Ford or Calderon?

[killer_carlson]

Sam Mitchell has a love affair for TJ Ford and tonight vs Sacramento it cost the Raptors the game. In the 4th quarter Ford should have been pulled much earlier than he was due to a complete failure to spread the ball, see the floor, and forcing plays that aren't there. Mitchell however left him in and the game was just one possession off for the Raptors.

Calderon struggled as well, as he wasn't sure what Mitchell wanted him to do. Is he supposed to be a passer? Is he supposed to be a scorer? He seems stuck looking over his shoulder after every posession and that is the LAST thing a point guard should be doing.

To me it's obvious that they have to move one of these two. Calderon is up at the end of the year and seems like the more obvious candidate. The problem is that he is someone who likes playing in TO and will be good value for the money to re-sign.

Ford has a long term contract and more upside if healthy. He also has good chemistry with Chris Bosh. He sulks a bit when he doesn't get his minutes though and injuries are a problem. He may be untradeable.

Who would you go with?

For me, it's Calderon, because I don't think you'd be able to move Ford's contact. Calderon is a pass first point guard and has decent size for a defence. He is also responsible with the ball and isn't going to be a turnover machine or shoot 15 times per game.

If you go with Ford, I think you have to replace the coach. Mitchell is either unable to coach Ford to stop the tendency to force the action in the 4th quarter, or he is too blind to see it. Either way, you have a point guard costing the team more games than he is winning for them. That's a problem for any starter on a playoff calibre team.

[bluejays]

At this point, as frustrating as both of them are to watch right now (along with the rest of the team), the best thing is to keep both. These two aren't elite PG's, but pretty good star point guards who each have their own dynamic. Calderon's the pass first PG with the occasional game where he'll take it himself (and be quite successful at it too), and Ford's the take-it-to-the-rack player who often fails flat when he does too much of it, but is excellent when he becomes unpredictable. They just bring two strategies that make coaching against the Raptors hard when it comes to other teams practicing defending against what each brings. Unless you're truly getting an elite young PG like Chris Paul or Deron Williams, there's absolutely no use dealing either one.

[CaramonLS]

I think it would be pretty easy to move Ford IMO. Quite a few teams need PGs and lets be honest, he is still a pretty darn good one. In the NBA, no one is untradeable because of the cap - the raps can always take on a questionable contract in exchange for TJ Ford, which might help them improve a little bit.

If I wanted to build a team around a guy, it is Calderon without a doubt. Coming off screens, the guy is deadly with his jumper and is a better distributer than Ford is, and doesn't turn the ball over. Ford drives a lot more and makes his counterpart work more though, and definitely has better "tools" than Calderon does.

I'm beginning to question if Sam Mitchell is the right guy for this team because for whatever reason the players don't seem to be getting the message. Ford wasn't on board for the game plan in the 4th. Kapuno didn't get the ball like he should have and Neither did Rasho. Both were having amazing games and they didn't even get involved in the 4th. Neither one can create their own shots, so the PG HAS to feed it low to Rasho, or drive and kick to Kapuno. The Kings had ZERO low post defense, and the Raps for whatever reason, even with their questionable bigs, didn't exploit it for the whole game. Only at times. That cost them the game.

[arloiginla]

It's unfortunate Ford can't stay healthy. He really is such a skilled player. That being said I'm also beginning to think its impossible to keep both. I bet Calderon will want to go somewhere where he's the guaranteed No. 1

[JohnnyFlame]

Ford hasn't cost the team a single game on this road trip. NOT even remotely close to being correct. Their defense which is sad and pathetic is the reason they lose. Bosh with his consistent offense just masks that brutal defense.

Calderon is absolutely brutal on defense. Ford somewhat less brutal so he gets the nod for starter. You plain just can' have so many soft players in a lineup. Kapono comes in and is a a better shooter but scary bad on defense and couldn't get a rebound if it fell in his lap.

They get pushed around and constantly beat on the glass. They get blown by and then the help defense takes a foul or isn't even there in the first place.

Ford vrs Calderon isn't the right argument. More like find a lineup that will compete!!

[dionfan]

Everytime I see or hear Ford discussions, I think of the trade that brought him to TO. Looking back at the trade and considering all that has transpired with the Raps, would you have made the Villanueva for Ford deal?

[JohnnyFlame]

Originally Posted by dionfan

Everytime I see or hear Ford discussions, I think of the trade that brought him to TO. Looking back at the trade and considering all that has transpired with the Raps, would you have made the Villanueva for Ford deal?

For sure. For the system B.C. wants to run a pg like Ford is a big need.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by dionfan

Everytime I see or hear Ford discussions, I think of the trade that brought him to TO. Looking back at the trade and considering all that has transpired with the Raps, would you have made the Villanueva for Ford deal?

CV still wouldn't really fit in on this team.