Raps retain Calderon
With T.J. Ford all-but-officially on his way to Indiana, you had to figure it was only a matter of time before the Raptors wrapped up Jose Calderon to a long-term contract. That deal apparently was reached early yesterday, as Calderon agreed to remain a Raptor, according to the point guard’s official website. Terms of the contract were undisclosed, though it’s reported Calderon will receive around $8 million per year – not a bad deal for one of the league’s most efficient players.
Calderon averaged 11.9 points and 8.3 assists while playing all 82 games last season. His 5.4 assist-to-turnover ratio was tops in the NBA, and his play in Ford’s absence had many around the league picking him as an Eastern Conference All-Star.
Ford, of course, suffered a neck injury courtesy of Hawks’ rookie Al Horford in December. After his return in early-February, he served as Calderon’s backup before his complaining and erratic play in limited minutes eventually led Calderon to sacrifice the starting spot.
Something had to be done this off-season, and I’m certain general manager Bryan Colangelo did the right thing. By the end of the season, Ford had burned just about every bridge with teammates and fans alike, and it became increasingly evident that Calderon would, deservedly so, be the Raptors’ long-term investment at the point. It’s disappointing how quickly Ford fell from grace – he was instrumental in the team’s remarkable turnaround two seasons ago and was inspirational in his comeback this past season. Nevertheless, he’s responsible for his own falling out.
In Calderon, the Raptors have a point guard that’s improved in each of his three seasons in the NBA and should continue to do so. Aside from his assist-to-turnover ratio, Calderon’s shooting percentages (51.9% from the field, 42.9% from three and 90.8% from the stripe) were also amongst league leaders. He did, however, seem to wear down towards the end of the season – a trend he’ll have to avoid should the Raptors hope to get past the first round of the playoffs in coming seasons.
