on is that he doesnt want to mess up the Chemistry we have. But the only reason he is playing is that Mitchell is a good friend of TJ and that Bosh and TJ are friends. TJ was totally NOT the pass first point guard he was advertised as. And so what if he made some clutch shots every once in a while? Its just selfish because the other raptors have a higher shooting percentage than him, he just wants to pad his stats. No wonder Milwaukee gave him up. Almost every game, when it's on the line, TJ will take the shot, with 3 people on him. Then all of a sudden Chris Bosh will grab the rebound cuz TJ will miss as usual, then we might win the game, but if BOSH wasnt there we'd lose many of them. TJ is just so damn selfish. Another case in point, when Calderon scores, with more accuracy, he goes unnoticed, when TJ scores everyone goes berzerk like he's so good.. well get ready cuz the RAps will be losing many more to come now that Jose's out. There is a total bias since Calderon doesnt speak english well, they seem to really really reward TJ for doing things that many of the other raptors could do, yet they wont because they're not selfish and in it for the team to win, not to just pad their stats. And you notice how Ford loves to talk to Dixon?! Well do you notice how Dixon has started to become a bit more selfish with the ball too and making bad jump shots? Well you know why now. Enough of this, wait for Ford to become good.
Let's just come down to this, Ford is not consistent. He's not a bad player and I don't hate him, the only thing that bugs me is when he goes too fast and loses control of the ball.
As inconsistent as he has been, Ford's become a scapegoat for Raps fans. I can't judge him fairly until he has a competent head coach giving him directions.
<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">As inconsistent as he has been, Ford's become a scapegoat for Raps fans. I can't judge him fairly until he has a competent head coach giving him directions.</div> Well although your remarks sound reasonable, Sam Mitchell is getting considerations for coach of the year. It shouldn't be Mitchell's job to give directions to Ford about being a point guard. Chris Bosh made himself good without directions from any coach, and so did Damon Stoudamire when entering the league, as well as many players from the nba. We shouldnt have to have an amazing coach for Ford to play good. And as you say, Ford's become a scapegoat, but why would people single him out and no other player? Most people have directed comments on Ford based on what they see. For us to become an elite team, we need all of our players on the right track. If Ford is just a little step behind, then that will inhibit the team's performance. The teams with players a step behind are the ones that will not make it to the next level. Some things you just cannot teach, Ford has skill, but if his mentality is selfish which you will always see, then he will always be slowed down by the way he thinks. He's just damn lucky the European players aren't willing to complain about him in good enough english, cuz for sure if the roster was full load of americans with the same skill set, Ford would be buried on the bench. All of our players are really good, but if Ford is JUST decent, and not really good, then that won't cut it no matter how you put it. He gets selfish, since he handles the ball first, then all of a sudden everyone else has to worry about not getting the ball, then they all of a sudden perform less efficiently. Ford is not a scapegoat, he is the problem. I cannot find any player that plays worst than him on our team. You wouldn't even say Kris Humphries plays worst, for his position on the team.
Ford has the potential to be a great PG if he looks to get other players involved before looking for his own shots. He does get outta control sometimes, but i guess he's still on a learning curve. I like him, he's got a 3yrs contract, so if he doesnt perform to expectations next season, I can see him being shipped outta toronto in a hurry just like Milwaukee did. Overall, I can still deal with him this season.
I'm glad someone is backing me up...thanks intrepid. TJ's game is all around bad. He doesn't excel at anything. He is quick, but dosen't use it. Calderone clearly beats more PG'S off the bounce then TJ does. He dosen't use that quickness on D. He isn't pass first, and has a bad jump shot....yup, the sky is the limit. I think that this is Colangelo's second mistake (the first being fred jones), but I don't think he will be willing to admit it as quick. I would have rather lived with gettin a pick and drafting Marcus Williams. At least potential would be more relavent with him. TJ = JUNK.
I'm 100% you're going to be regretting those remarks in a year or two norespect. He's in a new system, with an offensive system that I could run. It's basically either a pick and roll, or stand around and wait of the PG to pass you the ball. It would take Steve Nash to do anything inside of that offense. He's still young. He has good chemistry with Bosh. He has an incredibly amount of talent. His shot is streaky, but when it's on, the game is pretty much over. He's an excellent passer, and despite what you may or may not think he is a very capable ball handler. And he isn't even NEARLY as selfish as people have been making him out to be. People were praising him for being a pure point guard for a reason. If he actually had a competent offensive system, he'd have a lot more opportunities. You're also forgetting what he came through with his injury, he didn't play basketball in A LONG time. Which was especially bad because the sophomore season in a crucial point in ones development, especially for a PG. Where you're coming back for a second season, used to the plays, the players and the teams. Only time will tell. But I'd bet all my marbles you're wrong.
I dunno about regretting the remarks eventually. I'm sure someone would have said the same thing about Darius Miles or Joe Smith. The NBA is filled with guys who have great potential but never tap into it. What concerns me the most is the number of unforced errors he makes. Stuff like shooting without even looking to make one pass on an offensive set or getting involved in personal 1 vs. 1 match ups instead of focusing on the game really bother me. Those are traits you see in some classically terrible players who underachieve. I really don't know which way he's going to go but I wouldn't bet the bank he's going to be a superstar. I don't hate his game overall but he does have flaws and as i said before we can't tell what he's capable of until he gets a real offense behind him.
<div class="quote_poster">intrepid1983 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Well although your remarks sound reasonable, Sam Mitchell is getting considerations for coach of the year. It shouldn't be Mitchell's job to give directions to Ford about being a point guard. Chris Bosh made himself good without directions from any coach, and so did Damon Stoudamire when entering the league, as well as many players from the nba. We shouldnt have to have an amazing coach for Ford to play good. And as you say, Ford's become a scapegoat, but why would people single him out and no other player? Most people have directed comments on Ford based on what they see. For us to become an elite team, we need all of our players on the right track. If Ford is just a little step behind, then that will inhibit the team's performance. The teams with players a step behind are the ones that will not make it to the next level. Some things you just cannot teach, Ford has skill, but if his mentality is selfish which you will always see, then he will always be slowed down by the way he thinks. He's just damn lucky the European players aren't willing to complain about him in good enough english, cuz for sure if the roster was full load of americans with the same skill set, Ford would be buried on the bench. All of our players are really good, but if Ford is JUST decent, and not really good, then that won't cut it no matter how you put it. He gets selfish, since he handles the ball first, then all of a sudden everyone else has to worry about not getting the ball, then they all of a sudden perform less efficiently. Ford is not a scapegoat, he is the problem. I cannot find any player that plays worst than him on our team. You wouldn't even say Kris Humphries plays worst, for his position on the team.</div> Sam Mitchell shouldn't be getting consideration for CoY and, if he is, the award loses all significance in my eyes. Mitchell's been getting the benefit of the doubt because of our surprising turnaround when, in actuality, our success is more a testament to the excellent offseason engineered by Colangelo. Sam shouldn't have to give TJ step-by-step directions, but he should be able to instill an offensive system that any moron couldn't have drawn up. And clearly you don't understand the concept of a scapegoat. It's a person that gets all the blame unfairly, to divert attention away from other problems that the team may have. I don't really feel like restating my point about how our offense sets TJ (and even Chris Bosh) back. You can find it on the first page.
I'm 100% sure that I won't be regretting my remarks anytime soon. TJ and bosh have chemistry???? Are you nuts? They are buddies, but TJ does not compliment bosh as a player at all. Like I said in one of my first posts, TJ overdribbles the ball and then dumps it in the post to Bosh with 5 seconds left, leaving bosh open to be double teamed and forced to take a bad shot without the time to pass to an open teammate. Like I said before, TJ's BB IQ is quite low for a PG. He excels at nothing, and dosen't see the floor well. He takes too many bad shots, and tries to be the hero, all not playing into his strengths, which are few.
<div class="quote_poster">norespect Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm glad someone is backing me up...thanks intrepid. TJ's game is all around bad. He doesn't excel at anything. He is quick, but dosen't use it. Calderone clearly beats more PG'S off the bounce then TJ does. He dosen't use that quickness on D. He isn't pass first, and has a bad jump shot....yup, the sky is the limit. I think that this is Colangelo's second mistake (the first being fred jones), but I don't think he will be willing to admit it as quick. I would have rather lived with gettin a pick and drafting Marcus Williams. At least potential would be more relavent with him. TJ = JUNK.</div> From what I can tell, TJ's a better defender than Calderon. He's not a great defender by any means, but he's still better than Calderon at making use of his quickness to stay in front of guards (but that's assuming that he actually wants to play defense) You need to lay off of TJ a bit. Trust me, I've been labeled a TJ hater numerous times by my friends (didn't like the TJ/CV trade, thought Calderon should be starting, thought he was too out of control, etc.) but I wouldn't go this far. Yes, he does have moments that make you shake your head (like some ill-advised shots or getting into one-on-one battles) but I really think you're taking for granted the positives that he brings to this team. Like during our 4 game winning streak he was putting up 12 assists per game and he did it while sharing time with Calderon. And during that time he was making passes that just make you go, "wow, how the hell did he do that?" As much as I like Calderon, he probably can never do some of the passes that TJ can. Chutney already mentioned it, our stagnate offense is what's really making TJ look terrible at times. Basically, if we're not hitting our perimeter shots, then we're going to lose b/c we don't run any plays besides the high pick and roll. But just watch when we're hitting our shots and opposing players can't cheat off their man on D, you'll see TJ cutting through the defense and kicking it out like a top 5 pg in this league. Atm though, the only thing that annoys me about TJ is the fact that he has problems making a damn layup!! I mean, I've never seen a player get all backboard and no rim on a layup as much as TJ has.
<div class="quote_poster">norespect Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm 100% sure that I won't be regretting my remarks anytime soon. TJ and bosh have chemistry???? Are you nuts? They are buddies, but TJ does not compliment bosh as a player at all. Like I said in one of my first posts, TJ overdribbles the ball and then dumps it in the post to Bosh with 5 seconds left, leaving bosh open to be double teamed and forced to take a bad shot without the time to pass to an open teammate. Like I said before, TJ's BB IQ is quite low for a PG. He excels at nothing, and dosen't see the floor well. He takes too many bad shots, and tries to be the hero, all not playing into his strengths, which are few.</div> Yup, thats pretty much everything I see. TJ is as selfish as good players that are superstars on their team minus the part where he actually gets the ball in. And he just doesn't get it. He'll score once, on the next possession, he will often try to score again, looking for himself. If he misses, he will come back on hte next possession again then try to score, then miss once again, then the other team makes a run and Mitchell has to call a time out. Does that make any sense? Is he that dense?! I may reconsider his "getting better next year" potential, if he actually does, but as of now I don't really think he has that potential that the very few TJ backers believe. Another thing I hate to hear is that Calderon is "only good because he has honed his experience in Europe and under a Championship team". Well yes he's good because of that, but ppl just don't like to give him any respect either. If he does something great for the team, that's the reason, that he's experienced. Yet other Europeans or international players come in, and people feel that their a gamble b/c they're from outside of America. Yet Calderon comes in as amazing as he is, and the reason is that its because hes experienced in the international setting, Does that make any sense?! He's done some very nice plays as well but it goes highly unnoticed. All Ford is, is a Mike James, minus the actual scoring ability, a bit faster but he's short and scrappy and a bit more selfish than pretty much all of the team.
<div class="quote_poster">intrepid1983 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">All Ford is, is a Mike James, minus the actual scoring ability, a bit faster but he's short and scrappy and a bit more selfish than pretty much all of the team.</div> Lol, no way. TJ Ford is way more unselfish than Mike James.
<div class="quote_poster">Bobcats Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Lol, no way. TJ Ford is way more unselfish than Mike James.</div> Ok yea, i prolly went a bit too far on that one lol, i agree with you.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">He trys to be the hero late in games</div> True. He does do this a little too much. He should just give it too Bosh, or penetrate and dish. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> He often makes up his mind while coming up court to shoot</div> TRUE! IMO he does this WAY too much. If he's knocking them down, then yes, it's fine. But when he's not, he should look at his wing-players. He does it a lot on the fast-break. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">He often dumps the ball in the post to Bargs or bosh with 5 seconds or less left on the shot clock</div> True. He dribbles too much. He should dump it down low in the post. Especially in late game situations. I really don't think Tj is a bad player. He just needs to work on a few things and he can be a great PG someday. I agree with those, but with the other points, I don't think it happens TOO often, atleast I think that.
<div class="quote_poster">norespect Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm 100% sure that I won't be regretting my remarks anytime soon. TJ and bosh have chemistry???? Are you nuts? They are buddies, but TJ does not compliment bosh as a player at all. Like I said in one of my first posts, TJ overdribbles the ball and then dumps it in the post to Bosh with 5 seconds left, leaving bosh open to be double teamed and forced to take a bad shot without the time to pass to an open teammate. Like I said before, TJ's BB IQ is quite low for a PG. He excels at nothing, and dosen't see the floor well. He takes too many bad shots, and tries to be the hero, all not playing into his strengths, which are few.</div> I think you have to ask yourself, "Why does T.J. over dribble?". Because the Raptors probably have the worst offensive set in the league. We really don't have plays per se, and the ones we do have are run in high schools. Lets say T.J. is at the top of the key. Where is everyone? Standing around. You don't see screens being set away from the ball, only on the ball. No one is cutting. You can't blame him for his over dribbling, because it's just an incompetent system. To my knowledge, he didn't do this nearly as much with the bucks, and they had a crappy system too. It seems like you're blaming T.J. for everything bad that happens in a game. And you're just ignoring the conditions in which he is playing with. I'm going to be laughing so hard in a few years. Also, for you complain about him shooting, and making up his mind going up the court. Smitch is telling T.J. to take those shots. So ffs stop making him a scapegoat.
