Raptors' Ford may be wearing out his welcome
Tara Walton/Toronto Star
Dave Feschuk

Maybe only time will allow us to put Wednesday's high-drama Raptorland lineup shuffle in true perspective. Maybe it was the turning point of a season still to be salvaged. Maybe it was a one-off highpoint in an otherwise unredeemable campaign.

Or perhaps it'll be best remembered as the night T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic, the newly inserted starters, at point guard and centre, respectively, commenced a season-ending showcase for window-shopping NBA general managers.

It's not exactly an off-the-wall prognostication, after all, to envision Ford and Nesterovic linked in coming speculation of a trade that could drastically remake a team that once envisioned Ford as one of its core building blocks.

Okay, forget the crazy trade talk. Even if Nesterovic's contract, like a handful of other Raptor pacts, will be, by next season, of the attractive-to-acquire expiring variety, the summertime swapping season is, indeed, a long way off.

But it's become more and more difficult to make an argument that's been long defended by this corner: that Ford is the ideal point guard of this team's future.

Yes, he remains explosively talented and merely 25 years old. But the past six weeks spent slouching and sneering through a stint as Jose Calderon's backup haven't done much for Ford's stock as a team-first No.1.

Far more grave, Ford's season of scary spinal-related injuries has made it impossible for the Raptors to ponder parting with Calderon, who, at age 26, continues to shore up his all-star-worthy skill set.

Predicting injuries is grim business, and certainly all of us are day-to-day. But Ford – who has suffered from a couple of contact-related injuries connected to his chronic case of spinal stenosis, a congenital narrowing of the spine that leaves him exposed to a greater-than-average risk of spinal injuries – is a little more day-to-day than the average NBAer.

That's where Calderon's necessity comes in, of course. He'll be a restricted free agent come July, which means that, though he'll be free to entertain offers from other teams, the Raptors can match.

"Jose's going to be signed," said Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors general manager. "We have every intention to sign Jose Calderon."

Just as Colangelo sounds more emphatic than ever, there's been a distinguishable change of tone in the way people around the team discuss the point men.

Sam Mitchell, the Raptors coach who once seemed to be a hardline champion of Ford's superior assets, has been heard singing Calderon's praise rather loudly of late, especially in the wake of Calderon's decision to cede his starting job to the slumping Ford, a move that led to Wednesday's morale-rousing win over the Pistons.

That's not to say club insiders don't hold out hope that the two-headed point guard – a strong point of the club that has turned into an Achilles heel – can still work in the long run. But as hugely respected as he is here for his perseverance and his gutsy attack, you get the sense he's lost some respect in the coaches' offices and the locker room for his I-hate-being-a-backup act.

And his continuing assertion that all was well when he wasn't a starter – "I think I did a great job off the bench," he said yesterday – is disingenuous. He could probably make it better quickly with a sincere: "My bad."

But he doesn't appear to have it in him.

And so the Raptors find themselves in a place they never thought they'd be: at least pondering their future without him, albeit with a long way to go before decision time. Colangelo, in no mood to ponder July with three weeks until playoff time, offered this.

"If we get to that point this summer where we feel it's not going to work (with Calderon and Ford) going forward," he said, "then we'll have some decisions to make . . ."

T.J. and Rasho are being showcased let the offers begin.

AGENT CANUCK!!!

Posted by djsunyc:

AGENT CANUCK!!!

This is code for?

ford is better than calderon... I want derrick rose because Ford breaks to easily and is one semi hard foul from retirement....

I'd take TJ but still groom a replacement. The kid can play but he is a time bomb. daddy warbucks can afford him and he would come cheap. He is basically a dump contract if toronto does not want to make him a priority.

Who else is gonna take his contract?

And Isiah is not here to enrich the Raps.

They Get Malik or JJ2. Thats it.

Then banish Marbury Italy if they even want him.

The movement is over.

Say no to T.J.

They want to trade either Balkman, Jeffries or Crawford for him. I don't like this kind of player. He's another head case and plus he's another shorty. We'll be losing 5" if we give up Crawford who is also a much better scorer. Say no to this move.

Posted by djsunyc:

there is nothing the knicks can offer to get tj outside of the draft pick.

Agreed. If we acquire T.J. Ford well we'll be giving up a lottery pick.

Posted by djsunyc:

Posted by 4949:

Say no to T.J.

They want to trade either Balkman, Jeffries or Crawford for him. I don't like this kind of player. He's another head case and plus he's another shorty. We'll be losing 5" if we give up Crawford who is also a much better scorer. Say no to this move.

by "they" you mean a writer in toronto named grange who loves crawford.

tj ford is a point guard - tough to find in the nba.
tj ford as the point guard of a team plays a pivotal role for all his teams.
tj ford as a starting pg has been to the playoffs every year he has played.

but the knicks don't need a player like that. he's not worth balkman, jeffries or crawford - those guys are winners.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 03-30-2008 2:26 PM]

The injury is the only holdup-and admittedly it is a major concern-but that is also why we may be able to pick him up cheap. If you are taling "the pick" hell no. I would do Balkman or Nate or Chandler in a package where we give up Malik or an expiring next year. I would also strongly consider Crawford or Curry for Ford straight up.

[Edited by - joec32033 on 30 March 2008 14:33]