TJ FORD declares for draft - Should Houston be interested?

seriously, man. after four years on this site, i am confident that #3 & #4 are two of the most ludicrous statements i have ever read on this bbs. there is only one reason for concern when it comes to drafting tj ford: his vertebrae.

even with that, i'd trade any combination of mobley, rice, boki, motay, cato, moochie or t-mo for him...or even all of the above for him and an overpriced veteran big man.

 

DITTO to the 10th power

 

Why did you make this statement when in a later post you were in favour of trading for Ford to the 10th power?

 

Playboy, I'm PRO FORD.........Get it?? I want the kid here
Check my post I'm all for getting him here, and its actually acheichable

 

I've just spent the last 15 minutes reading some of the past threads - and some are compatible with what I think, but some are non-resourceful. The ones that I cannot see through are the critics that judges TJ by his size.

Ok, you all are right. Size does matter. Look at TMAC, former Orlando star Anfernee Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and other NBA super stars who can slash and play the point if they choose.

But, is that really the case? Is size really the distinguishible factor that makes them better than the rest? If the answer is yes, then we might not be able to see jerseys of a 2-time scoring champion from Philadelphia for sale in a Champs Sports Store. The problem is, it's the special players that can change the game. Not size. Still, I can agree that size is a good advantage, but it doesn't eliminate these special players from selling tickets in arenas. If every team wants to draft the next Kobe, then we must also forget stockton, spud and ai. But remember, this league would be different without them.

Okay, next argument: Shooting. What good is a PG that shoots badly? You're right. A guy like TJ would be useless. So is Shaq, since his free throw shooting has become the other team's advantage these days. His ability to score points must be an absolute disaster. But wait, Shaq is the most dominant player in the NBA. His typical nation-wide TV broadcast performance on a Sunday afternoon always let viewers see him with stats of at least 30 points a game(and more). So maybe he shoots bad at the line, but he knows how to score elsewhere... under the basket, dunking, hook shots, the works. So what makes Shaq good? Not so that his shooting... from the line... is good, but his way to score. All right, enough about Shaq, what about Ford? Well, maybe he can't shoot.... but he can drive, slash, go to the line, shoot the free throws and get the points that way. So is he a terrible player? If we say he can't score, then you must check the number of times he gets to the line. Besides, he can always work on his game like he did after Freshman year, when ppl criticize him for not shooting enough, and now he raised his avg. a whole 5 points after one summer? Who knows what he can do to shoot? But Ford has no problem scoring. Really.

Another argument is from the ppl who watched the Syracuse game vs. Texas. I watched every single minute and felt that Ford simply did not play his game. You're right, TJ ford wasn't TJ Ford that night. But wait, can we make an argument that he will suck in the NBA since he didn't play his style on a Final Four game on a Saturday afternoon at 500pm? He played one game, and he plays not up to expectations. But should we penalize him for his other games? Against OU. Against KU. He lost one game to a good team. But he hasn't lost his skills.

So, let's look at what every team should have. The best way to predict future performance is to look at past performance, right?

So let's simply look at the championship teams in the 90's. I'm doing this on top of my head. Um..

1. Detroit - Isiah
2. Chicago - Pip & MJ
3. LA Lakers - Kobe & Shaq
4. Houston - Hakeem & Max
5. San Antonio - T.Duncan & Admiral

Why is it that these teams win and other teams don't? What do they share in the past that can predict future performances?

Killer Instinct. Specialness. NBA sense.

A lot of draft choices that drafted size, shooting, and dribbling and all the works lacked these the 3 categories above. Don't even look at any draft picks below the #1 pick. What about Elton and Michael Olowakandi, and what about Kwami? They have all the size, shooting, and everything that a team during draft day looks for. They're the #1 pick for god sakes. But can they win? They can't. They're simply not winners. Of course, I can contradict myself by asking about Jay Williams and many other players who didn't make the playoffs. But I cannot do anything about agree that a guy like TJ Ford has this killer instinct. Specialness. And NBA Sense. These things are things that drafters always seem to forget. Aparently, ppl like Gordon and Amare can win. Knows what to do at the right time. So let's value all of these things before we say TJ Ford is not the type of player that the Rockets should forget, because of his size, shooting, and things. Because I feel that TJ, is like one of those Tim Duncan-typic players, he comes rare. Often once every 5 to 7 years. A basketball player that can be compared to Jason Kidd is definitely someone that won't go to the second round. If I was a Rocket draft executive, I won't exclude Ford. Let's think why a player can help us win for once. And forget what ESPN reports tell you.

bacteria10

 

I agree with Da Dakota and verse as well. I think one of the problems that our offense has is getting set-up to run a play. Our guys will at times use up 18 secs dribbling at the top if the key. Also, perhaps one fo the reasons our guys don't use more motion is that they don't want to waste energy running around knowing that they aren't going to get a pass thrown their way. Tj could change that.

Plus, I know alot of people are concerned with the D of a smallish PG, but what do most bigger players do to smaller players - post them up. Most PG have no idea how to score on the low block, as they have been driving and shooting 3s predominately. How many PGs could consistently score posting up? Maybe GP, after him, not many. Something to think about.

 

if the opposing point guard is posting up, that means his big man isn't. you have already won 1/2 the battle.

 

That's like having a ROY that can't hit free throws.

 

Why is everyones saying that TJ is the next J. kidd. HE's 5'11 for crying that loud we need a 6'4 or 6'5 veteran who can play point guard not another young player from the draft

 

I agree with DaDa.

TJ Ford makes things happen, he has court vision. Yao Ming will get 4-5 easy baskets a game if we get this kid. He is special, he gets the whole team involved, he is exactly what this team needs. Get this kid at all costs.

 

TJ Ford is not the answer for PG.

He's too small; He does not look like he has the potential to improve a lot.

I like Dwane Wade better. We absolutely can not get him though unless there's a big trade.

 

I had class with TJ last semester (Human Sexuality!!!). Anyway, that 5'11'' is a little bit misleading. The Horns are one of the few NCAA teams that don't measure players with their shoes on. I am 6'0'' and TJ is taller and much bigger than me (I weigh @170). I won't believe it until TJ it, but if he's gone the Rockets should do whatever it takes (EG+?) to get him. I have never seen a player this good at the point in college.

 

This is ridiculous.

Some of you aren't looking for basketball players, you are looking for guys who fit a certain mold in terms of size, etc.


TJ Ford is a pure point guard. I don't care if he's under 6 feet tall, or if he is stringbean size wise. I am a UT student and if you doubt this kid, you are the fool.

He would make the rockets instantly better next year, as players would actually get used to where they could expect the ball and play a team oriented concept.

MManal,

I value your opinion greatly, but it won't take TJ 3 years to make an impact in the NBA. His shot does need work no doubt, but he is arguably the fastest player in all of basketball(up there with AI), he has a knack for finding players at the right time and spot, and has tremendous passing ability. He is also a better shooter than people give him credit for, and like Kidd works very hard on that aspect of his game every year.

If I were CD or Rudy, I wouldn't hesitate to deal Mobley for a pick in the top 5-10 to select TJ Ford on draft day. Point guards like him don't come around very often, the last one like him was Kidd about 10 years ago.

We need a true point, and TJ Ford fits the bill, and is a local product.

This is a no brainer if we have the chance if you ask me.

 

Some people on this board need to pull their heads out of their asses. T.J. Ford is a one in a million point guard these days. The guy actually wants to be in charge of running the offense more than he wants to score (are you taking notes Stevie????). Ford IS John Stockton and Jason Kidd. Yeah he hasn't fully developed his jump shot yet, but he made incredible improvements from year one at UT to year two in that department. And personally, I wouldn't be drafting Ford for his scoring. I would be drafting him because he is going to join a small handful of point guards in the NBA that really do make everybody on their team better on a consistent basis.

With that said, I'd have to say that guard is unfortunately not the most important area the Rockets need to address. Rocks need size and attitude and they've needed it for 4 seasons now. Yao gives them size but not the tude. To quote my man Marsalis from Pulp Fiction: We need some "hard, pipe-hitting n------ to go to work on the homes here". Now I think to get the attitude, Houston would be better off looking at trades and free agency. I want a veteran who plays hard physical defense and gets rebounds. Points are secondary. The draft should be about the best player availble if the Rockets decide to trade up. Don't hold your breathe though.

 

Sorry just read Bacteria 10's solid post after posting my last one. Just wanted to say ditto. It is the extreme competitive desire and killer instinct that separates the Jordan's, Bird's, Magic's, and Olajuwon's from the Garnett's and Webber's of the world. Right now I think Kobe and McGrady have it. I think Malone and Payton had it in their heydays, but ran into Jordan, the biggest killer of them all. Steve Francis is not one of these players. Two players you had on your list that didn't belong though Bacteria 10 was Duncan and Robinson. People like to place the asterisk next to the Rockets two titles because they never faced MJ. I'd like to do the same for San Antonio who won the title in a strike shortned season. I mean the freakin' 8th seeded NY Knicks made the damn finals that year with the same team that never made it out of the first round again in case you doubt that a lot of players in the league did not have their full hearts in that season. And why should they have? Until the strike was settled, it seemed like there was not going to be a season that year. Do you really think the majority of the players in the NBA were conducting their workout regimes at full speed? I don't and the results of the playoffs that year support my point of view. I love Duncan's fundamentals, but Duncan and Robinson seem to lack the balls to perform under pressure and in the clutch. The 4 players I named earlier thrived under those circumstances.

 

Taylor made for Houston?

How much better would Yao Ming be with TJ Ford passing him the ball in the post instead of Steve Francis? How much better would Steve Francis be for that matter receiving a pass from TJ Ford on the fast break and not having to concentrate on running the offense. How much better would our offense be in the hands of someone who does not turn the ball over and consistently makes the correct pass at the best time.

I normally would not even be talking about TJ Ford considering the Rockets do not even own a 1st round pick but certain things have popped up recently that indicate TJ could go anywhere as high as 6th or as low as a late 1st round pick.

I’ve been listening to the radio today and one of the things that they have been talking about is the discovery that TJ has Spinal Stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal. Couple this with the fact that TJ shot only 40% from the field in college and that the whole world will know that he is not even 5’9” tall after the combines and I think we could see TJ drop on most teams draft boards. Remember how far Loren Woods dropped two years ago? How many teams are going to risk a high 1st round pick on a player that is going to create mismatches for the other team on the defensive end due to his height and can’t shoot to save his life? By June 26th I think you could see TJ go the way of Quintel Woods, Loran Woods, Rod Grizzard, Terence Morris, Gerald Wallace and Branden Haywood by falling out of the first half of the 1st round if not farther.

TJ can not go to a team that needs him to be a big time scorer. TJ is a playmaker and a pure passer with great instincts but he is not a real scoring threat. TJ needs a team with a legitimate big man as a threat in the post. TJ needs Yao Ming and Yao Ming could sure use TJ. If TJ goes to a team that is has no real scoring threats then he is sure to struggle. If TJ can go to a team with some offensive options and a legitimate big man then I think he could turn a lottery team into a big time play-off team just based on the way that he runs his offense, his decision making and passing skills. TJ is definitely someone that needs to be drafted into the correct situation to succeed.

So could TJ Ford be a key player in turning the Rockets around? I think so. If TJ falls in the draft what would we be willing to give up to draft him? Cuttino Mobley? Eddie Griffin? I don’t know the answer to that but I do know that if the TJ Ford does drop out of the 1st half of the 1st round then we need to make a serious attempt at moving into the 1st round to draft him regardless of his physical condition or lack of shooting.

 

TJ Ford = Avery Johnson

 

I disagree. It is the guards that consistently over dominate the ball. It is the guards that do not get the ball in our player’s hands in the best position to succeed. It is our guards that wave off Yao Ming when he is one on one against a player 6 to 7 inches shorter than him and 5 feet from the goal.

It is the incredible athletic ability of our guards that contributed the most to our 43-win season. But it is also the incredible unintelligent play of turning the ball over, dribbling out the clock and wasting offensive possessions by our guards that contributed to the lack of growth of the team throughout the season.