Ford's as good as new
St. Francis - Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford has been confronted with a seemingly endless barrage of questions over the last year and a half regarding his physical condition and future in professional basketball.
Inquiring minds wanted to know what progress he was making in his comeback from a serious spinal injury. When did he think he would be able to play again? Was his NBA career over before it was really even able to get off the ground?
Last week at the team's training camp, Ford was asked probably the easiest question he had heard since being injured in February 2004.
Are the Bucks a playoff team this year?
"Of course," Ford said. "I'm back."
Indeed, he is.
Ford has been given a clean bill of health and may be the only player in camp who is actually enjoying himself. NBA players generally view training camp as a necessary evil, but Ford is overjoyed to be participating. It sure beats the alternative.
Ford, of course, knows his return is not the only reason the Bucks are optimistic they can make a run at the Eastern Conference playoffs this season.
"I wouldn't say it's only me," Ford said. "I'm not arrogant enough to say that. I think we've got a good team together. We've got Bobby Simmons, we re-signed Michael Redd, Dan Gadzuric, Toni Kukoc, Ervin Johnson. . . we've got a lot of guys who have been in the league a long time even though we're still young. I think it's all of us together. That's the reason I say we're a playoff team."
Ford realizes, however, that the questions will continue and is bracing to face them when the Bucks play in other cities. The Bucks, though, are so confident Ford is back that there has been informal banter in camp about how long it will take for people to realize Ford's injury is no longer an issue.
Ford thinks he knows the answer to that one, too.
"I think once I get on the court and start playing, everyone is going to forget about the injury," he said. "That's the main key. I'm not hurt anymore. Do I have a problem talking about it? No. But I think at the same time with my play, that will eliminate a little of the talk about the injury."
Said Bucks coach Terry Stotts, "He's 100% and there are no restrictions placed on him. Having spoken to him and watching him play, I think he's in a good place. He's thankful for the opportunity to come back and play basketball. As of now, there are no restrictions. He came into camp a healthy player and ready to go."
The hope is Ford will be at the controls of a high-energy offensive attack that will put 100-plus points on the board nightly. Stotts wants to play an up-tempo style that will be enjoyable for his players to play and for the fans to watch.
With Ford at the point, Stotts thinks the Bucks would be foolish to play any other way.
"I don't want to slow it down," Stotts said. "With a guard like T.J. Ford, there's no way you can slow it down. I'd like to push it up for 82 games."
Not surprisingly, Ford's teammates have welcomed him back with open arms, especially if it means a return to the running game.
"We did it a couple years ago with T.J.," guard Michael Redd said. "I'm excited about that. I think it'll create easy opportunities for us to score."
Said forward Toni Kukoc, "I seriously think that a big part of this year will be T.J. playing. I just feel that we're a different team when T.J. plays."
Ford worked hard over the summer in Houston to prepare for his comeback, to the point where he says his game is "100 times better" than it was in his rookie season with the Bucks. Running, conditioning, shooting and ball-handling were his points of emphasis.
He says there is no rust on his game and that he expects nothing but the best from himself this season. Full-steam ahead is the Ford credo.
But since it's doubtful opposing teams will lay down a red carpet for Ford in the lane, it might be only natural for fans to be apprehensive about whether he will be able to withstand a hard foul or a fall similar to the one that caused the injury.
Ford would like to quell those doubts.
"You don't understand," he said. "I know I wasn't around here, but I took plenty of falls this summer, falls that probably would have scared a lot of people right now if it was to happen."
Ford admitted he had doubts concerning his future.
"Of course," Ford said. "I can't sit here and say that I didn't have doubts whether I would come back and play or how I would feel even if I did come back and play. But those were emotional things that I had to go through for a year and a half that made it so tough."
Ford was asked to compare how he feels now compared to how he was feeling a year ago at this time.
"I feel good," he said. "I get to participate in training camp. Last year, I was sitting here watching these guys get prepared and I was on the side. Now I'm excited."
