http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/274336
Both Villanueva and Ford played poorly last night. But Ford, as evidenced in Sunday’s 32-point, team-carrying work against the Celtics, possesses an upside that still tantalizes. Colangelo had awfully good intelligence to foresee as much, not least because Sam Mitchell, the Raptors head coach, had been a Milwaukee assistant in Ford’s spectacular rookie season.
“It’s actually worked out for the Raptors,” said Villanueva. “Toronto needed a point guard and T.J. is a good point guard. His first year, those guys go to the playoffs. They win the Atlantic Division. Hey, T.J.’s playing real well. And me, I’ve been limited (by injury), but I’ve got a brand new season. I’ve got to turn that around.”
Things can change. Nothing’s for sure. But Ford, still 6-foot-nothing, looks like a kid still relishing a climb up a ladder. Villanueva, still a cheery 6-foot-11, looks awfully content on the same old plateau. They say don’t trade big for small and it’s certainly true if you’re trading hearts.