T.J. Ford News: Pro Sports Daily

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October 30

Indianapolis Star

"Indiana Pacers coach Jim O'Brien doesn't consider his decision to go with Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones for most of the second half of Wednesday's loss to Atlanta as a message to starters T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush. O'Brien said it was a matter of staying with the players who were playing well. He wasn't referring to offense. He liked that Jones and Watson's defensive intensity helped the Pacers erase a 10-point deficit and go ahead by one in the fourth quarter. O'Brien might not see it as delivering a message, but Ford and Rush should see it as a reminder that playing time is not guaranteed. Ford (three points) and Rush (six points) started, but they combined to play 12 minutes in the ..."

Pacers' Ford is no longer a point of concern

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September 26

Indianapolis Star

"Glance at T.J. Ford's statistics last season. The Indiana Pacers point guard averaged a career-high 14.9 points, added 5.3 assists and had his second best rebounding season. Looks pretty impressive. Talk to Ford or anyone else in the Pacers organization, though, and another picture emerges: one of a player struggling at times to learn a new system and eventually losing his starting job. Sounds pretty inconsistent. The reason? Ford was changing from being a player used to dominating the ball to playing in a pass-first offense under coach Jim O'Brien. "As far as the scheme of things, at times it looked great, other times it didn't look so great for me as far as my performance," Ford said. ..."

Pacers' Nesterovic, Ford miss playoffs for 1st time

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April 13

Indianapolis Star

columnist Mike Wells

"T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic will be in an unfamiliar position starting Thursday. No practice. No watching film on their playoff opponent. No getting tickets for friends and family. Ford and Nesterovic won't be in the playoffs for the first time in their careers. "I don't know what it's going to be like," Nesterovic said. "I've never been in this position before. But, hey, it's part of life. We tried hard. It just didn't work out." The Indiana Pacers, who host the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse, were eliminated from playoff contention last week. Nesterovic, in his 11th season, has appeared in 64 postseason games and won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. ..."

Starring in a new role

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April 2

Indianapolis Star

"It's no secret T.J. Ford would prefer to be the Indiana Pacers' starting point guard. Ford may never get his starting spot back if he continues to play well off the bench. Coach Jim O'Brien put the ball in Ford's hands down the stretch and watched him lead the Pacers past the Chicago Bulls. Ford capped a 22-point night with a 10-foot fadeaway jumper with 3.9 seconds remaining in the Pacers' 107-105 victory Tuesday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. "I've said over the past week that T.J. is a quality professional and playing great basketball," O'Brien said. "I'm sure he would like to start, but as long as he's getting 38 minutes, he's getting plenty of playing time and really playing at a very ..."

Pacers' Ford handling his demotion like a pro

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March 24

Indianapolis Star

"T.J. Ford has been in this position before. He knows from his experience with the Toronto Raptors that complaining won't get him far. That's why the Indiana Pacers point guard is taking the high road after his recent demotion. Pacers coach Jim O'Brien replaced Ford with Jarrett Jack at point guard against Charlotte on Saturday. Ford is taking it in stride, and handling the situation with professionalism. "I know how to handle this situation better than I did in the past," said Ford, who was involved in a point guard controversy with the Raptors last season. "It's not a big issue to me. Just do what you're supposed to do, whether they put you in the game or not. It's your job to be ready ..."

Ford, Pacers fight to finish

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February 23

Indianapolis Star

"T.J. Ford darted between two Chicago Bulls players, scooped up the loose ball with two hands and beat everybody down the court with only one thing on his mind in the final minute Sunday. The Indiana Pacers point guard sized things up and threw down a one-handed dunk. He turned toward the Bulls bench and let out a roar that could have been mistaken for coming from a 6-10 behemoth as opposed to a wispy 6-foot point guard. Aggressiveness. Determination. Fight. That's what Pacers coach Jim O'Brien wanted, and that's what he got in his team's 98-91 victory over the Bulls in a matinee game at Conseco Fieldhouse. "You can talk about a number of plays down the stretch that we made," Pacers guard ..."

Depleted squad run over by Ford

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January 29

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles had all five of his starters on the bench 5 minutes into their 107-99 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Conseco Field House. After the game, starting forward Richard Jefferson questioned Skiles' decision-making process. "I'm surprised we lasted that long," he said, Agreeing that the Bucks had stunk up the joint early on, Jefferson said, "We're just not doing a very good job of starting games. That's me. I've started every game this year. I'm part of the problem right now so . . . "We just did a terrible job of coming out to start. We played hard, but we can't play hard for 40 minutes or 36 minutes because those minutes that you don't are ..."

Pacers win in clutch again

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January 5

Indianapolis Star

"Did you expect anything other than a close game? It wouldn't be an Indiana Pacers game if it wasn't decided by a possession or two. The Pacers were in their customary position Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. As they did the night before, the Pacers buckled down on the defensive end and got big baskets late to survive Kevin Martin's scoring spree to beat the Kings 122-117 at Conseco Fieldhouse. "We're giving people their money's worth," Pacers point guard Jarrett Jack joked. It isn't much, but the Pacers have won two in a row for just the third time this season. They start their longest trip of the season Monday at Denver. The Pacers' past eight games have been decided by a total of ..."

Pacers head west for 5 games with plenty to prove

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January 5

Indianapolis Star

columnist Mike Wells

"By the time the Indiana Pacers return home in eight days, they will have traveled more than 4,000 miles, played four playoff-caliber teams and perhaps seen the return of Mike Dunleavy. They also should have a better feel for where they stand in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Let the challenges begin. The Pacers, who have endured their share of agonizing losses, start a five-game trip -- their longest of the season -- tonight at Denver. "Going on the road is something we've struggled with early on," Pacers point guard T.J. Ford said. "I think we have confidence because we've played a few of these teams already. I think for us, let's get the first one. The first team is Denver. We have ..."

Ford comes clean over lost season

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December 11

Toronto Star

"T.J. Ford's next self-admitted mistake will be his first, so anyone who knows the former Raptors point guard wouldn't have expected him, upon his arrival at the Air Canada Centre last night, to offer an open-armed apology for his part in screwing up the squad last season. But while he didn't say he was sorry, Ford did, some six months after he was dealt to the Indiana Pacers, survey his old team's troubles and make a salient point. "As you see, I wasn't the only problem," said Ford."

Trading Ford was a mistake

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December 10

Toronto Sun

"T.J. Ford returns to the Air Canada Centre tonight as basketball's spotlight shifts squarely on to the backcourt. In one of those intriguing matchups that features so many layers, Ford will go mano a mano against Jose Calderon. It won't quite match the hype that surrounded Tracy McGrady's return to Hogtown when T-Mac went toe to toe with distant cousin Vince Carter in a high-wire act, but tonight's pointed confrontation is one worth noting and debating. Ford, in essence, was shown the door in the off-season when the Raptors felt Calderon was best suited to lead the team as the undisputed starter at point guard. For years, the Raptors were searching for that elusive floor general, a ..."

No excuses from Nesterovic and Ford

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November 30

Indianapolis Star

"Pacers center Rasho Nesterovic acknowledged Dwight Howard's big game but cut off questions about how unstoppable the Orlando Magic could be if their star plays this way every game. T.J. Ford didn't want to hear about the Pacers' tough schedule or run of games on consecutive nights in November. In the locker room after Saturday's 110-96 loss to the Magic, the Pacers brushed aside any topic tinged with the sound of an excuse. "It's not just Dwight Howard," Nesterovic said. "It's been a couple nights in a row. We just have to figure out the way to overcome this. It's as simple as that. You can talk about all the this and that, but you have to stick together as a team and start winning." The ..."

Pacers will look for leadership from T.J. Ford

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July 17

Indianapolis Star

"T.J. Ford lives for the postseason. He lives for the national television exposure, the hope of winning an NBA title and having 14 other teams sitting on their couches, eating popcorn, watching him play. Ford wants those same things to happen with the Indiana Pacers. "I'm familiar with that playoff taste and I'm not ready to give that taste up," said Ford, who has been to the playoffs in three of his four NBA seasons. "That's the challenge and the goal, to show people we are contenders in the East.""

Pacers deal O'Neal to Toronto

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June 26

Indianapolis Star

"The Indiana Pacers have agreed in principle to a trade that will send six-time All-Star Jermaine O'Neal to the Toronto Raptors, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday night. The Pacers will receive point guard T.J. Ford, reserve center Rasho Nesterovic, a player yet to be named and the rights to Toronto's 17th pick in tonight's NBA draft."

O'Neal deal a step backwards

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June 26

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"Bryan Colangelo, the fashion-wise head honcho of the Toronto Raptors, showed up at the club's annual pre-draft press conference wearing the usual checklist of chicer-than-thou finery yesterday. The bespoke summer-weight navy suit? Check. The belt-and-shoe combo crafted from the finest leather of caviar-fed virgin ostriches? Goes without saying. But hang on. Your alert correspondent spotted a chink in the Men's Vogue-worthy exterior. Colangelo's shirt – and it was the usual high-style, high-collared, hand-sewn-by-a-grandmother-on-the-outskirts-of-Bologna shirt – was bereft of the usual worth-more-than-your-Toyota cufflinks. It was a shocking omission, like Shaq O'Neal suddenly stripped ..."

Blockbuster deal for Raptors

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June 26

Toronto Star

"Jermaine O'Neal was too enticing a proposition for the Raptors to pass up. With health concerns from both sides eased, a blockbuster trade involving O'Neal, T.J. Ford and Toronto's 17th pick in tonight's NBA draft has been agreed to in principle, a significant move the Raptors hope gives them the most potent frontcourt in franchise history. Even as the Portland Trail Blazers tried to get back into the Ford sweepstakes yesterday, the Raptors decided they like the immediate impact Indiana's O'Neal will have rather than waiting for anything they could have obtained with the draft pick."

O'Neal trade deal done

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June 25

Indianapolis Star

"The Indiana Pacers have agreed in principle to a trade that will send six-time All-Star Jermaine O'Neal to the Toronto Raptors, a person familiar with the situation said tonight. The Pacers will receive point guard T.J. Ford, reserve center Rasho Nesterovic, a player yet to be named and the rights to Toronto's 17th pick in Thursday's NBA draft. The deal addresses the Pacers' desire to upgrade their point guard position. The deal is pending all players involved passing physicals. O'Neal had surgery on his left knee in April 2007 and missed 40 games this past season."

Ford rumours heat up

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June 24

Toronto Sun

"Most of the talk revolves around point guard T.J. Ford. Depending on who you believe Ford is going to be a member of the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers or possibly the New York Knicks by week's end. Obviously not even Ford could manage to juggle the kind of workload playing for three different teams would represent, so someone is just wrong here. ESPN has the former Texas Longhorns standout headed to Phoenix along with the Raptors' first-round pick (No. 17) for forward Boris Diaw. The Indianapolis Star, meanwhile, is suggesting Ford, centre Rasho Nesterovic, possibly that No. 17 pick and another unnamed player will be joining the Pacers later this week in exchange for forward ..."

Is Ford bound for Indiana?

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June 24

Toronto Star

"The stakes in the T.J. Ford stakes have been raised considerably. The Raptors, according to league sources, have had discussions with the Indiana Pacers about a trade for veteran centre Jermaine O'Neal, adding a major name and major salary obligation to potential transactions ahead of Thursday's NBA draft. The deal would include Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, another player to satisfy salary cap needs and, perhaps, Toronto's 17th pick in the draft for O'Neal, a 29-year-old centre with two years and almost $44 million (all figures U.S.) left on his contract...According to sources, the Raptors are still talking to the Phoenix Suns about a deal centred around Ford and Boris Diaw and there are ..."

Pacers, Toronto talk about trading O'Neal

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June 23

Indianapolis Star

"The Indiana Pacers and Jermaine O'Neal could be parting ways in the near future. The Pacers and Toronto Raptors have discussed a possible deal with O'Neal going north of the border with point guard T.J. Ford and center Rasho Nesterovic coming to Indiana, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. The deal may also include Toronto's first-round pick (No. 17) in Thursday's draft. The Raptors will have to throw in at least one other player to make the deal work financially."

Raptors guard Ford is drawing interest

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June 4

Toronto Sun

"The market for T.J. Ford is heating up. Though neither Toronto president/general manager Bryan Colangelo or anybody else would go into details about the subject yesterday after six prospects were put through the paces ahead of the upcoming NBA draft, it was clear that the club has received genuine interest from a handful of teams about the diminutive point guard. Colangelo rubbed shoulders with other general manger's at last week's draft camp in Orlando and it's likely the names of both Ford and restricted free agent Jose Calderon came up. Colangelo did reiterate that Calderon would be hard to pry loose as it seems there is significant interest around the league in both players."

Colangelo gets feelers from clubs about Ford

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June 4

Toronto Star

"In his search for a draft choice, Bryan Colangelo has found something that might have an impact on who – and where – he chooses: a market for point guard T.J. Ford. As the run-up to the June 26 NBA draft began in earnest yesterday, with the first of several workout sessions at the Air Canada Centre for prospective picks, the Raptors president and general manager was juggling interest in Ford from a handful of teams, interest made known during last week's Orlando pre-draft camp."

Raptors begin pre-draft work

May 27

Toronto Star

"Bryan Colangelo has much more to do than just check out potential Raptors as the NBA's pre-draft camp begins today in Florida. "For me, it's a chance to initiate or follow up on some trade discussions as well," Toronto's president and general manager said in a telephone interview yesterday. "It's like a basketball convention." Colangelo, along with coach Sam Mitchell and a raft of front-office and scouting personnel, are descending on the camp with a variety of things to get done. It is no secret Toronto will be trying to set the parameters for a trade involving one of its point guards. There are free agents to talk about and a handful of high-powered agents are also planning to ..."