Jerryd Bayless, really?

[Joey]

i cant remember the last time people on this site actually agreed that a player was good... kinda pathetic already.

Was thinking that myself... didn't want to say it though and sound negative... hahah

[smushmush]

Although he has had a few moments that give hope to his future, does anyone really feel he is the answer for the future at PG for the Rapotrs?

I am not sold on his ability to run a team full-time as a starter over 82 games. We all know we need improvements in certain areas, but PG is still one big concern after Jose.

I know he has youth going for him, but I just don't see "it" in him.

Nah, he is and will never be the future at PG for the Raptors and for any other NBA team at that lol. He will be shopped around the league until his rookie contract is up - by that time, he will be out of the league ***. He has terrible tunnel vision, dribbles a lot of time of the clock to go 1 on 5 when he does not have a first step like Barbosa and depends a lot on ref calls coupled with a stupid attitude that does not coincide or back up his play on the court - all qualities I dont think I see in a future PG and will ever see in the PG spot in the NBA even if the PG spot is redefined as it is right now lol(which is why I am advocating to get Trey Johnson resigned for the rest of the season as he plays the game the right way and he is not looking to get his lol and he lights a fire under Bayless whenever he underperforms, hopefully kids wanting to be PGs dont emulate Bayless as a role model in basketball as they will only have a short time in the league like he will have lol).

[JalenRose5]

I really get upset and frustrated when people say Bayless is a score first point guard and compare him to T.J. Ford!

I am going to make this clear for everyone! T.J. Ford when healthy, is a better point guard than Jose Calderon, PERIOD! The two years T.J. Ford was our starting point guard (a so called score first point guard) we made the playoffs!! We even placed 1st in the atlantic division, a feat that has never been accomplished before! Ever since Bryan Colangelo decided to make a back up point guard our starting point guard, we have failed to make the playoffs!!

Jerryd Bayless is a good scorer who can learn to run a team! His Defense is much better than Calderon's already, and once he learns his teammates better, he will become a stud!! Guaranteed! Because he can create his own shot, the other players just stand there with their hands in their pants expecting bayless to just take a shot instead of running off screens or attempting to get open!

For now, Calderon is a much better distributor, he's probably one of the best in the league! I say keep the two point guards, but bring calderon back to where he operates best! off the bench! Then Maybe, having one defensive liability on at once won't be so painful to watch!

[Joey]

by that time, he will be out of the league.

Want to make a bet?

[heinz57]

thats how i see it anyways, i cant remember the last time people on this site actually agreed that a player was good... kinda pathetic already.

garbajosa. i dont think anybody disliked him.

[WJF]

I really get upset and frustrated when people say Bayless is a score first point guard and compare him to T.J. Ford!

I am going to make this clear for everyone! T.J. Ford when healthy, is a better point guard than Jose Calderon, PERIOD! The two years T.J. Ford was our starting point guard (a so called score first point guard) we made the playoffs!! We even placed 1st in the atlantic division, a feat that has never been accomplished before! Ever since Bryan Colangelo decided to make a back up point guard our starting point guard, we have failed to make the playoffs!!

Jerryd Bayless is a good scorer who can learn to run a team! His Defense is much better than Calderon's already, and once he learns his teammates better, he will become a stud!! Guaranteed! Because he can create his own shot, the other players just stand there with their hands in their pants expecting bayless to just take a shot instead of running off screens or attempting to get open!

For now, Calderon is a much better distributor, he's probably one of the best in the league! I say keep the two point guards, but bring calderon back to where he operates best! off the bench! Then Maybe, having one defensive liability on at once won't be so painful to watch!

Your opinion, but I think many, many, people would disagree with you, how are his third string duties working out in Indiana? And he started in his first year and started only half his games the second.
As for being in the playoffs and winning a division title, I think Rasho, Parker, Mo Pete, Garbajosa and Jose played a huge roll in that.....and remember, it was only a 47 win season.

As for Bayless, he has put up numbers as a starter, but there is more to being good than numbers.....see James, Mike!

[LBF]

simple answer: no, he thinks to much like a sg.

[JalenRose5]

Your opinion, but I think many, many, people would disagree with you, how are his third string duties working out in Indiana? And he started in his first year and started only half his games the second.
As for being in the playoffs and winning a division title, I think Rasho, Parker, Mo Pete, Garbajosa and Jose played a huge roll in that.....and remember, it was only a 47 win season.

As for Bayless, he has put up numbers as a starter, but there is more to being good than numbers.....see James, Mike!

Could you please explain your reasoning on why you think Jose is a better point guard than a "healthy" TJ Ford? I am not doubting Jose's ability whatsoever, he is great at running an offense and distributing the ball, but ever since he got promoted to a starting role he hasn't really done anything for the Raptors progression! We have missed the playoffs ever since he got promoted. Even on really skilled raptor teams that include the same players you mentioned before during TJ fords tenure! Rasho, Parker, minus Mo Pete and Garbo. Even with Jermaine O'neal, Turkoglu, Shawn Marion and the emergence of Chris Bosh and Bargnani becoming better players, we couldn't get anything done with Calderon running point.

Mike James played incredible for Toronto that year! I understand he was auditioning the entire season, looking for his shot, and would never pass! but if Bayless has that gift to score AND involve his teammates, then he definitely should be the pg of the future! Would you tell Derrick Rose to stop scoring?? HELLZ NO! He averages like 25 points a game! and in my opinion is a score first point guard. forgot to mention, he's also the BEST point guard/player in the league!

The more bayless shots, the less we see of Bargnani doing fadeaways from the top of the key!

Your notion of putting up numbers and not being good: So you're saying you wouldn't want Kevin Love or Blake Griffin on your team?

[Raptorsss]

If you look at the player he is now, he's little more than a younger, faster, cheaper, Jarret Jack. The difference is he was rated as the 3rd best guard in the draft and could still turn out that way. He has HUGE upside.

Think of it this way DJ. Augustin didn't really stand out when he was backing-up Felton. This year starting he's the best player on his team. And in terms of game, body, IQ, intangibles Bayless has an advantage over DJ. We won't know his ceiling until he gets regular playing time, he may become an all-star, a bench 2-guard, a good starter and a great back-up, we don't know it yet.

He's a lot like Darren Collinson, who was really hyped when he came to Indiana, struggled for the better of the first year adjusting to starting. running an offense, and learning a new system. Now, he's a major reason why Indiana is playing so well. It took four years for Amir Johnson to be given a chance, when given the chance he took hold of it. Now he's pretty good actually.

And like Amir and Demar, he's a competitive gym rat that is constantly trying to improve and craves winning. Toronto is his best chance to show what he's got. At this point I'd take Bayless over Irving, he has a better body and is much quicker, but is still adjusting to being an NBA point-guard.

[Joey]

If you look at the player he is now, he's little more than a younger, faster, cheaper, Jarret Jack. The difference is he was rated as the 3rd best guard in the draft and could still turn out that way. He has HUGE upside.

Think of it this way DJ. Augustin didn't really stand out when he was backing-up Felton. This year starting he's the best player on his team. And in terms of game, body, IQ, intangibles Bayless has an advantage over DJ. We won't know his ceiling until he gets regular playing time, he may become an all-star, a bench 2-guard, a good starter and a great back-up, we don't know it yet.

He's a lot like Darren Collinson, who was really hyped when he came to Indiana, struggled for the better of the first year adjusting to starting. running an offense, and learning a new system. Now, he's a major reason why Indiana is playing so well. It took four years for Amir Johnson to be given a chance, when given the chance he took hold of it. Now he's pretty good actually.

And like Amir and Demar, he's a competitive gym rat that is constantly trying to improve and craves winning. Toronto is his best chance to show what he's got. At this point I'd take Bayless over Irving, he has a better body and is much quicker, but is still adjusting to being an NBA point-guard.

I wasn't sure where you were going with that Jack comparison, but I approve. hahah I completely agree man. Bayless was a killer at Arizona and needs to be given free reign to 'kill'. They called him the assassin for a reason. Once we give him the keys to the ship I think he'll do just fine. He has shown to be a pass first PG when starting at the point and I believe he understands his role.

I don't really understand peoples frustration with him 'being too much of a SG' when thats where he's been playing the majority of his minutes when not starting. He's already showing love for the city, we don't get alot of that, so let's try and keep the good, young players that actually do love it here.

[RaptorDan]

Bayless may well turn out great but right now - this season - he is the player that frustrates me the most. I can understand the comparisons to TJ Ford and JJ because they used to frustrate me in similar fashions. The dribbling dribbling, oh look there is an open man but why pass when I can dribble and drive straight into a forest of big men and get my shot blocked. Or the oh sure the open player who has the hot hand can probably score but instead I'll chuck this contested ball up from an awkward angle early in the shot clock while being closely guarded with a hand in my face.

He seems like a nice guy. He is quite eloquent when being interviewed. He seems to have the potential to develop into something pretty good. I just hope that it is something better than TJ or JJ.

[grindhouse]

its been awhile since he has got here and I still don't think he has any concept of the offense, really been unimpressed with him so far.

[WJF]

He is our guard version of Joey Dorsey, Joey was given a start or two and some solid minutes and produced well, he just could not do it on a regular basis. Same thing with Bayless, showed us something to give us hope, now he has been on a slide. I am rooting for the kid to figure it out, I think he could be a change of pace guy off the bench, but we will need to upgrade our future PG spot with a guy who can run an offense.

[WJF]

Could you please explain your reasoning on why you think Jose is a better point guard than a "healthy" TJ Ford? I am not doubting Jose's ability whatsoever, he is great at running an offense and distributing the ball, but ever since he got promoted to a starting role he hasn't really done anything for the Raptors progression! We have missed the playoffs ever since he got promoted. Even on really skilled raptor teams that include the same players you mentioned before during TJ fords tenure! Rasho, Parker, minus Mo Pete and Garbo. Even with Jermaine O'neal, Turkoglu, Shawn Marion and the emergence of Chris Bosh and Bargnani becoming better players, we couldn't get anything done with Calderon running point.

Mike James played incredible for Toronto that year! I understand he was auditioning the entire season, looking for his shot, and would never pass! but if Bayless has that gift to score AND involve his teammates, then he definitely should be the pg of the future! Would you tell Derrick Rose to stop scoring?? HELLZ NO! He averages like 25 points a game! and in my opinion is a score first point guard. forgot to mention, he's also the BEST point guard/player in the league!

The more bayless shots, the less we see of Bargnani doing fadeaways from the top of the key!

Your notion of putting up numbers and not being good: So you're saying you wouldn't want Kevin Love or Blake Griffin on your team?

The Jose vs. TJ is an old debate and has been beaten to death, all I will say is that Ford is healthy now and is not getting minutes on a mediocre team.

Those two players, a Rookie and a sophomore are two very bad examples and you know it. I am talking about a ball dominant shoot first guard (James) in his 5th year in the league, you are mentioning young big men averaging a double double each and doing it off the ball. Right there it shows me that you are not seeing this issue with impartial eyes.

[Apollo]

The Jose vs. TJ is an old debate and has been beaten to death, all I will say is that Ford is healthy now and is not getting minutes on a mediocre team.

No he's not healthy now. He'll never be back to 100% ever again. He has a degenerative spinal condition that he will have to live with for the rest of his life. He broke his neck and came back strong but he's never been the same since Al Horford mowed him down from behind resulting in the stinger which left him momentary paralyzed. He's not back to where he was and probably never will be because of his condition which puts him at risk when he plays aggressively, which is TJ Ford basketball. If TJ Ford can't play fearlessly, then he's not 100%. That's my honest opinion.