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TOR @ CLE - Tue. Oct. 7 - 7:00 p.m.

"He tends to take some criticism because he has sort of a weird body, but he takes a lot of pride in his game."
- Donyell Marshall's agent, Andy Miller

July 1, 2006
by: Scott
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Make no mistake, Bryan Colangelo is determined to take a flamethrower to Rob Babcock's Raptors legacy and make this team his own. After trading Charlie Villanueva to the Milwaukee Bucks for T.J. Ford, he has now traded both of the Raptors' previous two first round picks within a month. Colangelo saw that this team needed a real center, and he went out and got one in Rasho Nesterovic. He saw that this team needed an upgrade at point guard – and here's where he lost some people.

The main thing you should know about T.J. Ford is that he's fast. There probably isn't a quicker player in the entire league – not even Allen Iverson. Mavericks' coach Avery Johnson played against Ford in his rookie season two years ago and Johnson says that "he's one of the guys, along with Devin (Harris) that put me in retirement" and calls him "a one-man fast break". For a team that wants to run, Ford is probably the best available point guard to suit that purpose.

Did the Raptors pay too steep a price for Ford? For now, the majority of Raptors fans discussing this trade online say "yes". On paper, Villanueva is the superior asset. Ford's health concerns (he missed the entire 2004-05 season with a neck injury), his defensive limitations and his sub-par shooting are significant question marks. Remember how defenders played off Jose Calderon all season and dared him to shoot? Players take a few steps even further back when guarding Ford.

That's the thing that makes Steve Nash so dangerous. For all the raves about his playmaking, opponents can't simply play the pass because he can pretty much score at will if that's how he decides to beat you. Play off of him and he'll shoot jumpers in your eye all game. Get up in his grill and he'll take you to the hole with ease. And double-teaming him is suicide because he will find the open man in scoring position. For Ford to become a dangerous weapon like that, he needs to shoot better than 42 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point land like last season.

I reference Nash because it's clear that Colangelo wants to turn the Raptors into "Phoenix North". And Ford is certainly more suited for that style than any of the available free agent point guards (Jason Terry, Speedy Claxton and Sam Cassell) because of his superior speed and passing. If he stays healthy, he will electrify the Raptors' offence like no point guard since Damon Stoudamire.

T.J. and Charlie are both young players and it's too soon to tell which player will be better in his prime. Based on the responses in the comments and the forum, it seems like a lot of Raptors fans think we've given up a future All-Star. I've never seen that and that's why I've been willing to trade him for a while. I think Villanueva's ceiling is probably in the Glenn Robinson/Antoine Walker range. He'll give you 20 points and eight rebounds and be a very good second option on a team. That's nothing to sneeze at, but it's also not indispensible. Which brings me to the reason why I find myself surprisingly giddy about this trade – point guards are at a premium in the new NBA. If it seems like Colangelo overpaid, it's because you're underestimating the value of a dynamic playmaker like Ford.

Ultimately, I see this trade as a win for both teams, with Milwaukee getting the slight edge because of Ford's health risks. The Bucks needed somebody to play power forward so Andrew Bogut can shift to center. The Raptors needed a pass-first point guard. Done and done.

Finally, here's what I really like about this trade. This is now Chris Bosh's team, more than ever. Colangelo has given him the tools to take the next step, from star to superstar. I'm talking 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists. If he can take that leap and if Bargnani is the real deal, the Raptors are better suited with a "glue guy" at small forward who can play defence and hit open shots. Maybe it's Mo Pete or Joey Graham, or maybe Colangelo's not done shopping. But where I have differed from many Charlie supporters for a while is that I have never seen him as a critical piece in the future of this team – regardless of his upside.

I don't want any of you to think I take Villanueva's departure lightly. I got to meet Charlie during my CBC feature story on Charlie's work as spokeman for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, and I can confirm that he's a legitimately nice guy with a huge heart. I wish him nothing but success in his career (when he doesn't play the Raptors) and I look forward to a warm welcome for his first return to the Air Canada Centre. But I don't get attached to individual players at the expense of improving the team. Of course, many of you will undoubtedly disagree with me that this trade actually improved the team. I guess we'll have to see about that. All I know is that October can't come soon enough for me.