Does anyone else in here like T.J. Ford and think that he is the next Stevie Franchise?? Didn't he go to Oak Ridge? I know he went to some local school.
He went to Willowridge. I don't think he's the same kind of player as Steve. Not necessarily worse, just different.
He went to Willowridge. TJ ford is a very good player but not like Steve Francis. Tj Ford = Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson? He's only Mark Jackson in the sense that he's a pass first PG. But, TJ is 10X's more athletic than Jackson ever was. Moreoever, Jackson liked to post his man up, I don't see TJ doing that anytime soon. TJ is a lot more like Jason Kidd as far as strengths and weaknesses go.
tj is kinda like shaq with the jumpshot but the rest of his game would be more like kidd. he's very fun to watch.
The first comparison that came to mind for me was Bobby Hurley with a little bit more 'mustard' on his game. Like Hurley, he can't shoot as a freshman, and he drives at the lane in a similar fashion.
I have a hard time believing that a freshman who is leading the nation in assists could be called overrated.
Stats like assists (judgement call by the scorekeeper) are too reliant on what your teammate does, for it to hold too much weight. Especially in college, where the competition you face can be quite differing. I will agree that he's one of the best distributors in the nation.
Well, he is just a college freshman. And his jump shot is too suspect. I wouldn't see him being better than Fisher at this point.
Any T.J. doubters and those who say he is overrated, I will assume have not seen him play much. I say this not because I think he is the greatest player around, but because I have been to several of the games and watched many more on TV, and his court vision and passing abilities <B>as a freshman</B> are incredible. There is nothing subjective about his assist totals. And those things are instinctive, they will naturally get better. His shooting, on the other hand, is the area he really needs to work on. If he works on his shooting and improves in that area, he can definitely make it in the next level. Did anyone see Earl Boykins last night? Dude has been in the league for like 5 years. If he can make it, so can T.J. Size has nothing to do with it. He just needs to be able to shoot the ball on occasion. And know when to do it.
True, assists are dependent upon what players do after the passer gets them the ball. However, in T.J.'s case playing on this Texas team, that is a compliment not a detraction. From today's Statesman: "Ford's ability to predict who will be where, and when, has created almost as many magical moments for the Longhorns as it has maddening ones. His assists average probably would be in the teens if his teammates had been able to convert some of the golden opportunities he literally tossed into their laps. UT's loss to No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Erwin Center on Feb. 20 is a prime example. Down by double digits early, Texas rallied and had a chance to take the lead in the waning moments. Ford, on the offensive, lost his balance and landed on his tail. But he maintained his dribble and rifled a bullet pass to a wide-open Brian Boddicker in the deep corner. Boddicker missed a three-pointer that would have put Texas in front. In the same game on a fast break, Ford launched a long bounce pass that somehow navigated through a forest of legs in the lane and found its way to Fredie Williams. But Williams couldn't convert the layup. And in the first half at Missouri, Ford was in the key with his back to the basket and manufactured a no-look, behind-the back pass to a startled Deginald Erskin, who barely got his arms halfway up as the ball whizzed by him and out of bounds under the basket. Even with the turnover, Erskin couldn't stifle a giggle at the outrageous perfection of the pass as he headed back up court."
1. Anyone who calls TJ overrated is an idiot, or has not seen him play. When has a freshman last lead the NCAA in assists per game? My point exactly...i don't care how arbitrary they are, if you saw how well TJ distributes the ball, runs the break, and penetrates, you would agree he is anything but overrated. His defense is awesome as well. He has taken an average Texas team and lifted it on his shoulders. 2. kidrock8 - didn't tinsley post up a lot too? Anyway, similarities to zeke, yes. Tinsley, NO. Tinsley was more shifty, while TJ tends to attack the hoop full throttle. His jumper beyond the free throw line is suspect, but he is a freshman, and it's definitely something that can be improved shooting a buttload of shots each day over the summer. I don't know if he'll be an NBA star, but I know that he is a remarkable player that can hardly be ID'd as overrated.
TJ is shifty... If you think a player in college can just dribble straight to the basket without putting any moves, especially against a zone, you are sadly mistaken. Zeke is a much better scorer and shooter than TJ will ever be. I don't see any parallel at all between Zeke and TJ. Zeke is one of the greatest PG's of all-time.
OBVIOUSLY you can't drive straight to the basket in college, or the nba, or in pee wee leagues without having to put some moves on. It's that innovative thing called "defense" everyone is playing now. Regardless, Tinsley did a lot more of lateral dribbling, and general handling of the ball whereas TJ will try to make a move, and if it's closed off, he'll likely dish it back out and set it up. Of course he has to be shifty at times, but i guess the point i was trying to make was that Tinsley often dribbled the ball to death, into traffic, out of traffic, posting up, facing up, etc. TJ usually will make a move, POSSIBLY a counter move if he's cut off, but then dish much quicker than Tinsley ever would. Don't know if it's a strength or weakness, but an observation. And neither one of those players had much of a jumper in college- TJ is just a freshman, though. Since you have your crystal ball out, and know that TJ will never be the player zeke was (which is going out on quite the limb since zeke is one of the 50 best of all time,) is there anything else you'd like to say about the future? I LOVE how people just know that players will RULE the nba, even as they are high school players. Or that they will fail as nba players, even if they are merely freshmen in college. It's like the Peter Vecsey rule...let's throw all kinds of stuff out there, and just realize that a) some of it INEVITABLY has to be right and b) I can preach about the stuff i miraculously got right, in hopes of drowning out all the mess i say that is just plain factless drivel. Yeah, that's the ticket.
