God Shammgod? Man, you're reaching there. Yeah, he didn't have a jumpshot & neither does TJ, but he isn't even in the same league as far as ball handling & court vision. Omar Cook is a better comparison, but still quite flawed. He left after his freshman year & was clearly not ready for the NBA, just as TJ isn't ready (there's no way TJ's leaving UT after this year). Did you see Matt Barnes @ UCLA 2 years ago? Dude had no game whatsoever, looked completely overmatched & clueless on the court. Players improve in college, and for you to say that, after 29 D-I games, that a player like TJ Ford "can't make the NBA" is abso-freakin-lutely one of the most ridiculous comments I've heard on this board (& that's saying alot). I'm not saying that TJ's the next Kidd, or that he'll ever even play in the NBA, but it's WAY TOO EARLY to make definative predictions like yours.
Kidrock 8- I agree, the point of the draft board is that we should be able to discuss strengths and weaknesses of players, and compare them to past players and stars. I thought it was just a little premature to say a player will succeed or fail based upon the completion of ALMOST one season of college ball. Let a player rise or fall after 2, maybe even three seasons, before judging their preparedness of their game for the NBA. But, if someone thinks that they've seen enough after one season, it certainly is their prerogative to make future judgements. I just think they'd be better served giving a player time to make adjustments and improvements in their game over a longer scale of time. And i am over myself right......about.....NOW. Thanks for the tip....
I just want to give this horse one final kick. T.J. Ford has explicitly stated that he will not enter into the NBA draft after this season. Furthermore, he has said that he will not enter the draft early unless he can be assured that he will be taken in the lottery. Therefore, any discussion of Ford's present ability to play in the NBA is moot. Additionally, many players selected in the draft get picked based on potential. Everyone must admit that T.J. Ford does have a lot of potential. He has excellent passing skills and is effective at getting to the rack. His free throw shooting is coming on quite nicely lately and is a good defensive player. He does need to improve his field goal shooting. Otherwise, he's exceptional.
