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2007-08 Per 36 Minute Averages: 13.4 PTS, 3.4 REB, 9.8 AST, 0.1 BLK, 1.3 STL, 1.8 TO 2007-08 Advanced Stats: .607 TS%, 5.6 TRB%, 20.5 PER These profiles will feature nine players on the Raptors' roster that I have been able to evaluate from previous performance. For explanation of the stat lines, check out my primers on Per 36 Minutes Averages, TS%, TRB% and PER. If you're a fantasty basketball GM, Jose Calderon is like a wet dream. His offensive efficiency in 2007-08 (.607 TS%, 5.38 AST/TO ratio) ranked him among the all-time best in terms of point guards making the most out of their possessions. Considering that he'll be the Raptors' full-time starting point guard in '08-09, you would be nuts to pass him by in your fantasy draft once Chris Paul and Deron Williams are off the table. Calderon's evolution into a lights-out shooter over his three NBA seasons is surely the most unexpected transformation I've seen from any Raptors player in franchise history. I can remember somebody commenting on this blog in Calderon's rookie season that he saw flashes of Steve Nash in Jose's game, and I responded that Calderon would never be as good a shooter as Nash is. The very next season, Calderon's True Shooting Percentage jumped from .495 to .588, followed by last season's remarkable .607 percentage. As you can see by his Hot Spots chart, Calderon can rain Js from anywhere on the court — including from the free-throw line where he topped 90 percent last season.
His now-deadly outside shot combined with his superior finishing skill on layups and his uncanny mistake-free passing have made him a top 10 point guard in the NBA. You could make the case that no undrafted player besides Ben Wallace has made more of an impact in the past decade. For all of Rob Babcock's mistakes as Raptors GM (and lo, there were many), Calderon's signing was a legitimate coup — especially when you consider that, without Calderon's emergence as a top point guard, Jermaine O'Neal probably wouldn't be wearing a Raptors uniform now. Of course, as great as Calderon was last season, we have to acknowledge that his offensive proficiency is unfortunately not matched on defense. It's not for lack of trying — nobody can accuse Jose of a lack of effort on D — he's just lacking in lateral quickness that would enable him to avoid being abused by quicker guards. I forget if it was last season or the one before, but I still cringe in rememberance of the game when Jose got absolutely lit up by five-foot-five Earl Boykins. Luckily, the addition of a potentially elite defender in O'Neal should lessen the damage of Calderon's deficiencies. That's the luxury of having a premier defensive post player — it changes the entire texture of a team's defense. A player with perimeter stopping deficiencies like Jose can play a little bit tighter to contest opposing shots with the knowledge that J.O. is behind him to help cover for him if he gets burned. All of this optimism about Calderon's upcoming season presupposes that he'll be able to maintain or improve on his performance last season, but there are people who think that he'll fall back under the pressure and longer minutes of starting full-time over an 82-game season. I am aware of the existence of these people — I call them "T.J. Ford nuthuggers". I expect Jose to come into this season fully prepared to embrace and thrive in the role of floor leader of this team. If he's healthy, I would not be surprised if he made it as an All-Star reserve — and who could have honestly predicted that before last season? Well, I guess that guy who compared him to Steve Nash could have. Whoever you are — if you're still reading this site — take a bow. |
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