Jose Calderon Far from Ideal NBA Point Guard

The Raptors' lack of perimeter players who can actually create cripples them, and forces Calderon to do everything. Outside of Bosh, who simply holds the ball far too long, the entire roster is composed of catch and shoot players, or hustle guys who basically catch and dunk.

There aren't many players like a Vince Carter, LeBron James, or even Jamal Crawford who are constantly demanding to go one-on-one. And while you get away without these guys in the regular reason, you need them in the playoffs when things turn to the half-court. Look no further than Spurs guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

While Calderon is quick and does find gaps in the defense to drive to the hole, there is very little if any way he would be able to dominate a game offensively if needed. Due to this limitation, he fails to be like the other elite point guards in the league.

So although there's nothing wrong with liking Jose Calderon or stating that he had a strong statistical resume for the All-Star game last season, it's important to understand that due to his inability to penetrate, lack of creativity, and inability to defend creative players who like to penetrate, Calderon is far from being an ideal NBA point guard.

It's strange that Colangelo would once again choose to gamble his championship dreams on a lead guard who can't stop other lead guards. I suppose he feels perhaps that with Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh, the Raptors have found the remedy for their inability to penetrate from the perimeter, while stopping the penetration allowed by weak perimeter defense.

If Calderon is being anointed as this team's future at the point, one would have to hope it would be in the role that considers his limitations. This is not going to happen without a change in coaching because, as it stands, Mitchell can't coach any other way but through an offense which starts and ends with his point guard.

If the Raptors ever do want to see what a defensively sound, truly creative penetrating student of the game looks like, they need look no further than Croatian import Roko Ukic, who's being dubbed "the Calderon-clone from his first season."

The name doesn't do Ukic justice at all. Outside of unselfishness, the two are as far as night and day. In fact, if one were to combine the finest points of ex-Raptor TJ Ford's game (like his tenacity on defense, his ability to penetrate, and his court-vision) and subtract the attributes which led to his end in Toronto (such as his lack of durability, mental instability, and lack of size) one could reasonably project the player Ukic could be.

A few scouts drew comparisons to Manu Ginobili when Ukic was playing in Split in 2004. The player European fans have seen over the past three years has been a little less encouraging. However, with the NBA courts at his disposal, and the confidence of his coaches, look for Ukic to do things this season that Raptor fans were hoping Ford would learn to do with greater control over his two-year stint in Toronto.

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