the TJ mystery

[bill russell]

The Sun reports the following:

"Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said that he is pleased with reports out of Houston, where the team's starting point guard, T.J. Ford, is training in preparation of his return to the lineup.

In fact, the Raptors will send Marc Eversley, the club's director of basketball operations, down to Houston early this week to get a clearer picture of Ford's progress.

Ford has been out since Dec. 11, when he went down hard during a game in Atlanta. He suffered an arm stinger, but was given clearance to begin working out again on Jan. 9 and since then has been training in his hometown with former NBAer John Lucas.

But while Colangelo acknowledged that reports out of Houston are good, there is still no timetable for Ford's return ..."


This is strange. When he went down in early December, all the medical experts said the normal recovery time from a stinger was a week or two. TJ said a couple of weeks ago that he's not feeling any pain, physically. He is making good physical progress, there is no suggestion of any lingering physical injury, and yet there is no timetable for his return. TJ isn't with the team working himself back into shape. He's in Houston. And, again, he's in Houston with no timetable for return -- he's not in Houston for two weeks to recover the conditioning he lost during his absence, thus speeding his way back into the starting lineup.

I'm not one for conspiracies but we don't have the whole story here. I'm not being hard on the guy -- he suffered a terrifying injury and it has to mess with your confidence, your sense of personal security, your priorities. He should take what time he needs. I'm just saying we don't have the whole story. Not even close.

Edited to link to the article:
Link

[supersub15]

I think that he is having a hard time, mentally, coming back onto the court. I'll ask you this question: If you felt that there is a high risk of paralysis if you played basketball, would you still do it?

Personally, I'd say screw it all and stay home with my wife and kids.

[rdtx2005]

it's all about mental rehab right now.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

^ I've been wondering about this for a while now Bill I asked Chuck why TJ wasn't asked about returning last week , Chuck replied that "He (TJ) has told us he doesn't know when he'll return and stated last week he won't address it until he feels he s ready to play."

I respect TJ and his right to make his own decision, but from the team standpoint, I think this situation and all the unknowns must be a real headache for management. I think it's not just missing TJ, but it just makes it really hard to tweak the roster or assess needs for extending contracts.

On a side note: I really enjoy your contributions to the broad so far. Bill, but I will deny ever having said this if it turns out you are Contender.

[bill russell]

I think that he is having a hard time, mentally, coming back onto the court. I'll ask you this question: If you felt that there is a high risk of paralysis if you played basketball, would you still do it?

Personally, I'd say screw it all and stay home with my wife and kids.

If it's that serious -- risk of paralysis -- no way I'd go back out there. There's more to life than basketball (or so I'm told)

[LittleOzzy]

I don't understand why you can't just accept that this is the whole story?

He is simply not ready mentally, and until he feels like he can play confidently than I would rather him stay in Texas and work on his game.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

I think that he is having a hard time, mentally, coming back onto the court. I'll ask you this question: If you felt that there is a high risk of paralysis if you played basketball, would you still do it?

Personally, I'd say screw it all and stay home with my wife and kids.

I may be inclined to agree. How long do you think is reasonable to wait for answer though, before you the team should start to prod?

Also, if he does this and we get cap relief for his contract while paying him in full, can he play for another team after a buyout or when his contract has expired, if he so desired? or would he have to sign a contract stating he can never return?

[deknow]

Bryan said on 590 that TJ working out with Lucas is partly mental and part physical. He worked with Lucas when he had his first incident in Milwaukee and continues to work with him in the offseason. TJ feels like he gets him mentally sound and if that is the case I'm all for it

[deknow]

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I may be inclined to agree. How long do you think is reasonable to wait for answer though, before you the team should start to prod?

Also, if he does this and we get cap relief for his contract while paying him in full, can he play for another team after a buyout or when his contract has expired, if he so desired? or would he have to sign a contract stating he can never return?

C-O-N SPIRACY!

[Deadpool_X]

There must be more to the situation than that. Because as far as I am concerned, there is no more of a chance for him to be paralyzed than any other player. Yes he will get the stingers, but unless something else has changed, when doctors cleared him to play after his orgional injury, they said that he is no more likely than any other player.

He took a hard hit, and he is probably still dealing with a lot of concussion issues. I mean, when I used to play football I had more than one concussion and the effects from those concussions remained with me for more than a month or two some times.

[rdtx2005]

post concussion syndrome 'might' be a factor, as Cweb said.

[LittleOzzy]

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I may be inclined to agree. How long do you think is reasonable to wait for answer though, before you the team should start to prod?

Also, if he does this and we get cap relief for his contract while paying him in full, can he play for another team after a buyout or when his contract has expired, if he so desired? or would he have to sign a contract stating he can never return?

From the article the team is already starting to look into it more.

In fact, the Raptors will send Marc Eversley, the club's director of basketball operations, down to Houston early this week to get a clearer picture of Ford's progress.

Contract situation wise I don't think the team will even think about a buy out until the summer if at that point he finally decides he doesn't want to come back.

As for playing for another team, I'm not sure. I know Zo did after he left us, but I think the rules have now changed when it comes to players opting out because of injury.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

I don't understand why you can't just accept that this is the whole story?

He is simply not ready mentally, and until he feels like he can play confidently than I would rather him stay in Texas and work on his game.

^ would you rather Andrea stay in Italy? He doesn't seem ready mentally and isn't playing confidently. I know they are very different circumstances, but I feel both probably requiring playing ball to get over. One, has much more to lose than the other. Again, what is reasonable for an organization to wait? Honest question. I don't mean to be a jerk. Doug Smith was already questioning TJ's motivation to return with his, "Is he looking for confirmation on whether he should return or he shouldn't comment". We know he's cleared, we know he working out in Houston, what is unknown is what are the things he feels he needs to work on. Conditioning? getting in game shape? Understanding if he is prepared to take the risk to return? I think it's the latter, but it is not discussed in the media, it's all "TJ is working toward he return and that he will return." So if he has decided to return this season like he said he is, what's left beside conditioning and how come there can't be a time line, is he just delaying facing his fear, for not other purpose than to put it off, or has he not fully made that decision yet?. everytime TJ says he'll return, and he's cleared, but no time line, I'm left to wonder 'cause things aren't adding up. That's why I can't just accept we have the full story.

[carlosey]

Getting carried out on a stretcher under the circumstances worrying about paralysis must have been something close to traumatizing for TJ Ford. Lets respect the man and allow him to return when he feels he is ready. Were not winning the championship this year so let him take his time

[bill russell]

again, you have to be empathetic for TJ, after all he's gone through, and I'm sure a big part of him wants badly to come back, but it has to be complicated by the fact that his style of play is inherently dangerous. He's all about speed and penetration and disruption. He's like AI, with better passing skills and a weaker shot. Recklessness is part of his skill set. He's too small and too erratic a shooter to play any other way.

side note to east coast -- there's a lot of history on this board that's escaped me. who's contender?

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

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C-O-N SPIRACY!

Am I being called Contender? Wow, I need to re-evaluate some things perhaps.

Again, what part of my comments you replied to were a conspiracy theory?

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

again, you have to be empathetic for TJ, after all he's gone through, and I'm sure a big part of him wants badly to come back, but it has to be complicated by the fact that his style of play is inherently dangerous. He's all about speed and penetration and disruption. He's like AI, with better passing skills and a weaker shot. Recklessness is part of his skill set. He's too small and too erratic a shooter to play any other way.

side note to east coast -- there's a lot of history on this board that's escaped me. who's contender?

Millions of people Bill, millions. Every member of Earth Wind and Fire, the entire cast of 227 and ABBA to name a few and maybe even Raptorize Jack.

For real, though, he was/is a passionate poster, not a huge Bosh fan, whose been banned and keeps coming back with new aliases - I'd love to see a thread listing all the different names he's come back with. Coming up with known Contender aliases for each letter of the alphabet should be the standard realgm road trip game.

[bill russell]

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Millions of people Bill, millions. Every member of Earth Wind and fire, and the entire cast of 227, ABBA to name a few and maybe even Raptorize Jack.

For really though he was/is a passionate poster, not a huge Bosh fan, whose been banned and keeps coming back with new aliases - I'd love to see a thread listing all the different names he's come back with. Coming up with known Contender aliases for each letter of the alphabet should be the standard realgm road trip game.

sorry i stepped into that one...

[Slam Dunk!]

He said he'll be back when he's ready. We know TJ is a competitor, possibly the fiercest on our entire squad. If he's working on coming back, you know he's putting in his best effort to make sure he comes back tougher so that his condition doesn't become a liability in the future.

I want him to take his time. As much as we need him, all things considered, we're doing alright for now in terms of making the playoffs. It's hard, but I'd rather he comes back 100% in body, mind and spirit (I'm channeling Marbury, here).

[Mascot]

im wondering if hes getting some special kind of neck brace made that he would wear during games....taking time off to get use to it would make a lot of sense.