Is T.J. Ford Killing the Raptors?
Photo. Eriberto OriolT.J. Ford is “screwing up” the Toronto Raptors says columnist Bruce Arthur of the National Post this morning – an observation that might not be too far off. From Arthur’s story today:
If ever there was a fitting end for a disaster in five acts, the Toronto Raptors’ loss in Utah Monday night was it. After losing the first four games of the trip with point guard T.J. Ford drifting further and further from his teammates, Ford cemented his isolation.
With the score tied 65-65 after three quarters against the best home team in the league, Ford missed a shot, threw the ball away twice, committed two fouls, drew two technical fouls, had to be restrained, and was ejected.
Ford left, his teammates stayed; Toronto lost.
It was the grand finale of T.J.’s badly reviewed travelling show, in which he responded to — and confirmed — his backup status by playing like a one-man band, complete with cymbal crashes. Ford’s season was derailed by injuries, and a period of adjustment was expected. But right now Ford is lost, and he’s screwing the entire team up. And a season that was already vaguely disappointing has taken a sharp turn for the worse.
So with a quarter of the season left, the big question for the Toronto Raptors is this: Can they fix what is wrong with T.J. Ford in time?The short answer is that they have already tried. Ford met with both head coach Sam Mitchell and director of basketball operations Marc Eversley two weeks ago in Miami to address his frustrations, both with himself and with his role. He has talked about how, after his two stingers and a spinal bruise this season, this is yet another adjustment in a season of adjustments.
Among the Dime Crew, we’ve each noticed how Ford comes into the game and everything changes … mostly because he’s looking to get his. The other day I was talking with our Associate Editor Austin Burton about the 117-106 loss the Raps took at Golden State. Austin noted that it was “the perfect game” for Ford – he came in when they were already down and just started jacking shots in an up and down game. The box score says that Ford had 23 and eight assists in the game and I can see T.J. looking at the box score and thinking he played really well, especially compared to the eight and six put up by Jose Calderon in the same game.
It has to be distressing for Raptors fans to watch what’s going on with their team. They’ve lost five in a row, Ford comes in every night looking like he thinks the way he’s going to get his job back is by getting buckets, and they’re in real danger of losing ground in the playoff race (they’re currently the 5th seed) and it’s not inconceivable that, if the losing continues, they could drop out of the playoff race altogether, even after Chris Bosh returns to the lineup this week.
If the problem with Ford is really as bad as it seems, and Sam Mitchell really can’t get through to him, should they consider something as drastic as benching T.J. altogether for the rest of the season?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:26 am
B says:
Kinda drastic.
There’s still time, the only way is up.
However, the main problem is that it’s affecting Jose’s play, as he’s looking to pass more than playing his natural game.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:31 am
yallallreadyknow says:
tj ford sucks
i bet toronto would rather have mo williams
March 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Kobeef says:
Another over-rated Colangelo trade.
I know they’d rather have Charlie V starting at SF beside Bosh than TJ backing up Jose at the point.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:58 am
alex says:
Colangelo did not make the trade for Ford
March 19th, 2008 at 11:04 am
D-NICE says:
TJ at times can get caught up in gettin his, but its not entirely his fault. When we play the more uptempo teams calderon sometimes can’t handle the pace and more often than not the starting points(read Baron Davis and Deron Williams)give him the business. At least ford can stay in front with his quickness or give them buckets. Sam Mitchell is also a big problem because he subs jose and TJ in for each other at THE WORST POSSIBLE TIMES. Another thing is Ford is one of the only players on the raps who can create his own shot consistently. So when your main option is out he has to take a few extra shots. This doesn’t mean take ALL YOUR TEAMS SHOTS. He’s been injured alot he just needs to figure out what every point needs to figure out to be successful in the L…when to pass and when to score
March 19th, 2008 at 11:06 am
D-NICE says:
and yes alex did make the trade for TJ
March 19th, 2008 at 11:09 am
YOUNGFED says:
How is this TJ’s fault Dime this is your worst article to date. If they were losing before he came in at the end and he out shined Calderon (Bum Ass). Calderon is getting way to much credit. People talking allstar for this guy. GTFOH. Sorry Dime put I’m just getting sick and tired of all this TJ Haterism. They just need to figure out how to play with TJ.
I out like this lame ass article…..PAT
March 19th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Nothing But Truth says:
WTF? They don’t need to figure out how to play with TJ, TJ needs to figure out how to play with them. His bullshit baby crying act gets tiring. He’s a grown ass man. Trade him or whatever, but all these articles about TJ just makes him seem like a bigger bitch.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Marcus says:
the biggest problem is Sam, TJ clearly doesnt know what his role is supposed to be now, and everyone outside of the team is killing him for that, Mitchell needs to back him up, cause at the beginning of the season the TJ/Jose combo was crazy, remember when TJ took us to double OT against the Celts, that was a sick game. Sam needs to get TJ back into a rhythm with this team or he needs to get fired.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:41 am
JA says:
TJ’s game in Toronto seems to be evolving in a similar fashion to Mike James’ when he was with the Raps.
Started out as a good player when he tried to fit within the team concept, then ego started getting in the way, then evolved into a me-first player. James had an issue with deferring to an emerging Chris Bosh and just started looking for his, while TJ doesn’t like Jose getting all his credit and is now doing the same. The Raps ended up not keeping James. And TJ … ?
Didn’t Rafer have similar issues in Toronto where he didn’t like playing in the team concept?
Is there something wrong with PGs in Toronto??
March 19th, 2008 at 11:45 am
nick says:
tj is out of rhythm and thats the problem. he needs to learn to pass first then try and score. the main rift i got with him is when he is taking the fade away shots. dude is 5-11 and trying to fade on everything. just take a normal shot. also sam should try to play jose and tj together.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Kobeef says:
@ Alex
Sorry to criticize your lover but Colangelo made the TJ for Charlie V trade a FULL FOUR months after he became GM of the Raptors.
Lots of people in TO like to talk about BC as some type of god-like basketball mastermind but his moves in toronto don’t support that. LaMarcus Aldrige would have been a MUCH better piece than BUST-nani has been beside Bosh. If they hadn’t made the Charlie V for TJ trade they would now be starting:
PG – Calderon
SG – Parker/Delfino
SF – Charlie V
PF – Bosh
C – Aldridge
If you watch basketball you will know that Aldridge is being compared to a young Rasheed (without the attitude) and that he destroyed Amare the other night. Charlie V can shoot the 3, pass and run with the best of them and is a Great person. You already know about Calderon and Parker.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
ben says:
YOUNGFED, have you actually been watching Raptors games, or are you simply going by boxscores? It’s obvious that the team is SIGNIFICANTLY better when Ford is on the bench. Calderon gets everyone involved. Yes Bosh is hurt, yes the Raptors were bound to struggle on the recent 5 game west trip with or without Bosh, and yes you could even argue that Ford is still “adjusting”. But that’s not true. Ford’s entire style of play has changed since his return. He used to have a healthy balance of distributing and getting his own when needed. Fans still had to deal with the occasional possession where Ford dribbled down the shot clock and chucked up some rediculous shot only Kobe should be taking, but now it happens almost every time down the court. Against Sacramento the other night Kapono was just KILLING it for a stretch. One play we had numbers on a fast break, with Kapono standing wide open in the corner for 3. Does Ford pass to him? Does he pass to anyone? No, he pulls a few fancy, lateral, go nowhere dribbles with Kapono and the rest of the team standing in shock. This is a serious ongoing problem, and I hope Ford can realize it
March 19th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
YOUNGFED says:
JA
Its something Wrong with Toronto..But yall still got Caribana so I want hate to tough.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
YOUNGFED says:
PS. What type of name is Patrick Cassidy, sounds like an Fukin Irish X-Men character. LMAO.
Everytime someone at Dime writes a bias ass article I’m comin’ at yall. The bitchassness has got to stop.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
mike says:
I don’t wanna hear this garbage about Aldridge being a better fit on the Raps then Bargnani, both can’t rebound. We needed a true center, there wasn’t one, we shoulda took Rudy Gay, because look at the hole we have at SF now. Also, Charlie V cannot defend NBA SF’s. We won that trade with milwaukee simply cus ford was so good last year. Did anybody know he finished first or second in the NBA in assists per 48 minutes last year? I don’t like per 48 minute stats, but you cannot simply overlook that. TJ has been off pretty much all year and he’s not being professional about it. Jose has been better this year, no question. It’s also no question that Toronto won the trade with Milwaukee, cus Charlie is a PF, and Milwaukee’s got one of those, his name is Yi. Charlie is a great guy, but he’s gonna bounce around the NBA for his whole career, cus he doesn’t always give the best effort.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Kevin says:
^ This reminds me of the days when we sucked. If Bosh was in and the raps were winning, this conversation and the hypothetical starting lineups wouldn’t be happening. Relying that heavily on one player isn’t the sign of a good team, but every team goes through rough patches.
Play TJ very few minutes until he learns to play to his strengths and make the easy pass and not the knock out punch. If he complains, bench him. If that affects the team, send him home. We don’t need him so why take his sh*t! He could help, but he has to grow up first.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Shaun says:
T.J. is playing the same way Jalen Rose was playing before we got lucky enough to get rid of him and look how great he is doing now. Lets hope T.J. doesnt miss the next flight out
March 19th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Kobeef says:
@ Mike
Your comments are garbage.
Aldridge averages 17pts and 7 boards a game and has hit for 31, 26 and 20 points in his last 3 games and is hitting 49% of his shots.
Bargs is averaging 10pts and 3 board for the season and has hit for 5, 5 amd 6 points over his last 3 games and is hitting 38% of his shots – he misses 1 shot in every 10 more than Aldridge.
Sure, last year Tj looked OK but even then Calderon’s 48min averages were much better than Ford’s (more assists, less turnovers). This year Calderon is the clear cut starting PG. So you traded a 6-10 do-it-all SF for a bench warming 5-10 me first PG…..I am not sure you could get a single GM in the league to back-up that logic.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
jdid says:
First off Sam’s a terrible coach actually he’s a bit better than last year when he won coach of the year (clearly not something rated on coaching x and o’s)
I’m not going to blame TJ for all the raps ills but TJ is definetly not playing the team game here. I’d bench him and even go with Martin as the backup.
Oh and does it help that the Raptors hired John Lucas as a special coach to TJ or is that just one more voice in his ear telling him how great he is and to just do his thing and forget about the other players on the court?
March 19th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Juanito says:
Comparing Aldridge to Sheed is plain stupid. LA is a solid cat, but not even close to the all around game of Sheed. You think Sheed’s attitude is a detriment? I’d rather have a little passion than an emotionless robot anyday…
March 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Howard says:
TJ said his idol is Marbury. He said he wanted to be an all-star at the beginning of the year. Jose wants to model his game after Nash. Enough said shouldn’t it? TJ is an excellent scorer but he needs to get under control and I blame this on Sam. If he wasn’t so blind to always pull out Jose when he’s hot and throw in a the damn chucker, we wouldn’t have these problems. TJ is a poor man’s bobby jackson and until he realizes it’s a team sport, Sam will continue to let him play with reckless abandon. Here’s an idea, TJ and Bargnani for some protein bars for Jamario. Dude needs to beef up.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
youngfed
u get my vote for poster/reader of the year.
many on here are shook to come at the dime writers. i like that u know that they aint above being challenged
caribana is the shit. to all the men on this board, if u cant get laid at caribana, then u aint shit and might as well give up
ode to youngfed and puff eezzz:
STOP THE BITCHASSNESS
ps
where can i find them danity kane bitches? nice legs indeed
March 19th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
mike says:
“Sure, last year Tj looked OK but even then Calderon’s 48min averages were much better than Ford’s (more assists, less turnovers). This year Calderon is the clear cut starting PG. So you traded a 6-10 do-it-all SF for a bench warming 5-10 me first PG…..I am not sure you could get a single GM in the league to back-up that logic.”
Kobeef, you’re calling my comments garbage?
Jose had the benefit of playing against teams second units last year and he also shot in the low 30% range from 3. This year he’s avergaing like 44%. He’s doing it against starters this year, which shows how much improvement he’s made. Jose this year isn’t the same as Jose last year. TJ averaged 8 dimes a game last year. You’re gonna just call that OK, especially considering he didn’t get the minutes that elite PG’s get? With that said, i’m not gonna argue the assist-to-turnover thing, cus your right, i can’t argue that. And also, did you miss what i said about TJ not being professional?
As for you’re opinion of Charlie V, well obviously you’re not gonna agree with me if you think he’s a 6′10″ do it all SF. Don’t call my comments garbage when that is absolute garbage. He’s a PF who shoots 3’s and has some decent post moves, but he’s also a guy who couldn’t beat out a rookie for minutes, and he’s now getting minutes and playing well, but guess what, his team’s games don’t matter no more.
As for you’re point about Aldridge, obviously he’s playing much, much better than Bargnani right now, did i say he wasn’t? Fact is, Sheed isn’t the greatest rebounder, and neither is Aldridge. FYI, Toronto has Chris Bosh, we don’t need another finesse PF. Don’t call my post garbage, thanks. Rudy Gay would’ve fit much better in Toronto than either guy mentioned. Do you disagree with that?
March 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Chuck Swirsky says:
Stop blaming TJ everyone. He’s a great player. The team relies on him. Don’t people know that the Raptors are 1-11 when TJ takes more than 15 shots. It’s obvious that we depend on him. The Swirsk! Break out the salami and cheese mama, this chucker should be traded!
March 19th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Brown says:
Colangelo made the trade on Chris Bosh’s request because him and TJ are boys. VC did the same when they brought Hakeem in and we saw how that turned out. It’s never good when players are making demands on personnel moves.
TO got rid of Charlie V because he can’t play SF, he’s not a C, and Bosh is cemented as their PF. He has good games, but he’s also not a good defender, doesn’t rebound well and doesn’t hustle. One of the Raps’ biggest problems is that they don’t have enough players who can play defense. Bosh, Moon and Parker are their only decent defenders. Over the years, it’s been obvious that this is an issue, and they just keep bringing in offensive-minded players who can’t play D.
Another major problem is they don’t have players who can create their own shots. They have Bosh and that’s it, the rest of the team are jump shooters. They need someone who can create off the dribble and score or dish to get ball movement and find open shots. When they drafted Bargnani, he didn’t fill a need for them, they already had a PF who could play outside. Aldridge wouldn’t have faired much better, he doesn’t rebound well and is a PF, not a C. I was hoping they would draft Brandon Roy at the time, and look how he’s turned out. He would have made a great compliment to Bosh (same goes for Rudy Gay, but Roy is better), which Bargnani does not. Bosh needs a wing player who can create and a C who can rebound and defend, and it’s been that way for years. Colangelo has avoided addressing these needs for some reason, hopefully he will in the future.
YOUNGFED, if you don’t understand the criticism TJ has brought upon himself, we’ll give him to you for Rodney Stuckey and you can see why we’re frustrated with him yourself. We don’t hate TJ, just because we’re critical of him, doesn’t mean we hate him. The Raps play the Pistons soon so watch the game and see for yourself.
Yes, TJ is the only one on the team who can create his own shot, but when those shots are low-percentage shots, it doesn’t help. TJ’s problems have been magnified by the team’s flaws I’ve mentioned above.
And please, stop with this shit about people starting to complain on this road trip while Bosh has been out and they’re losing. TJ’s play has been an issue all year for most people, and last year for me. If you watch them play, you can tell by his body language when he’s looking for his shot as soon as he hits half court. If I can see this, opposing teams likely do too. Teams know he’s looking to get his, and they know he takes bad shots, and can’t finish around the rim cuz he’s too small. This makes him easy to defend. If TJ would switch it up and pass more often, teams might get caught off-guard by him, but he’s far too predictable right now.
TJ has the tools to be an effective 1-2 punch with Calderon, but has to accept his role. He has ego issues (i.e. little man syndrome), and his attitude has been horrible since he came back from injury. Someone on that team needs to take him aside and shake the shit out of him. If nobody on the team, coach, GM or player is willing to talk some good hard sense into him, he’s a lost cause, because I don’t see him willing to change his game for the better of the team without it. The Raps are a soft team, and opposing players know that. If Bosh is the leader of the team, he needs to be the one to address these issues. That’s what a team captain’s responsibility is. His latest outburst should have gotten him a smack upside the head.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Marcus says:
@Kobeef
i agree with Brown in that B-Roy would have been a much better pick and complement to Bosh
I dont think Aldridge would do that well in Toronto as him and Bosh fill a fairly similar skillset
March 19th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
yallallreadyknow says:
toronto peaked last yr. thats as good as they gonna get. all they players had career yrs last yr. too hard for all of them to repeat that again. they gonna get bounced in the 1st round for the next 3yrs
they play too pretty and too soft. they need some muscle and toughness
and tj ford is a piece of shit. i got more use for a plunger than anyone has for tj ford
March 19th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
mike says:
Rudy Gay, Brandon Roy, both woulda been better for Toronto, but we have Anthony Parker who is the closest thing to a complete wing player the Raps have, and he’s a SG, so pairing him with Gay would’ve been pretty good. Still though, give us Brandon Roy, and i wouldn’t be complaing. Regardless, i still trust Colangelo because he brought success to a team that was starved of it, and despite our struggles of late, were still a respectable team (above 500 record), whereas we were garbage before.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Kobeef says:
@Mike
OK – calling your comments garbage was a bit over the top. Defending TJ (who I think is killing a good young team) just doesn’t fly with me.
I might agree with you on the Rudy Gay pick. He had some big question marks coming out of college but if you could do it all over he could be #1. I read that Rudy has a 7′3″ wingspan (only 1″ less than Greg Oden) and a 40+ inch vertical (more than Gerald Green). The kid is a certified FREAK.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Common Sense says:
why are we even discussing the raptors?
someone please wake me up when Bosh is playing. It’s obvious TJ is trading tips with Mo Williams lol
March 19th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Brown says:
JA, the problem with PGs in Toronto is they keep signing/trading for ex-Milwaukee Bucks PGs – Rafer Alston, Mike James, TJ Ford. They’ve all played the same style and acted very similar. Is Mo Williams next on the hit list? He fits that mould perfectly.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Illy_philly6 says:
Fuck TJ Ford!!!
March 19th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
doc says:
It aint nobody fault the Raps just aint shit and every single player is soft. They should change they name to the Toronto Baby Asses.People not from Canada been saying it all year and will keep saying it until they get some men who ball up there.Now yall hate TJ.When Horford fouled him yall wanted Horford charged with aggravated assault.They was loving TJ.Now yall switching like homos.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Brown says:
Doc, you’re right and wrong. For th most part, fans saw the Horford foul for what it was, non-malicious contact with shitty consequences for Ford. Love him or hate him, I wouldn’t want to see any NBA player injured like that, but shit happens, it’s a contact sport.
I’m from Canada, and trust me, we know the Raps are soft. There are some delusional fans up here who dick-ride whatever roster the Raptors throw together, but the real (i.e. realistic) fans know the Raps are considerably lacking in toughness from top to bottom. There’s a serious shortage of muscle on the team, and it’s a huge issue that for some reason hasn’t been addressed for years. That’s why they consistently get outrebounded and outmuscled in the paint. Teams can pretty much score at will on them inside. The Raps win with outside shooting, plain and simple.
Name one player on the Raptors who isn’t soft. I’m a fan, and I can’t think of one, because there aren’t any. Not like that’s a secret.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Jurassic says:
while yall at it, name one spur that ain’t soft or one mav that ain’t soft or one rocket that ain’t soft or one sixer that ain’t soft. don’t believe the hype. the league’s what it’s always been about: talent and skill mixed with hard work and improvement
March 19th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
doc says:
brown i feel that jurassic Duncan,Landry,Reg Evans
March 19th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
doc says:
oh and Josh howard
March 20th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Simon says:
Kris Humphries is not soft. The dude is a tank!
March 20th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
Calderon wasn’t who he is when Colangelo made the trade for TJ, it was needed at the time.
Now that Calderon has flourished, they can trade TJ’s ass for something they need, like a real center or another presence inside, etc.
The Ford trade was needed at the time, he is no longer needed now, the best thing to do would be to bench his ass for the rest of year, and it shouldn’t be too hard to trade a PG who can get you 14-15 pts to go with 7-8 assists a night.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
Or TJ Ford for Cory Maggette, that would give them the slasher they need, they can get flexible with Delfino and Kapono, they got Parker who can get fill the statsheet, it gives them another dimension on offense, and the clippers get a pg, you done know they need 1.