July 13, 2005 - When the Milwaukee Bucks opened summer camp on Monday, it seemed a bit like old school week. New Head Coach Terry Stotts was overseeing practice on the floor he patrolled as an assistant coach from 1998-2002. Dan Langhi, who had a cup-of-coffee with the Bucks during the 2003-04 campaign, was competing against the likes of 2003 second-round pick Szymon Szewczyk for a spot. And, oh-by-the-way, T.J. Ford was pinballing his way around the practice court as he did in 2003 during his rookie season.

“All summer I’ve been working on just trying to put everything together,” said Ford. “It’s a good time to build a relationship with the coaches and players, especially with (Andrew) Bogut.

“It’s still early,” Ford continued. “My body needs to adjust a bit, but I’m healthy. The biggest thing is to gradually build confidence and get through all the drills.”

After missing a season and a half due to a neck injury, Ford was allowed to resume individual basketball workouts (non-contact) in April, and cleared to resume full-contact basketball activity on June 27. Since getting the go-ahead to resume his basketball activity, Ford has been in Houston working with Bucks coaches and former NBA player/coach John Lucas on honing his basketball skills.

“(John Lucas) helped me a lot and he put me through a lot, trying to get the full potential out of me,” Ford commented on his work with the 14-year NBA veteran who spent two seasons with the Bucks (1986-88). “He pushes me to the limit. It was a little tough for me with him not being (at practice) because I am so used to having him around. It was somewhat of a learning experience for me, but I tried to remember everything that he had me working on and instilled in my mind.”

While on the court, Ford got a chance to run drills with number one pick Andrew Bogut and assessed the make-up of the Bucks rookie center.

“He’s a competitor,” Ford said of Bogut. “Just watching him out there on the court. He’s a great rebounder and has great footwork. I watched him play in college in person so I’m somewhat familiar with him. Now it’s a matter of putting my game with his game and making it easier for both of us.”

Ford also got to work under the direction of Terry Stotts and gave this scouting report on the Bucks new head coach.

“A good guy. He’s real cool, relaxed, somewhat laid-back,” said Ford. “It doesn’t seem like he has too much of a temper, but he seems like he’s a competitor. He just wants to get out and work. He seems like he wants us to get out and play freely, so I’m just excited to get things rolling. As long as we do our job we won’t have to hear him yelling,” Ford said with a chuckle.

With his teammates getting their first glimpse of Ford returning to the court, many offered their insight on how he looked in his first day back.

“T.J. looked good the first day,” said veteran Erick Strickland who spent two days working out with the Summer League team. “To be off two years, he still has great court vision and sees the floor very well.”

Third-year guard Reece Gaines added, “TJ looked great for his first contact. He still had his quickness going and his shot looked real good, so I think he’ll have a real good year coming up.”

And what did the head coach think of his play?

“I think he was a little tentative,” said Stotts, “but he was still moving very well. It’s going to be a gradual process as far as him gaining confidence. But his health is very important to us. He's the motor that keeps everybody running and distributes the ball and puts pressure on the ball defensively.”

When the team leaves on Friday to compete in the Minnesota Summer League, Ford will return to Houston to continue his workouts with Lucas.

“I’ll work with him all the way up to training camp,” said Ford. “It’s real important for me. I feel like I’m almost there, but I’m not quite where I want to be. These next few months are crucial – real important – because I want to come into training camp with no worries. I don’t want to hold anything back. I don’t want to play conservative. Right now I’m a little conservative, just trying to get in a groove.

And Ford is thrilled to be putting in the long hours of practice, especially as some doubted whether he would ever be able to play again. He remains focused on his return and adding his talents into the mix as the Bucks make their mark on the league.

Ford commented, “It felt good to be back and just being able to play. I won’t have to answer the questions ‘will I return?’ anymore.

“Larry (Harris) has been doing a great job of bringing guys in and getting guys signed,” Ford continued. “A lot of people are really looking forward to the upcoming season with Michael Redd and Bobby Simmons. Hopefully we get Danny G (Gadzuric) and Zaza (Pachulia) returning. I think people have to look at us as a competitive team. I think we’re back on the right track. It’s on us to take the pieces that have been put together and play the right way. Everyone will get the shine they deserve if we’re successful.”

So with a practice under his belt, Ford prepares for day two of camp with his sights set on the 2005-06 season.

“No setbacks either during the whole process,” said Ford. “That was one of the things I was most afraid of, how my body would react with the running and pounding and shooting. My body has been holding up great. Every now and again I have a one or two day setback, but the longest I’ve probably went without playing was maybe five days without playing, but I wouldn’t call that a major setback.

“They threw a lot of different stuff at me today,” Ford added. “I’ve been working on my own pace and I had to pick it up a little today; did as much as I could today and when I didn’t feel like I could go on I just called it a day. I’ll prepare myself for tomorrow and hopefully have a better day than the last.”