GB Press Gazette <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ASHWAUBENON ? It?s easy to see why the Milwaukee Bucks coveted him in the first round. Not Andrew Bogut, although he played OK, but rather Terrance Jerod Ford, who stole the show and wowed the crowd in the Bucks? 104-94 exhibition victory over the Detroit Pistons in front of 7,462 at Resch Center. Tiny T.J. Ford, a bundle of blur, reminded everyone why the Bucks selected him with the eighth pick in the 2003 NBA draft. And why the Bucks missed him so dearly after a spinal cord injury and subsequent surgery sidelined him for all of last season. ?You could feel his presence on the court,? Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. ?His basketball ability. Finding cracks in their defense. Running down misses. Setting the tempo. I am very impressed with his basketball IQ.? Ford, a wisp of an athlete at 6-foot, 165 pounds, flashed the kind of explosive quickness that can break a defender?s ankles. He scored 19 points and handed out nine assists on a night when Detroit?s defense was merely mortal and Michael Redd?s jump shot was a bit off key. One sequence stands out. Late in the first quarter, Ford gathered a Pistons miss, drove the length of the court, made the layup and drew the foul. A moment later, he drilled a high, arching shot over an outstretched Rasheed Wallace. Then, he executed a perfect lob pass to Desmond Mason for a dunk. Shortly thereafter, he swished a 16-foot jump shot, pretty as could be. Ford wasn?t out of breath. He wasn?t even breathing hard. Meantime, the Bucks fans in attendance were breathless. This game bore little if any resemblance to last year?s exhibition fiasco. This time, the Bucks lowered ticket prices, raised the team?s ability to compete and elevated expectations going into this season. Bango did his thing, the Energee! dance team did its thing and the fans seemed to enjoy every minute. That they embraced Ford was obvious early.</div> Source
