Chicago Bulls: Evaluating The Acquired New York Knicks
Jose Calderon
Ah, Jose Calderon. The spicy 34-year-old Spaniard who is still going strong.
Averaging 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists a game over his 12 years in the NBA, he is certainly a well-rounded veteran.
After going undrafted in 2003, the point guard signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2005.
He ranked third in assists his rookie year, with 4.5 assists per matchup (and an assists-per-turnover ratio of 2.85), while also averaging 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds a contest too. He appeared in 64 games, starting eleven of them, on 23.2 minutes of play.
Calderon played seven full years in Toronto. He was a key piece in their offense, helping the team make the playoff push between 2007-09. Although he sometimes had to take a back seat to other guys like T.J. Ford, he never missed a step.
He was a team player through and through, and Raptors fans consistently appreciated his motivation and drive.
During his time with the Raptors, Calderon averaged 9.8 points, 2,5 rebounds and a whopping 7.2 assists per game, on 28.6 minutes of play. He constantly ranked top five in the league for assists, even coming in first on three occasions.
His best year to date was 2008-09 when he averaged 12.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists a contest, playing and starting in 68 games, on 34.3 minutes of play.
His time in Toronto was cut short though, when he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2013.
Calderon was made the starting point guard for the Pistons, and averaged 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists a matchup, on 31.7 minutes of play.
However, his days in Detroit were numbered. He signed to the Dallas Mavericks that summer, on a four-year deal. And although he only played a season there, he certainly flourished.
He became the team’s starting point guard and both played and started in all 81 games, which is especially impressive for his age. There, he averaged 11.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game on 30.5 minutes of play.
Once he got traded to New York, Calderon fell victim to a couple of injuries. If that was due to the change in style of play or simply wear and tear is yet to be determined, but over the last two years, he averaged 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest.
He appeared and started in 114 games, averaging 29.1 minutes of play.
Calderon certainly has some years on him yes, but he is not done showing off what he has just yet. He is a dependable option, who can certainly mentor some of the younger guys, both on and off of the court.
He is not a long-term solution nor may he play Hoiball very well, but when looking at talent alone, the front office certainly could have done worse.
Overall, it seems like Chicago is not getting too bad of a deal. It is true that for a superstar like Rose, these three guys seem like a bargain. And perhaps Forman could have gotten more for him. But this is how the business goes sometimes.
must read: Chicago Bulls: The End of The Derrick Rose Era
Lopez is an iffy pickup but with both Noah and Gasol probably walking away, the position of center does need to be filled. Grant could develop into an impressive talent, if handled correctly.
And Calderon though on his way out, is still giving the NBA all that he has. So say hello to a few new members of your team, Bulls fans.