Jose Calderon Must Be Lynchpin of New York Knicks' Triangle Transition

Jose Calderon has his work cut out for him in his first year wearing blue and orange. Assuming his calf strain doesn't prevent him from suiting up next Wednesday for opening night, Calderon is the likely choice for the New York Knicks' starting point guard. 

A star he is not. But since creating shot opportunities for teammates is a responsibility shared by every single player in a triangle offense, it can take some pressure off a point guard. He doesn't need the court command of Steve Nash or the speed of John Wall. He doesn't have to create assists like Chris Paul, shoot like Steph Curry or drive the lane like Derrick Rose.

That doesn't mean he can be just any chump in a jersey, though. 

Calderon is no chump. He's got those mysterious, magical things that all coaches love: intangibles! And he'll need them all this season.

During preseason, Knicks players have approached the triangle with great tranquility and optimism, sunshine and daisies. Yet once the losses start to count next week, that peaceful attitude could degrade into panic if the offense isn't as smooth as Amar'e Stoudemire's skin after a wine bath.

When they fall behind, the players may choose to abandon the new strategy instead of perfect it. They might devolve into iso madness, every pass going to Carmelo Anthony, every shooter trying to single-handedly win the game. (I'm lookin' at you, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Carmelo Anthony!)

Calderon's main job will be to set the tone. Keep them honest when they start to abandon the game plan. Keep them inspired when they're worn out.   

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Another charge will be to get 'Melo involved in the offense without shifting to isolation ball. Thus far, Anthony has shown a real commitment to executing the triangle, thinking "pass" before "shoot"—often to the surprise of his teammates, who aren't expecting the ball to come to them once it touches his hands. Yet 'Melo is still the star, and one of the best natural scorers in the league.

As Derek Fisher explained, per Fred Kerber of the New York Post:

"

As a coach, that is my job, to help everybody realize, that we have to figure out a way to blend this together that doesn’t put Carmelo on an island and put the rest of the guys on another island. We have to really be on the same page.

"

If it's Fisher's job from the sidelines, it's Calderon's job on the hardwoood. As Dan Feldman of NBC Sports' ProBasketballTalk wrote, "Calderon is a pinpoint passer, careful ball-handler and sweet shooter. If you were designing the ideal complement to Melo offensively, he’d look something like Calderon."

Striking the right balance will be essential. If Calderon cannot control this by always having his hands on the ball—which would defy the triangle's rules about ball movement—he can encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior with effective communication. 

Fortunately, these are areas where Calderon shines. As Dwane Casey, who coached Calderon while he played for the Toronto Raptors, said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, "He is one of the most beautiful leaders I’ve ever been around. Very knowledgeable… he’s a guy that you remember as a player, he was a big part of what we started here and kind of set the tone.” 

In his own words, via the New York Post's Steve Serby, Calderon said, "You gotta play for the name you got in the front [of the jersey], not in the back." 

As long as the rest of his teammates have that same attitude—and the jersey designers don't start putting last names on the front—the Knicks have a better chance to run a successful triangle offense than any team since Phil Jackson left the Lakers.