By Justin Powell
ProBasketballNews.com
"This town ain't big enough for the both of us."
Hopefully, this is the only time I begin an article by quoting lyrics from a 1974 Sparks album, but I think the words fit here.
Great position depth is supposed to be a good thing in the NBA, but it doesn't always work that way.
When T.J. Ford went down with an injury in December, Raptors fans had to be thrilled they had such a capable guy in Jose Calderon to handle the load at point guard.
When Ford came back in early February, Raptors fans probably were thrilled to have him back, knowing he would be able to give the team a nice spurt off the bench when Calderon needs a breather.
But it just doesn't fit.
In a game against Orlando last week, Ford got the playing time at the start of the fourth quarter. He took every single Toronto shot for the first six and a half minutes of the period. His teammates barely even touched the ball during the stretch.
That's not a real good thing even if you're Kobe Bryant.
It's DEFINITELY not a good thing if you're a backup point guard.
In the game, Ford shot a decent 8-of-13 from the field and led the team in scoring with 20 points, but he also had seven turnovers in just 16 minutes of playing time.
It's obvious he's pushing too hard, trying to win more minutes and -- ultimately
-- the starting job back.
But as long as Calderon is in Toronto, that's not going to happen. Calderon is too skilled of a passer, a shooter and a decision-maker to become a second-string player. He's emerging as one of the five or six best point guards in the NBA.
A lot of teams are expected to throw some serious money at Calderon this
offseason, but with Toronto likely to match any offer, he figures to remain in a Raptors uniform.
So what do they do with Ford?
Ideally, Ford and Calderon would be able to play together, but that doesn't seem to work. Toronto coach Sam Mitchell tried to pair them together in the fourth quarter against the Magic, but neither player is at their best playing off the ball.
Calderon is great at pick-and-rolls and finding open shooters, and Ford is great at getting into the lane and making something happen.
Toronto would like to continue using Calderon as the primary point guard and Ford as an exceptional bench player, but Ford doesn't seem happy in that role. When healthy, Ford is good enough to start for about half the teams in the league.
After signing a long-term extension at the start of last season, the only way Ford is going anywhere is through a trade.
Toronto would be very stupid to let Calderon go anywhere this offseason, and if the two aren't going to work together on the court, perhaps trading Ford is the best way to go. He'd certainly garner a decent amount in return.
SMITH NUGGET
J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets gets my vote as the NBA player who would be the most frustrating to coach. How do you handle this guy? George Karl seems to be still figuring it out.
Smith, a fourth-year player who entered the league straight out of high school, doesn't play much defense, and he makes some of the worst decisions I've seen on a basketball court this year -- and that counts the college and high school level as well as the NBA.
But when Smith is hitting his shots, he can be a huge weapon on offense.
Since the start of February, he's made 48 of 98 3-point attempts, good for 49 percent. But his bad decisions still limit his playing time to about 20 minutes a game, at most.
If he plays with a little more discipline and improves his shot selection just a bit, he could push the Nuggets over the top in their run for that final playoff spot in the West.
Will that happen? Probably not.
SUNS SHALL RISE
Call me crazy -- I know I deserve it. But I'm one of the very few people outside the state of Arizona who isn't giving up on the Suns just yet.
I know, they've looked terrible recently, but Shaquille O'Neal is starting to play better, and the impact he's made on the boards in undeniable. Pre-Shaq, the Suns were getting out-rebounded night in and night out. That's not the case now.
And remember, this is the first year Phoenix has had Grant Hill. He's playing well, and he's a smart player. He should perform about as well as Shawn Marion would have in the postseason.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Suns continue to struggle and get ousted in the first round of the playoffs (if they even make it there). But at the same time, I wouldn't be too surprised to see them figure things out at just the right time and make the Shaq experiment work.
Who knows? But I will admit I'm pulling for them a little. How can you not root for guys like Steve Nash and Hill to get their first rings?
