With so few teams having cap space, the most Calderon can expect is a mid-level offer, which is expected to be in the neighbourhood of $5.6 million US, doubling his stipend from last season.
Sign-and-trade scenarios are possible and teams conceivably can clear space, factors that could lead to a more lucrative offer for Calderon.
But the fact remains that one of Calderon or Ford must go.
There is no market for Ford, while teams privately covet Calderon, who would make both a playing and cultural fit in markets such as Miami and Los Angeles.
“I would like to start and that’s the most important thing,” Calderon is quoted as saying in yesterday’s edition of the Spanish daily sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, a sentiment he first shared with visitors to his website.
But now comes the kicker.
Continued Calderon in the article: “I’ve been two years with him but I don’t know if I could be another year because things would have to change.”
Barring a complete personality makeover by Ford, which doesn’t seem likely, nothing can change in Raptorland.
That is why a change in scenery for Calderon is best for all parties concerned.
People have been clamouring for a player such as Corey Maggette of the Los Angeles Clippers, an athletic wing who is capable of averaging 20 a night and attacking the rim.
The Clippers can use a point guard and Calderon’s family probably wouldn’t object to southern California’s warm climate.
In Toronto, Chuck Swirsky was the big cheese—and a man of the people.
As the voice of the Toronto Raptors, he received 200 to 300 e-mails a day from viewers. And he responded to every one.
Torontonians didn’t even need a TV to hear “Chuck the Canuck,” as some began calling him. They could tune into his daily three-hour sports-talk radio show.
“I had a good thing going and could have stayed the rest of my life,” he said.
Swirsky would need to take a pay cut, but that was barely a consideration.
Why? Might have something to do with his 13-year stint as sports director at WGN-AM, where he worked on Bears, Cubs and Bulls broadcasts. Or his three years as the Bulls’ public-address announcer in the early 1980s. Or the fact he proposed to his wife, Judy, at home plate at Wrigley Field on a cold, soggy day in March 1990 with mud on his knees.
The lure of Chicago, the prospect of returning to the western suburbs to continue raising his three teenage children, was too great.
“This was really done for family reasons,” he said.
Swirsky will leave his “salami and cheese” call north of the border. But he will bring his maniacal work ethic.
OK , Kapono played good offense vs. the Magic. Mo Pete is not too shabby in piling up points himself vs San Antonio. His shooting percentage in this on going series is a hhg 60%. In fact , in game 5 , Mo Pete shot 4 three pointers that broke the back of Popovich’s team.
Finally, the major complaint about Bosh is that he holds the ball for too long. It’s an obvious problem that’s been there for as long as he’s been in the league. Sam Mitchell’s stagnant offense doesn’t help matters but this part of Bosh’s game is more a bad habit than anything. The quicker you make your move, the less time the defense will have to figure you out and the more chance you have of actually executing it successfully. It’s become routine of Bosh to waste 5-7 seconds per possession when facing up a player and its ripple effect is that our shooters have less time to move the ball around to get that clean look after the Bosh double. To conclude Bosh’s offensive weaknesses, he needs to throw his fadeaway in the garbage, develop a post-up move or two, work on establishing position early and use his skill and length to finish plays rather than hope for a foul.
The general feeling of that is he is very skilled and talented at his job. I have played a little poker in my time. The thing you will here about playing poker from pros is that you need to adjust and change styles. So sometimes when everyone expects you do one thing you go a different way. In the end of the day the ultimate win comes with an NBA Championship. But if you move all your chips into the game to soon you can see that championship be taken away in an instant in poker. In basketball it can set a franchise back many years and could ultimately cost a G.M his job. Bryan Colangelo knows how to avoid these pit falls.
Anyways the raptors need to address this issue and i say their best bet is to trade Jose Calderon and try and land someone like Jamaal Crawford, Corey Maggette, or even send a package over to try and swipe former defensive player of the year Marcus Camby.
But whatever they do, im sure it’s the smart thing considering Bryan Colangelo is running things.
Here’s why the Nuggets should sign Jose Calderon:
TORONTO RAPTORS: interesting team. lots of European players and the big Texan in the middle with the baby dreads. but they seem soft. and Bargnani sucked (i drafted him way too high in Fantasy … which is something i don’t recommend … drafted Andrea at all). Calderon made the leap and TJ is the odd man out in everybody’s eyes but the Raps themselves. oh, and Jamario Moon. love me the Moon. who else they got? i always forget. smart red uniforms though.
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read this post on The Hoop Doctors today that was cuttin’ up VC pretty hard for being a momma’s boy when he was with Raps.
Remember when Oakley accused Vince’s mom of trying to run the team? LOL
I’m a homer when it comes to Melrose Park’s finest, but I’d be so so so so very careful when it comes to Maggette. He gets his points by getting the ball and backing, backing, backing, backing… and then hurling himself in to draw the foul. He’s insanely good at it, but (a) the offense stops dead in its tracks while he’s going through his routine, and (b) he doesn’t have a long-range jumper, so when his legs start to go, watch out. Remember how quickly Jalen Rose aged? That’s what we might be looking at.
I doubt the Jersey fans care about Vince’s momma. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen the video of Stephon Marbury’s momma calling all of his Nets teammates’ losers while Stephon was still with the team. In fact, it was right after a game.
Granville Waiters Ghosts last blog post..Linkage – May 16
GWG,
Interesting that the Raps fans screaming loudest for Maggette never seem to mention this fact about his game.
khandors last blog post..Hard, physical championship basketball