The 2012-2013 Toronto Raptors thread: My Name is Jonas

[Justin]

Jose's farewell interview:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya8tBkwyQHE[/youtube]

Don't think I've been this upset about a player leaving one of my teams since the Leafs bought out Darcy Tucker.

 

[dappleganger]

Jose's farewell interview:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya8tBkwyQHE[/youtube]

Don't think I've been this upset about a player leaving one of my teams since the Leafs bought out Darcy Tucker.

Gonna miss you Jose. Class act. Came in without much fanfare and played above expectations. Couldn't have asked for more.

 

[hockeyfan1]

RaptorsRepublic puts it really well when it comes to Jose:

But what Jos? brought to the Raptors franchise goes far beyond numbers. Jos? is an old-school basketball player in every sense of the word ? enduring losing season after losing season, ugly rebuilding effort after ugly rebuilding effort, and attempted position usurping after attempted position usurping. Through it all, though, he never wavered or publicly complained, and instead brought his lunch pail to work and quietly led the team year after year: a spanish rock in a sea of turmoil. He outlasted T.J. Ford, Roko Ukic, and Jarrett Jack, and though he won?t outlast Kyle Lowry, don?t let all of this Rudy Gay hoopla distract you from what it is the Raptors are really losing: the team?s unsung hero, the consumate pro, and a hugely important part of this franchise?s history.

Adios, Jos?. You?ll always have a fan in me.

http://raptorsrepublic.com/2013/01/30/deal-agreed-raptors-acquire-rudy-gay-for-jose-calderon-and-ed-davis/

Bravo!

 

[hockeyfan1]

Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
"The fans have been with me since day 1, so it's tough to leave." - Calderon, choking back tears, before he left the arena. #Raptors #RTZ


Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
Both @eddavis32 & @josemcalderon8 are/were total class acts as MEN let alone as players. I wish them both all the best & a ton of success

Source: Sportsnet

 

[Kin]

Still, it sucks to lose a player like that. He was the leader in that locker room.

Leaving aside that I've never actually heard a player describe Calderon as the team's leader don't you think there's something a little bit at odds with you complaining and moaning every other game about how this team lacks the motivation and mental toughness to compete in the 4th quarter and then thinking it's some terrible loss that the team's leader gets traded? If Calderon was the team's leader and the team is so lacking in the intangibles then how can that be a big loss?

Raptors fans aren't going to realize what we had until he's gone. Just wait until we're forced to start John Lucas III...

What? What would happen? The Raptors would lose a lot? Because they did that starting Jose Calderon.

Seriously, there's a reason the team has been looking to replace Calderon for years and it's not because he's so amazing.

 

[Kin]

Raptors are in at about $70m for 11 players. They likely won't have a first round pick, so that shouldn't be a factor, but MLSE is paying a lot for a pretty underwhelming roster.

They still can use their amnesty in the summer though so they'll likely have room to add a piece or two, even assuming they don't deal Bargnani.

 

[Champ Kind]

Raptors are in at about $70m for 11 players. They likely won't have a first round pick, so that shouldn't be a factor, but MLSE is paying a lot for a pretty underwhelming roster.

They still can use their amnesty in the summer though so they'll likely have room to add a piece or two, even assuming they don't deal Bargnani.

I think given Colangelo's comments (which are quite startling, I'd say) around Bargnani and his availability, it's a pretty sure bet that AB will be gone.

 

[Kin]

I think given Colangelo's comments (which are quite startling, I'd say) around Bargnani and his availability, it's a pretty sure bet that AB will be gone.

I think it's pretty obvious that Bargnani will be shopped, or probably already has been, the reason that him being traded is still a question mark is because I don't know if he'll be able to find a taker. He could still get the Amnesty, I suppose, but I think a trade isn't a sure thing.

 

[Corn Flake]

I think given Colangelo's comments (which are quite startling, I'd say) around Bargnani and his availability, it's a pretty sure bet that AB will be gone.

What did he say (I'm not able to locate)?

 

[Kin]

I think given Colangelo's comments (which are quite startling, I'd say) around Bargnani and his availability, it's a pretty sure bet that AB will be gone.

What did he say (I'm not able to locate)?

From the Star article:

?The situation with Andrea is a unique one, he?s a great talent and he?s done a lot for the organization but sometimes a change of address is not bad,? said the general manager. ?I?m not saying he?s asked for a trade but he certainly would not fight or resist a situation if it was the right situation.?

 

[Justin]

Still, it sucks to lose a player like that. He was the leader in that locker room.

Leaving aside that I've never actually heard a player describe Calderon as the team's leader don't you think there's something a little bit at odds with you complaining and moaning every other game about how this team lacks the motivation and mental toughness to compete in the 4th quarter and then thinking it's some terrible loss that the team's leader gets traded? If Calderon was the team's leader and the team is so lacking in the intangibles then how can that be a big loss?

Raptors fans aren't going to realize what we had until he's gone. Just wait until we're forced to start John Lucas III...

What? What would happen? The Raptors would lose a lot? Because they did that starting Jose Calderon.

Seriously, there's a reason the team has been looking to replace Calderon for years and it's not because he's so amazing.

Calderon had been there for 8 years. At 31 he was actually the oldest player on the team and lead by example. He never complained, always gave 110%, and lead by example. I don't think that should be undervalued, although the much bigger loss here is Calderon's play on the court. He was having a GREAT year, so much so that Casey was willing to roll with him ahead of the prized free agent acquisition Lowry. And, if you think the Raptors are losing a lot now, just wait until we have to start John Lucas III. The lack of a capable backup is going to KILL us when Lowry gets hurt.

 

[Justin]

I think given Colangelo's comments (which are quite startling, I'd say) around Bargnani and his availability, it's a pretty sure bet that AB will be gone.

What did he say (I'm not able to locate)?

From the Star article:

?The situation with Andrea is a unique one, he?s a great talent and he?s done a lot for the organization but sometimes a change of address is not bad,? said the general manager. ?I?m not saying he?s asked for a trade but he certainly would not fight or resist a situation if it was the right situation.?

Interesting. I think Andrea's time is just up in Toronto. The fans have gone sour on him and by the sounds of that quotation he's gone sour on the city as well. Bargnani's  reached the end of his rope - it's time for Primo to go. 

 

[Kin]

Calderon had been there for 8 years. At 31 he was actually the oldest player on the team and lead by example. He never complained, always gave 110%, and lead by example.

No, yeah, great. Lead by example, I get it. That's a different thing than leading in the locker room but, regardless, it doesn't answer the question of why a team with such great leadership, in your eyes, had such a problem with motivation.

Although I suppose maybe what you mean is that Calderon's lousy defense is the example everyone followed.

I don't think that should be undervalued, although the much bigger loss here is Calderon's play on the court. He was having a GREAT year, so much so that Casey was willing to roll with him ahead of the prized free agent acquisition Lowry.

Lowry had a higher PER and, for what it's worth, wasn't a free agent.

And, if you think the Raptors are losing a lot now, just wait until we have to start John Lucas III. The lack of a capable backup is going to KILL us when Lowry gets hurt.

Speculation already is that Haddadi will be waved and another PG brought in. That said, it's almost physically impossible to lose more than the Raptors have with Calderon so, again, there's no big loss.

 

[Peter D.]

From the Star article:

?The situation with Andrea is a unique one, he?s a great talent and he?s done a lot for the organization but sometimes a change of address is not bad,? said the general manager. ?I?m not saying he?s asked for a trade but he certainly would not fight or resist a situation if it was the right situation.?

Colangelo said the same thing on the Fan this morning, and also went on to say that Bargnani was garnering a lot of interest at the beginning of the season and his injury derailed those talks.

The tone in which Colangelo was talking with, it sounds like he can't wait to get him on the first flight out of here.

 

[Kin]

The tone in which Colangelo was talking with, it sounds like he can't wait to get him on the first flight out of here.

That's sort of what I gather from it. I think the challenge for Colangelo is going to be finding a team willing to take on Bargnani that won't just be offering back an equally bad contract. I think that if there were a team with cap space interested in him and was offering, like, a conditional and heavily protected first rounder Bargnani would have been gone.

 

[Champ Kind]

The tone in which Colangelo was talking with, it sounds like he can't wait to get him on the first flight out of here.

That's sort of what I gather from it. I think the challenge for Colangelo is going to be finding a team willing to take on Bargnani that won't just be offering back an equally bad contract. I think that if there were a team with cap space interested in him and was offering, like, a conditional and heavily protected first rounder Bargnani would have been gone.

I know that cap space will be an issue, but apparently there was some momentum behind a Pao Gasol for Andrea Bargnani deal.  I think there is interest in Bargnani, who will most definitely play better on a more structured team and without having to be "the man".

 

[Justin]

Calderon had been there for 8 years. At 31 he was actually the oldest player on the team and lead by example. He never complained, always gave 110%, and lead by example.

No, yeah, great. Lead by example, I get it. That's a different thing than leading in the locker room but, regardless, it doesn't answer the question of why a team with such great leadership, in your eyes, had such a problem with motivation.

Although I suppose maybe what you mean is that Calderon's lousy defense is the example everyone followed.

I don't think that should be undervalued, although the much bigger loss here is Calderon's play on the court. He was having a GREAT year, so much so that Casey was willing to roll with him ahead of the prized free agent acquisition Lowry.

Lowry had a higher PER and, for what it's worth, wasn't a free agent.

And, if you think the Raptors are losing a lot now, just wait until we have to start John Lucas III. The lack of a capable backup is going to KILL us when Lowry gets hurt.

Speculation already is that Haddadi will be waved and another PG brought in. That said, it's almost physically impossible to lose more than the Raptors have with Calderon so, again, there's no big loss.

Calderon was a leader by example, not a guy who would get the players fired up so to say. He was the undisputed leader in the locker room and regardless of how good or bad he was on the court that's going to be missed. To quote Paul Jones, someone's going to have to step up in that locker room now. Anyhow, it's the coach's job to get the players to be motivated and show up every night - I'm not seeing that in this team. When you give up that many leads over and over and over again it can't just be a talent thing.

 

[Justin]

The tone in which Colangelo was talking with, it sounds like he can't wait to get him on the first flight out of here.

That's sort of what I gather from it. I think the challenge for Colangelo is going to be finding a team willing to take on Bargnani that won't just be offering back an equally bad contract. I think that if there were a team with cap space interested in him and was offering, like, a conditional and heavily protected first rounder Bargnani would have been gone.

Bargnani is a real conundrum for this team. He's not defensively savvy, doesn't rebound, and decides when he wants to show up. In limited time this season (21 games), he was having his worst season since 07/08. Combine that with his injury, and you really have no idea what sort of value you can get in return for him. I mean, despite all his faults, he did average 21 PPG the last 2 seasons. Will teams give up something significant for Bargnani hoping he returns to previous form and plays well after a change of scenery? Or will teams look at his contract, injury history, and horrible 11/12 season and not want to give anything up? It is truly unfortunate that at a time we absolutely must trade Bargnani his trade value is the lowest it's ever been. We know he's returning from injury on Friday or Sunday and the Raptors will showcase him, and hopefully that helps, but there really is no telling what the return might be for Bargnani. He truly is the ultimate enigma.

The Raptors will be able to at least save a little bit of cap space by using the amnesty buy-out on Kleiza at the end of the season. Thing is, even if we do trade Bargnani it's likely we'll have to take salary back and buying out Kleiza only frees up 4.6 M. Unless we also find a taker for Fields or do something out in left field and trade DeRozan it's unlikely we'll have the cap space to sign someone overly significant to be a front-court starter, let alone get a quality backup PG. If I'm the Raptors I sure hope Valanciunas develops quickly.

 

[Kin]

Calderon was a leader by example, not a guy who would get the players fired up so to say. He was the undisputed leader in the locker room and regardless of how good or bad he was on the court that's going to be missed. To quote Paul Jones, someone's going to have to step up in that locker room now. Anyhow, it's the coach's job to get the players to be motivated and show up every night - I'm not seeing that in this team. When you give up that many leads over and over and over again it can't just be a talent thing.

You...you realize when I ask you questions I'm not just hoping you'll repeat yourself, right? But that you'll actually try to address some of the inconsistencies and fallacies in what you're saying?

 

[hockeyfan1]

Jose Calderon: Some stats highlights...

The good:

2008-2009
- 50% shooting from the field
- 40% shooting from the 3 point line
- 90% shooting from the free throw line
- 5.4:1 assist to turnover ratio

2010-2011:
- 87 free throws in a row (second consecutive streak all time
- highest free throw percentage in a season
- one of the few Raptors to hold an all time record in the NBA

2012-2013:
- two triple doubles

The not-so-good:
- (was in) final year of a five-year, $45 million contract
- making $10,561,983 during the 2012-13 season

Money is a valid concern for other teams. They have a right to be wary of taking on that kind of contract, even if Calderon is set to be a free agent at the end of the season.

The NBA has really strengthened the luxury tax penalties. Teams are able to spend freely and go over the salary cap like they once were.

It would be one thing if Calderon was one of the best point guards in the league. The short-term pain of the financial penalties would be well worth the gain of making a deep run in the postseason, possibly winning a title.

- averaging 11.1 points and 7.4 assists per game. They're solid numbers, especially considering that he's playing 28.3 minutes a night, but they're not worth the kind of money that another team would have to pay him.

- well-known deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor
- improved slightly
- few point guards are as poor defensively as him.
- not going to be the kind of difference-maker who can turn a team into a title contender


Sources: ESPN, SBNation, Bleacherreport


-