Toronto Raptors: Is Trading José Calderon a Wise Move or an Overreaction?
Probably the two most frequent criticisms that Bryan Colangelo heard last season were the lack of defensive grit and commitment and the below-average overall athleticism of the roster.
It is only natural that the front office has been taking steps to heal those open wounds, while trying to recover from the departure of superstar forward Chris Bosh.
The first move was to bring in defensive mastermind P. J. Carlesimo. The fans (including myself) were so desperate to see some progress, they overlooked the fact that the front office had to overpay even the assistant coaches.
There is no doubt Carlesimo will make an impact this season, especially during training camp, as he excels where Jay Triano lacks. He is known to be a demanding coach, an excellent motivator, and the creator of efficient defensive schemes.
One wonders if he could benefit more from now-Suns forward Hedo Turkoglu, whom he worked with during their Sacramento Kings days.
That brings a whole set of new questions. The Raptors brought in the less-talented Leandro Barbosa in exchange for Turkoglu. However, nobody north of the border was particularly unhappy, to say the least.
Turkoglu was never a good fit to begin with, especially with José Calderon taking the point. But now that Hedo is gone, is it wise to deal Calderon, too?
Despite being rightfully deemed as a defensive liability, José Calderon remains the sole true playmaker on the Raptors today.
It shouldn't be that hard to mask his infamously characterized matador-style defense, thanks to the new plays orchestrated by Carlesimo and the newly formed defensive roster.
There are more than several athletic players who can raise hell in transition. But who will get the ball in their hands when they have to play half court? What good is spectacular vertical leaping ability when you are 20 feet away from the rim?
Jarrett Jack is a decent typical combo guard. While he is slightly better defensively, he lacks the court vision Calderon has. He penetrates more often; on the other hand he rarely finds the open guy while he is doing so, which should be his primary objective.
Jack got by last season primarily due to the presence of Hedo Turkoglu. But now that he is gone, is Jarrett Jack going to be the Toronto version of Mo Williams sans LeBron James?
Leandro Barbosa is not a distributor either; in fact, I hardly remember him passing the ball at all. He acts like a bull that sees the red cape, the red cape being the basket.
Only Linus Kleiza can create his shot on occasion. But aside from smooth ball-handling skills, he does not have the necessary tools to create for others.
Both Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan make me cringe every time they put the ball on the floor. Moreover, the ball is not going to put itself into the hands of Amir Johnson and Ed Davis inside the paint.
Since the Chris Bosh decided to be “the third man” in Miami, Bryan Colangelo has been trying to shift the culture toward a more defensive-minded and athletic team.
However, Jarrett Jack and the Young Gunz may end up being one of the top 5 defensive teams this season while making our way into the top 5 of all-time worst offensive teams if they cannot play half-court offense.
Otherwise, the best offensive weapons will be rushed three-pointers from Andrea Bargnani, contested 15-foot jumpers from Sonny Weems, forced drives from Jarrett Jack, limited put-back opportunities for our big men, and occasional open-court break points.
The front office already overreacted by giving Amir Johnson the deal of his life and making him smile uncontrollably during the televised signing. They better not overdo it by trading away José Calderon without getting a passable playmaker back.
