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When T.J. Ford first met the media on the Toronto Raptors' practice court two seasons and many mini-dramas ago, he put his ambitions front and centre.
"I want to be one of the best point guards in the NBA, that's my ultimate goal," he said, freshly arrived from the Milwaukee Bucks and holding the keys to the Raptors. "That's my ultimate goal. I don't want to be anything less than that."
When Ford walks on the court tonight at the Air Canada Centre as his team tries desperately to not get steamrolled in their opening-round series against the Orlando Magic and Jameer Nelson, his immediate goal should be to be one of the best point guards in the series.
So far, it hasn't been a contest. Nelson, motivated by critics who thought the Raptors' tandem of Ford and backup Jose Calderon gave them a clear advantage at the position has torched Ford, particularly in the opening quarters of both games.
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"I understand it's not a one-on-one game," Nelson said. "I'm not a guy who listens to the analysts. But people come up to me and talk about it. It kind of frustrates me."
Using perceived slights — real or imagined — for motivation is a time-tested formula for inspiring performance.
Does having his shorts handed to him by a working-class professional bother Ford? Is it going to help him raise his game to new heights, or even old ones?
Hard to tell.
Despite a two-game line featuring 2-for-17 shooting and four turnovers (all in Game 2), including back-to-back bobbles that led to momentum-building first-quarter fast-break dunks, Ford wasn't about to take ownership of for the Raptors' early-game struggles, even though he was on the court with the ball in his hands for most of them.
Instead, he was happy to spread the blame and own the self-pity.
"It's a team effort," he said of the Raptors, who have lost the first quarters by a combined total of 78-41. "If people want to put that blame on me, I'm cool with that. It's nothing different that hasn't been done before.
"[But] we just need to get off to a better start and not give up easy baskets in the first quarter, that's what's killing us"
No one would argue that point, but it's a cliché in basketball — though one with its share of truth — that point guards set the tone for their teams, at least ones with all-star credentials do.
Steve Nash doesn't look to Raja Bell to get the Phoenix Suns rolling. Chris Paul is dominating the Dallas Mavericks, which is why the New Orleans Hornets lead that series 2-0.
It's a theory to which Mitchell subscribes. "They have the ball," he said. "The quarterback sets the tone in the NFL. … They understand that, they've played the position their whole life."
Calderon was no great shakes in the first game, but it's since been revealed he was playing after a sudden onset of neck spasms that kept him out of the pregame warm-up and bothered him throughout the game. He was loose again in the second game and delivered 18 points and five assists in relief of Ford, including two critical triples that tied the game with two minutes to play. He hasn't started, but he's finished both games, a silent rebuke to Ford.
With Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell making it clear he was going to juggle the starting lineup in the third game it was easy to assume Ford would be out and Calderon would be in, reclaiming the role he played so well while Ford was missed two months with his neck injury midseason.
But Mitchell allowed yesterday that Ford will get the call again, though not necessarily on merit.
Instead, it's an acknowledgment Ford is unlikely to take a perceived slight like being asked to come off the bench and use it to fuel a determined effort as part of the second unit, but more likely a recipe that could result in Ford taking his gifts and going home.
"Jose has proven he can come off the bench and give us something," Mitchell said. "If we do that [sit Ford] and Jose struggles, where do I go?"
The Raptors' advantage at point guard is still out there to be taken. But with Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo taking effective turns behind the determined Nelson, it's clear that it's an advantage that will have to be earned of 48 minutes with both of the Raptors point guards contributing.
Ford has high hopes for his basketball career. Tonight would be a perfect occasion to try and remind his fans and critics alike exactly why by playing Nelson at least even in the first quarter.
The ball goes up at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
