Jose Calderon has a partial tear of his right adductor and may miss the rest of the 2008 Olympics.
The Toronto Raptors point guard, playing for Spain, injured his groin in the quarter-final against Croatia, and underwent an MRI last night in Beijing. It revealed the tear, though not its severity, and Calderon was held out of Friday night’s semi-final against Lithuania as a precaution.
There should be a slew of Italians on hand when the New York Knicks 
play their preseason opener Oct. 8 in Toronto – the first showdown between Italy’s two stars, Danilo Gallinari and Andrea Bargnani. It will be Gallinari’s Knicks debut and his first battle against his countryman.
There were some scouts raving before the draft that Gallinari, selected sixth this past June, will be a better player than the 6-11 Bargnani, selected No. 1 overall in 2006 by Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo has told friends he believes Bargnani will have the better career.
Gallinari is a more consistent shooter.
Gallinari is the more agile player.
Gallinari is a better NBA athlete, at the position he plays.
Gallinari is a better finisher in the lane.
Gallinari is a better rebounder.
Gallinari is a better passer.
Gallinari is a better defender.
Gallinari is the more physical player, at the position he plays.
Gallinari is the more passionate player.
Gallinari is going to become a perennial All-Star in the NBA.
After telling you how I disagreed with the thought that Colangelo is attempting to recreate the Phoenix Suns in the East, my thoughts on the current roster make-up of the Raptors now creates a very glaring internal irony for me. If you look fairly closely at the player skill sets and how they play, you will actually notice a pretty strong similarity between the current roster of the Raptors and the make up of the Phoenix Suns. While I used to laugh at the notion that Colangelo would be re-creating an Eastern Conference version of the 2005 Phoenix Suns, he may just have re-created in Toronto a similar style and roster to the 2008-09 Phoenix Suns. Here is a quick look at what i’m thinking:
A house hold name in Europe and Canada, he is still waiting for the credit he deserves from south of the border. The Spanish born Calderon, who has now officially taken the reigns as the Raptor’s starting point guard, is a throwback guard, always looking to create for others while still being able to create his own offence if needed. What separates Calderon from others is his amazing efficiency on the floor. Finishing first in assists-to-turnover ratio, fifth in the league in assists per 48 minutes, and fifth overall in assists per game, helped put the league on notice that last year’s season was not a fluke. Surprisingly though, his playmaking skills may not even be his most impressive attribute. Shooting over 50% from the field, 90% from the line and 40% from beyond the arc in ’07, has helped elevate the fan favourite into rarefied air. He joined Steve Nash as the only other player in the league to accomplish the feet. Just call him Nash Lite.
The Toronto Raptors have a year or two with Jermaine O’Neal to decide if he has enough left to stick with the team long-term. Chris Bosh can opt out in 2010. Should he leave, Toronto would join the Mavericks with a deep well of cap space. Even if Bosh does re-sign, the Raptors could still be well positioned to spend.
Chris Bosh, NBA All-Star from the Toronto Raptors and U.S. Olympic Basketball team, will host and compete in the Chris Bosh Football Fantasy Max League. Winners get in on autographed memorabilia.
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the raptors have a lot of young prospects and should make a decent run for a playoff spot again this next year.