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Raptors romp in Ford's return

LARRY MILLSON

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 10:19 PM EST 06/02/08

Huge first quarter spurs Toronto to victory in Miami ...Read the full article

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  1. Clark The Mighty from Canada writes: Nothing to see here. Heat lose to everyone.

    Not a chance the Raps get past the Pistons or Celtics with their lack of toughness.
  2. andy c from Canada writes: the heat's play does not reflect there record. they aren't the second worse team in the NBA, they are the worse; TJ's first game back in two months and he looked better then i thought. his shot was no existent but the penetration and passing were spot on; the blowout benefited everyone. the starters got some rest, and Bargs and TJ got some PT; can't really take to much more from the game cuz the heat are terrible.
  3. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Yeah! TJ Ford is back! Wooooo! Man, bad week for Roger S and the a$$ talker; first Calderon is not picked for the All Star game first by the fans, and then by the coaches of the NBA (who even save 2 extra spots on each team for a player from any position), and now Ford is back with his team, nice... To be honest I couldn't care less who starts, or what 'style' of play the Raps have, for me and I imagine anyone else who has played competitive sports its all about the win at the end of the day. Bargnani has finally had sustained success over the course of a few games, and as many have commented here he looks like he has finally realized that he needs to put effort into the other parts of the game which were bringing him and the Raps down. Obvioulsly he will have more ups and downs, but he is finally earning his spot for the first time in his sophmore year...While I could never see Dwayne Wade leaving the paradise of South Beach, he needs a new ride, the heat have certainly lost their shine, and its hard to see how they can fix this wreck anytime soon.
  4. Tony! Tony! from Canada writes: Seriously, Clark the Mighty, can you be any cuter? Do you have ASD, otherwise known as Attention-Seeking-Disorder?

    I love it. If you keep up these adorable little comments, I'm just going to burst with glee and happiness!
  5. john macdonald from Fredericton NB., Canada writes: Here's something to think about that hasn't been mentioned. I was very surprised that TJ has come back to the lineup so quick. I mean he just arrived back with the team on Sunday and now he's playing all of a sudden. Don't get me wrong, I'm super happy that he's back and that our back up PG spot is above average again, but it raises a few questions for me. Is he coming back so soon really because he's ready? Or is this something that was put together by BC. I say BC because he might want to have TJ back in the lineup for the simple reason of showing off his talents and indicating that TJ is healthy again, all with the intention to trade him before the trade deadline. Lot's of possible trades that could happen considering the need for a quality point guard in this league. Oh and with the Grizz having so many young points (3 if I'm not mistaken), are they looking go putting together a little trade of their own. Should be interesting over the next couple of weeks to see what all happens. I'm not saying that I expect a trade from the raps but I won't be surprised if they pull off a nice trade before the deadline expires.
  6. Ryan Hickman from Canada writes: TJ's pass to Humphries was flat out sick! Glad to have him back. Though I get frustrated with his often times erratic play I thought he played within himself last night and he played under control. Not worried about his shot as that will come in time. He looked very comfortable on the floor and did a good job of finding the open man.

    Obviously the Heat blow but I am sure the team will take the win and the good feeling that comes with shooting such a high percentage. They have a very favourable schedule coming up so hopefully they can run the table in the next week or so.

    It's time to bare down and get that home court advantage.
  7. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Oh Big Cayman, dem is fightin words. Though I hate the Calderon homers and the TJ homers, I have to admit that Calderon did deserve a spot on the all-star team for his stellars stats and for our winning record. Bargnani is definitely coming on slowly now. I can't believe the people out there that wanted to trade him. Patience man, the boy can play. He was just asked to do things that were different of him in the beginning of the season, and like most of us, we pout and complain that we don't want to do it, so he got benched. When he started accepting it, then he plays, and now we've reached that part of his game development now. The boy is a 3/4 in a 7 foot body and was asked to play Center. We all define ourselves and when people demand something different of our own definition there is obviously friction.
  8. Super Troll from Canada writes: Pay no attention to Clark- he's a Leaf fan. 'Nuff said.

    TJ picked a good game to come back. It's more of a warm up when you play the Heat.

    There will be games where the PG matchup will be better suited for Ford- here's to hoping Ford & Jose alternate as starters.
  9. Joseph Daniel from Canada writes: Ok here goes my Rog impression. Did you see TJ hogging the ball last night? Big C and John m the only reason TJ came back so early is because he feels threatened. He knows his days as a rap are coming to an end soon. He knows Calderon has taken his Job. did you see the look on his face. He looked like someone stole his lunch money. LMAO.
    ok now that I had my fun with that.
    There is no way BC can trade Ford and get any value for him right now because he is on a BYC. Although next year at this time if they resign Calderon and Roko shows that he is NBA ready anything is possible.
  10. emoncada Toronto from Canada writes: big c... not too sure how big you are but certainly not too big in analyzing things.

    John M i absolutely agree in what you said... any smart business person will do what BC did. TJ has to show to the market that he is healthy before the trade deadline
  11. HC Bargs from Canada writes: Great to see TJ back. That dunk was NASTY! Love to see more of those from TJ in the future.

    I absolutely love the way that Jose and TJ respect and truly care for each other. It was a touching moment to see Jose give TJ a big hug just before he entered the game.
  12. Allan Wexler from Canada writes: TJ Ford is not on the trading block. If he were BC would have made more of an attempt to get Damon or another point guard. TJ has been ready for a while physically, and now they feel, prior to the All Star game that he can get some minutes and get ready for the final push. The Raps will go with Jose and TJ for this year, and, hopefully, for years to come. And while I love Jose, I don't believe he deserved to go to the All Star game. He wasn't a starter until November and while he has been terrific there is no one out there who should have been left off the team in his favour. (Perhaps Joe Johnson) Accept the fact that he has been great, but not necessarily deserving of whatever an All Star bid would have meant.
  13. Joseph Daniel from Canada writes: I should comment on last nights game. That is the kind of game we expect out of the Raps facing an opponent who is down. Just come out take care of the basketball, make plays, make shots get a big lead and then don't let them back in. They snuffed out the 2nd quarter rally and the game was essentially done by the half. The starters got rest Ford got playing time. TJ seems to be playing smarter and this is going to set the raps un nicely heading into the post all-star stretch.
  14. john macdonald from Fredericton, NB, Canada writes: I'm not saying that TJ is on the block or anything, it's just when I heard he was coming back so soon it made me think. I think the next few games will be good for TJ, against weaker opponents and well stretched out so he can get some more practice in and get the rest he needs after coming back. After the allstar break TJ should be getting back to normal and the raps should really be rolling by then. I don't however expect them to do that much better than last year. Oh and they might be able to squeek in a playoff home court, but only if the Cavs continue to have injury problems and what not.
  15. Edwin Green from NS, Canada writes: I like my salt and pepper on the table and TJ and jose give that to the raps great to see TJ back thay are a great teams players all the best TJ
  16. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: JMac - i'm guessing TJ came back last night for a couple reasons...he's been working out pretty hard the last few weeks, and was physically ready to get back to real ball (does a game vs. the heat qualify as 'real?')...he's had time to get his psyche in order...he had a good practice with no warning signs that something might not be right...they were playing a creampuff and have 3 days off until their next game, so he'll have time to evaluate his condition, rest up & practice. i'm sure BC et al are glad to have him back earlier than may have been anticipated, it gives them time to see if he's going to be good to go for the rest of the year...if so, then they can focus their attention on getting something other than a 3rd string PG (& we all know what that is...). i sort of doubt memphis would be interested in trading any of their 3 young PGs at this time, especially if it meant getting another PG back...my guess is they're going to have a 3-way tryout for the rest of this year to see who they want to go with as their starter & backup (actually, i'd be shocked if conley wasn't the starter & lowry/crittenton fought it out for the backup), and trade the odd-man out (lowry or crittenton) at the draft. they certainly wouldn't be interested in picking up salary, they're cleaning house, looking for expiring contracts & picks. nothing to add re. last night's game against the d-league calibre heat...man, didn't that situation get ugly in a hurry? if the raps had coughed that one up, i think i'd have to start rooting for the nets or something.
  17. Toby Maloney from Canada writes: Every team that considers piling on veterans in order to make a break for the finals should take a long hard look at Miami and wonder to themselves if it's worth wearing a ring only to have to watch this just two years later.
  18. Joseph Daniel from Canada writes: Toby I don't think it was a bad idea for the Heat to load up for that one run to a championship. Yeah now they are in a bad situation. What is key for them is what they do from now to 2010. That is when Shaq comes off the books and Wade will be a F/A. If they can draft well this year and next by 2010 they will have some cap room and perhaps resign Dwade if they look competitive. If they haven't drafted well by then, Dwade leaves they have all kinds of cap room to start all over. Either way in 3-5 years from now they should be turning a corner to respectability again.
    Edwin I like your analogy, you can't just have more of the same coming off the bench you want to change things up, change tempo.
  19. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: "emoncada Toronto from Canada writes: big c... not too sure how big you are but certainly not too big in analyzing things." emoncada, actually yeah most would say pretty big. And whomever you are, what part of my post are you referencing ?? BTW it was just a simple comment, as this is a comment board. Who are you Leo?? Must every comment meet up to your exceedingly high standard?? Ok well lets take a look at yours: "John M i absolutely agree in what you said... any smart business person will do what BC did."...wow! Incredibly original and imaginative!, actually that dumb blanket statement you just made shows that you no nothing about business whatsoever by inferring that successful busness people always do exactly what everyone else does to achieve success,ok the next line, "TJ has to show to the market that he is healthy before the trade deadline"...incredible prose, quite insightful content, spot on analysis, you're like a combo Oscar Wilde, Stephen Hawking of the G&M posters. Thanks for first agreeing with JMac post (as most will do) and then going on and repeating the same in a shorter sentence. And you manage to somehow insert faulty logic that TJ is somehow controlling the situation, and playing good basketball to manage his market value LOL, gee do you have anymore great insights to share with us?
  20. CLEMENT CHAN from Mississauga, Canada writes: Hey Big C, I was at the ACC yesterday and noticed a guy wearing a Calderon jersey could not pass the metal detector at the entrance and was apprehended by the security. I was lucky to get away because I was actually going to shake this gentleman’s hand and ask him to throw in getting Mitchell for me.

    Anyway, I was with Roger on this matter. I think TJ was having some beginner&8217;s luck at his return last night - he played fairly well. He always played terribly with the raps&8217; second unit in the past. Until Ford can show his value working well with the second squad, the raps&8217; no. 1 PG will be Calderon for a long time to come (BC will most likely re-sign Jose).
  21. Doods Boltron from Canada writes: "Allan W writes: And while I love Jose, I don't believe he deserved to go to the All Star game". Hey Allan, I thought I heard coach Pat Riley said last night about Jose that he was surprised how good he really is. I guess he relented not voting Jose fo All star. lol.
  22. Jake ---- from Canada writes: This team looked great last night, but yet again they gave way to many secound chance points. BC needs to go out and get a dominate big man, like a Marcus Camby. At 9 million a year he is a steal, 4 blocks 10 points and 14 rebounds a game. I would give up a first rounder for his services.
  23. JOHN PALANDRA from Toronto, Canada writes: The posts today were pretty predictable, with the exception of Big C's last post which totally slaughtered emoncada. Well played Big C, im not sure what he was talking about either when he called you out, but if your going to call someone out at least have something original and insightfull to contribute.

    Ok on to the game, i think the one thing that made me happy about this win, other then TJ coming back, was the fact that the Raps put this away early. Perhaps this a step in the right direction since the raps have often played to the level of their opponents and lost games just like this.
  24. Roger S from Canada writes: TJ's rush back is negative to two Raptors: Juan and TJ himself. Dixon and Ford are on trading block. Trading a base year player means you lose 4million cap room, but, hey, TJ is basically untradeable this year and onward because his overrated salary and superior ability to injury, if somebody want him now, why not?

    Sometimes you have to pay the price to fix things.
  25. Roger S from Canada writes: Raptors desperately need glue guy inside for Rebound and Defense, someone like Verejao. I don't know how much Dixon's expiring contract worthes, but I do hope BC can play his magic again. (Rumor says BC may go for shooting guard or small forward, don't do that, it's WRONG)
  26. andy c from Canada writes: rog; i'm glad you have insightful comments on the basketball game and TJ's play monday. since you did not comment on the game would you care to expand on you opinion on how TJ's return is negative to the TEAM?
  27. emoncada Toronto from Canada writes: John P my message was heard on the other end and to me that was enough... i didnt want to go the level i don't belong. i like your comment though... this tells me you're probably on the same class
  28. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: emoncada, yes your 'message' as you put was heard; that you have nothing to add other than the banal, hackneyed and trite. Stick with that, it works for you. Don't get upset at other people now because they saw it in your post, you sound even more silly by directing your last comment at JOHN P, a first class citizen of this board for a very long time...CLEMENT! I like Calderon and if he's contributing to their wins, which he's almost always a big factor, then his starting role and minutes are his to lose...Roger S says "Raptors desperately need glue guy inside for Rebound and Defense, someone like Verejao." Varejao?? He's so over rated and now way over paid and if you know anything about basketball then his ankle would be a huge risk to take; since before his injury his numbers have been abysmal, never mind his selfish holdout at the beginning of the year. It seems that the 'glue' you are reffering to that the Raptors are missing is being sniffed by you.
  29. Roger S from Canada writes: Big C, even only with one functional angle, Varejao still worths more than TJ Ford at today's market value. I bet BC receives no call regarding to Ford, bad contract is bad contract, you can't deny it.
  30. Roger S from Canada writes: Roger S from Canada writes: Big C, even only with one functional ankle, Varejao still worths more than TJ Ford at today's market value. I bet BC receives no call regarding to Ford, bad contract is bad contract, you can't deny it.
  31. Roger S from Canada writes: Shark to Phoenix for Marion? Sounds like ANTI-COLANGELO event going on. Well, not sure if O'Neal still can run with Suns' up-tempo offense. He may be used for playoffs only over there.
  32. Roger S from Canada writes: And my final comment today is, Larry Brown wants to coach again. Raptors should hire him.
  33. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: any other fossils lying around that you think the raps should dig up? oak? JYD? maybe they can 'lure' pippen over here, he'd be great at the 3, right? re. ford...actually, responding to your inanity would be like feeding a stray cat. damn, can't resist...'today's market value' - what does that even mean? the lakers get gasol for the ultimate, $.30 on the dollar, pu pu platter. AI goes to denver for...an aging PG and...man, i can't even remember. KG to beantown for basically a younger version of himself (except if that version couldn't defend a wetnap). now i hear shaq to the lakers for matrix & banks (sounds like an actual possibility, which sorta blows me away, but whatever). i'm starting to wonder if 'value' has anything to do with trades nowadays, it's much more about matching/getting rid of either bad contracts or malcontents...and neither fits the case of ford. he does not have a 'bad' contract, but that's just my opinion. when you look around the league at the contracts of veteran PGs, there aren't many that produce like he does for the coin he's making. the only reason the 'situation' is the least bit controversial is because they're going to have to pony up to keep jose, resulting in a situation in which both PGs are making roughly the same. still, would you rather pay JKidd almost $20M per, or TJ / Jose $16M per? look, no one really knows what's going to happen this year, this summer, next year, etc. endless speculation just wastes O2...the raps are deep, but of that depth, there seem to only be a few untouchables, and ford would appear to be in that group (along w/ jose, bosh & bargnani). i can see a deal being made that includes anyone else on the roster (either now or down the road), if it improves the team. i can also see nothing happening...the trade deadline is more often than not sound & fury, signifying nothing (of course, the gasol trade, and now shaq rumours, fly in the face of that).
  34. JOHN PALANDRA from Toronto, Canada writes: Ok honestly Rog you cant possibly think that TJ Ford for Varejao is a fair trade? This is not a good trade for the short or long term needs of the raps, and im glad to see that informed posters like Big C and Yertu agree as well. Their are 4 untouchables on this team, which as Yertu outlined are Jose, TJ, Bosh and Bargs. The only way i make a trade involing one of these guys is if you get someone with similar upside and productivity. These guys are all under 25 and have a huge upside, something that will make the raps a sustained winner. When the raps reach the point, maybe two or three years from now, where they are competing for a title then they can entertain trade offers for one of these guys in order to get a piece to put them over the top. I just cant comprehend what goes through someones mind who thinks trading away a top 5 PG in the east for an overrated hustle guy like Varejao is a good move. As for emoncada, im not even going to waste my time. Please post something original and clever when you are calling someone out and be prepared for a response. Also, putting your nose in the air and thinking your in another class to anyone else here is a childish and scared response and it only highlights how little you have to say.
  35. Archie Gillespie from cowtown, Canada writes: Killing some time. What do you guys think of this?

    http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=1828~44~1707
  36. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Very cool Archie, maybe Colangelo is playing on this thing right now lol. But putting this type of technology in the hands of some of the posters around here will surely not cure what ails them but most likely will have the opposite effect using it instead as a means to back up their delusions. Still very cool thanks for the link. I can see Jason Kidd being up all night on this thing. I would rather not discuss some of the trades I've put through except the one where I've put every malcontent in the league on the Spurs with Tim Duncan. I couldn't find Latrell Sprewell as the icing on the cake.
  37. Joseph Daniel from Oakville, Canada writes: Did you see the comment Phil Jackson made about VC ?

    http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/2008/02/06/jacksoncarternoheart/
    I guess that is what drove us nuts about VC.
  38. Archie Gillespie from cowtown, Canada writes: Thanks Big C...that's actually been on the ESPN site for some time now but you can really blow your brains out playing armchair GM. Can't wait to see what Roger S comes up with. Cheers.

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