October 1, 2008 – Dr. Anklesnap
Jose Calderon is one of those unique players that seems to identify their biggest weakness in the off-season and work their tail off to remedy the problem. When he was criticized for his poor jump shooting ability he made that a staple of his effective offense. When he was criticized for being a poor outside shooter, he became one of the top percentage three point shooters in the Eastern Conference, and finally when he was criticized for his weak defense he became a great on the ball defender of point guards league wide. Personally, i’m anxious to see what he’ll bring to the table this year for the Toronto Raptors, not only due to the fact that he won the battle of the point guards with TJ Ford, but also because I can’t seem to recall a glaring weakness in his game in 2008 that he could correct this summer. If anything maybe he took to heart the criticism that he may be just a little too “UN-selfish” in his offensive game, and being such a high percentage shooter should look for his own shot more frequently.
Boy the description of Jose and his regular steady annual improvements to his game, coupled with his critics complaints that he is too unselfish are giving me DeJa Vu….hmmmm….I wonder why? Steve Nash anyone? Due to his high efficiency in shooting, and high assist to turnover ratio this season analysts couldn’t help but compare Jose to a young Steve Nash. But what I find more of telling comparator into the future talent and ability of Jose, is his attitude towards continuous improvement and development. Remember Nash was considered ‘old’ by NBA point guard standards before he ever received elite status or an MVP. A lot of folks were shocked by this fact, whereas those that were following Nash’s off-season work ethic and continuous improvement closely were not surprised at all.
For you Jose Calderon and Raptors fans out there, here is a taste of 2008 to wet your appetite for what is to come in 2009:
