Jose Calderon is an average defender at the PG position
When yours truly sees this type of observation being made repeatedly in on-line articles and commentary by traditional media sources, bloggers, and members of the Raptors’ fanbase …
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Reasons for concern in Raptorville
The defenceless point guard
In his first year as starting point guard, Jose Calderon has kept up his efficient offensive ways, with a league-leading 4.18 assists for every turnover.
But on the other end of the floor, opposing point guards routinely light up Calderon. Tony Parker had 24 points and 10 assists against him. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook had 19 points and eight assists. Devin Harris has torched Calderon in two decisive fourth quarters.
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it indicates that there is still a significant level of basketball sophistication that has yet to be reached by many of the followers of this team.
The average Raptors fan has seen Jose Calderon play each and every game of his NBA career to-date; but this does NOT mean that said fan has a sound/accurate understanding of the game, in general, and how it should be played properly, concerning a player like the Raptors’ starting PG.
In reality … while Jose Calderon will never be confused for a top notch defensive player … he is far from being an atrocious defender at the PG position in the NBA.
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Specific Defensive Responsibilities of a PG for a team in the NBA
Situation #1. In a half-court situation when there is no Pick being set on him. Pressure/contain the opposition’s PG, 1-on-1.
Situation #2. In a half-court situation when there is a Pick being set on him. Direct the opposition’s PG toward the Picker - in conjunction with the Picker’s defender - and then recover [by going either under or over, depending on the specific defensive tactic being used] to defend the PG on the dribble.
Situation #3. In a transition situation when there is no Pick being set on him. To contain the opposition’s PG on the dribble, 1-on-1.
Situation #4. In a transition situation when there is a Pick being set on him. To contain the opposition’s PG on the dribble, in conjunction with the Picker’s defender.
Situation #5. In a half-court situation when there is no Pick being set on him. To switch defensive responsibilities with a teammate who has the task of defending against an opposition player who plays a different position and is, therefore, usually a bigger player.
Situation #6. In a half-court situation when there is no Pick being set on him. To initiate defensive double-teams and traps against opponent players who are very skilful at scoring either in the Low Post or on drives from the perimeter into the lane.
Situation #7. In a half-court situation when there is no Pick being set on him. To rotate appropriately in order to provide the necessary help for a teammate who has been beaten on a dribble penetration move by an opponent.
Situation #8. In a half-court situation when there is no Pick being set on him. To rotate appropriately in order to provide the necessary help for a teammate who has had to rotate to assist a teammate that has been beaten on a dribble penetration move by an opponent, i.e. Help-the-helper.
Situation #9. In a half-court situation when there is no Pick being set on him. To close-out appropriately versus an opponent shooter, contesting the shot and containing that player on the dribble.
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When Jose Calderon is injury-free, the vast majority of his individual defensive breakdowns occur in Situation #2, as a result of a Big-on-Little Pick, where the main culprit isn’t actually Calderon at all but the Raptors’ Big involved in defending this specific action.
If Andrea Bargnani [who is the worst offender], Jermaine O’Neal [who is the 2nd worst offender], Chris Bosh [who is fairly good at this] and Kris Humphries [who is the most proficient at this], as a group, do a poor job defensively when:
i. Switching
ii. Showing & Recovering, or
iii. Trapping
in a 5/4-on-1 Pick scenario … and the opponent’s PG is able to dribble penetrate into the heart of the Raptor’s defense on a consistent basis, primarily, this is not the fault of the Dino’s PG.
When assessing Jose Calderon’s individual defense … encompassing those Nine Situational Categories … versus that provided by the other starting PGs across the League, this is what you should be able to see:
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Defensive Rankings for Starting Point Guards in the NBA
|
|||
|
No. |
EASTERN CONF. |
No. |
WESTERN CONF. |
|
1 |
Rajon Rondo/Celtics |
1 |
Deron Williams/Jazz |
|
2 |
Devin Harris/Nets |
2 |
Chauncey Billups/Nuggets |
|
3 |
Rodney Stuckey/Pistons |
3 |
Derek Fisher/Lakers |
|
4 |
Chris Duhon/Knicks |
4 |
Chris Paul/Hornets |
|
5 |
Andre Miller/Miller |
5 |
Jason Kidd/Mavericks |
|
6 |
Derrick Rose/Bulls |
6 |
Russell Westbrook/Thunder |
|
7 |
Jose Calderon/Raptors |
7 |
Tony Parker/Spurs |
|
8 |
Mike James/Wizards |
8 |
Kyle Lowry/Grizzlies |
|
9 |
Jameer Nelson/Magic |
9 |
CJ Watson/Warriors |
|
10 |
Mario Chalmers/Heat |
10 |
Rafer Alston/Rockets |
|
11 |
TJ Ford/Pacers |
11 |
Baron Davis/Clippers |
|
12 |
Raymond Felton/Bobcats |
12 |
Steve Nash/Suns |
|
13 |
Mike Bibby/Hawks |
13 |
Steve Blake/Blazers |
|
14 |
Luc Ridnour/Bucks |
14 |
Randy Foye/Timberwolves |
|
15 |
Mo Williams/Cavaliers |
15 |
Beno Udrih/Kings |
which would place him in the middle-of-the-pack, approximately, not towards the bottom.
Tags: Andre Miller, Baron Davis, Beno Udrih, Chauncey Billups, Chris Duhon, Chris Paul, CJ Watson, Derek Fisher, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Devin Harris, Eric Koreen, Jameer Nelson, Jason Kidd, Jose Calderon, Kyle Lowry, Luc Ridnour, Mario Chalmers, Mike Bibby, Mike James, Mo Williams, NationalPost.com, Rafer Alston, Rajon Rondo, Randy Foye, Raymond Felton, Rodney Stuckey, Russell Westbrook, Steve Blake, Steve Nash, TJ Ford, Tony Parker
December 31st, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Mo’s in last in the East?
Seems a little unlikely that Mo is the worst defensive team in the East playing for the second best defense. I have a feeling your assessment is based in large part on Mo’s rep for being a poor defender when he was with the Bucks - which was (as he has admitted) deserved.
But the Bucks were a bad team and an atrocious defensive team. In essence, nobody cared. Mo didn’t either.
Now, with the Cavs, he’s not the best perimeter defender on the roster, but he’s not a liability, either. The Cavs wouldn’t be an elite defensive unit without adequate D at the point of attack.
December 31st, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Deron Williams the top defending PG in the West?? You’re joking, right?? Realistically, the guy should be in the bottom 5 on this list when it comes to defense.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Calderon is an average defender at the PG position - [...]
December 31st, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Mo’s is bad, if you look at his performance compared to this backup who replaces him they are even, note that the backup is Boobie. The Cavs win this year on O, with still very good D. But it is West not Mo and is the big change in that team, o and Mo has a group of very good D bigs to back him up. Take that away, and he sucks, but he does seem to to trying on D this year.
December 31st, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Looking at both conference’s. The west dramatically has quite a few better pg deffenders.
December 31st, 2008 at 6:47 pm
i dunno about this list.. it seems to me there are some serious errors here, mostly on the western conference side. lets start at the top.
deron williams gets the nod im guessing because of his excellent size (6′3″, 200+) which allows him to hold his ground and prevents post up situations. it is worth noting though that he plays for one of the most disciplined teams in the nba, which means that they often have great rotations and defensive positioning which make up for individual’s deficiencies. i mean, they start carlos boozer and mehmet okur in the frontcourt, two very poor individual defenders who have learned to play good position defense under sloan. methinks williams is overrated defensively for this same reason.
perhaps the most glaring error is having derek fisher at #3 on this list. as somebody who has watched 95% of all laker basketball this season, let me tell you that pg is our biggest liability defensively. sure, he takes some nice charges and looks good in his defensive stance, but please do not mistake him for a good defender. opposing point guards routinely run amok against us, getting around fish with ease and wreaking havoc in the paint. just look at box scores for other guards against us and you’ll find that the top points in the league have career games against us. fisher could never stay in front of bibby (who always killed us) and tony parker (same) back in the shaq/kobe days, and has clearly lost a step defensively although he has picked up some offensive savvy. just a couple weeks ago he was getting killed by bobby brown of sacramento (who?). he is a defensive liability, and thats all there is to it.
the last really bad one on the western list is jason kidd, who has fallen hard from his days as an all-league defender. devin harris routinely embarrasses him, chris paul makes him look like hes nailed to the ground, and even the farmar/fish combo puts up big numbers on him. they have to play terry or barea with him now so they have somebody to guard opposing point guards, and he even struggles with the speed of most shooting guards. this goes largely unnoticed because he continues to put up great stats and dallas is a terrible defensive team anyway, but he is torched by every half-decent guard in the league.
those were the worst offenders, but there are a few more that are out of place as well.
steve nash belongs on the very bottom of this list, hes just terrible.
mike james doesnt even belong on the list, hes just plain not good in either side of the ball. a stubborn shoot-first point who never even really pretended to care about d.
finally, mike bibby is nash east in terms of defense.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
There are worst defensive point guards than Steve Nash? And Jason Kidd is ranked fifth? Incredible!
December 31st, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Matt,
There’s little separation between the players towards the bottom of the list. If you’d prefer flip-flop Ridnour and Williams, as neither is even an average defender, IMO.
Thanks for your comment.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:54 pm
pitar,
My evaluation of these PGs, in comparison with one another, includes an assessment of their skills in those Nine [9] Situational Categories.
On that basis, yes, IMO, D-Will is the PG in the Western Conference who plays the best overall individal & team defense, i.e. eliminating or effectively reducing most of the defensive mismatches which the Jazz encounter on a regular basis versus their opponents, and doing the other things that are required of a top flight PG in the NBA.
Thanks for your comment.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Adam,
Agreed.
The bulk of the improvement I see, so far, this season with the Cavaliers has happened on the offensive end of the floor … not because of Mo Williams’ defense.
Thanks for your comment.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Jack,
Agreed.
The overall quality of PGs in the Western Conference is superior to the Eastern Conference.
IMO, though, this is due primarily to the number of top flight OFFENSIVE PGs there are in the WC, not because of their defensive superiority.
The PGs towards the bottom of the list, in either conference, are all pretty bad.
Thanks for your comment.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Very nice list, khandor, and at a minimum a very good starting point for a discussion. I admit I see some people on the list that surprise me with their ranking, but to those commenters who say “whoa, fish sucks this year” or “no way kidd is good any more”, remember that khandor has outlined multiple categories.
There are quite a few PGs that get embarrassed in transition and/or isolated one on one against their elite colleagues (Duhon is quite the matador when it comes to transition defense against the likes of Augustin, Harris, etc), but those same PGs can excel when it comes to exercising their responsibilities in a team concept in other situations, who play passing lanes well, get deflections, fight over screens. etc
December 31st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
dswiz,
re: your criticism of Deron Williams
Playing good positional defense is a significant part of what it means to be a good defender in the NBA.
re: Derek Fisher
Head-to-head scoring totals are not indicative of which respective PGs are superior to one another … as the job of a top flight PG in this league often calls for that player to spend a considerable amount of floor-time engaged in pursuits that do not involve covering their counterpart on the other team in a 1-V-1 match-up.
When I watch D-Fish play defense I see someone who almost always does a sound job in the those Nine [9] Situational Categories list above.
re: J-Kidd
Because Chris Paul and Devin Harris and Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar can score a lot of points vs the Dallas Mavericks doesn’t mean that Jason Kidd is undeserving of his current place on this list.
In order fo you to make that claim what you would need to say is that, IYO, some combination of:
Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Beno Udrih, Randy Foye, Baron Davis, CJ Watson, Tony Parker, Kyle Lowry, Rafer Alston and Russell Westbrook
are, in fact, superior defensive players to Jason Kidd.
If this is what you would like to say, then, by all means, go right ahead; I would love to hear which ones you believe might fit into this category, when you consider the Nine [9] Situational Categories listed above.
re: Nash & Bibby
Both players are listed towards the bottom of the list, as neither one is a very good defensively.
re: Mike James
His offensive decision-making has always been erratic but that is not what is being evaluated in this instance. At one time he was thought to be a solid defensive PG [with the Pistons]. Although this is no longer the case, he still capable of doing an average job on this end of the floor, IMO, based on his size, strength, quickness and experience.
Thanks for your comment.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Glenn,
IMO, there are definitely in-game situations where I would prefer to have Steve Nash on defense playing for my team, in comparison with Beno Udrih, Randy Foye and Steve Blake.
Although Captain Planet is a relatively poor defender, his size, strength, quickness and experience, do allow him to succeed on occasion.
Thanks for your comment.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
BK,
Thanks for your comment … and for expressing that exact perspective.
January 1st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Mo Williams is definately better than he used to be. This article was written after a terrible game against Miami, but he’s been better up till that point. One thing NO ONE is arguing is that Rondo is the best defensive point guard in the league. The guy is a menace both on the ball and off the ball. Plus, with his long arms, he can switch and even pick up some small forwards. When the Celtics play zone, he can recover to the three point line as quick as any point guard I’ve ever seen. He gets a ton of steals, deflections, and even averages 5 rebounds — a pretty big number for a player that’s 6′1″. Defensive rebounding is a topic that khandor doesn’t even cover, but a pivotal part of defense.
January 1st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
LMAO at Deron Williams being #1. The dude gets blown by smaller point guards on the regular. pitar is right. This must be a joke. Having “size” does not make you a great defender.
January 1st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
HoopsDogg,
re: Rondo’s Rebounding
The reason this aspect of his game isn’t covered in this specific evaluation isn’t because this corner of the net doesn’t value the contribution he makes to the C’s team in this area of the game.
In fact, it’s the complete opposite.
I encourage you to take a look around the other parts of this blog.
If you do … what you should find is that REBOUNDING is one of three separate and distinct Phases of The Game, according to yours truly, which are absolutely critical to Team Success in the NBA.
i.e.
1. Offense
2. Defense
3. REBOUNDING [there's a good reason why it's in caps, as well]
At a later date, perhaps, I will publish my rankings for each of the five positions in terms of Rebounding ability.
Note: I can tell this much though, one of the reasons the Celtics are as good as they are is because of the number of solid, solid Rebounders they employ at different positions, one of whom is RR.
Thanks for your comment.
January 1st, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Mo,
First.
Something Magic Johnson showed us long ago was the relative importance of having size at the PG spot for an elite level team in the NBA, in comparison with exceptional quickness.
One is absolutely crucial for a competent PG in this league … the other is not.
Secondly.
Size, alone, is meaningless. What matters is … what and how a specific player utilizes that size to the best effect possible for the benefit of his team, especially at the PG position.
You are free to disagree with my assessment of Deron Williams’ defensive abilities … but, IMO, there’s a reason he logged the heavy duty minutes that he did with the Redeem Team and Coach Sloan refers to him as being a super smart and tough player, at the PG spot, in the mold of the great John Stockton.
D-Will uses the gifts he’s been given very effectively on the defensive end of the floor.
Thanks for your comment.
January 1st, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Have you honestly watched Devin Harris play defense this season? He was a tough defender in Dallas, but he makes minimal effort in New Jersey. Part of that is because he is being asked to carry a huge load offensively - maybe part of it is playing for a slightly less haranguing coach.
Also, I think you should take a closer look at Mario Chalmers. He is an extremely mature situational defender, along with being athletically gifted. He is in the upper tier of point guard defenders.
I like your blog even if I think you haven’t watched a lot of these players enough - it is great to get a conversation started. Good job.
January 1st, 2009 at 5:38 pm
[...] http://khandorssportsblog.com/wordpress/?p=561 [...]
January 1st, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Dos,
re: Mario Chalmers
I think Mario Chalmers is going to be a solid defender at the PG spot in this league for years to come. Right now, he makes a few too many poor decisions, in this regard, to be listed much higher in my rankings, as a 1st-yr smaller PG. For example, Derrick Rose, although a rook, as well, is just a tad more imposing physically than Chalmers. As time goes, however, Mario certainly has the smarts it takes to compensate effectively for what he lacks in sheer size and strength, so it would not surprise me in the least that he gradually moves up these rankings.
In my book, as his play has improved in recent weeks, so too has the fortunes of the Heat. That’s a very good sign, right there.
re: Devin Harris
I’ll admit to having a soft spot for this player, as I really did think he was much better than many others realized during his initial years in Dallas. Physically, when he wants to play first rate defense, he has few peers in the EC, even including Mr. Rondo, according to these eyes. Admittedly … he is still somewhat erratic with his overall effort, and it’s more the highs I’m looking at with his performance than the lows.
As New Jersey adds to the their team over the next few years, shoring up thier inside game, expect Mr. Harris to reduce his overall scoring output and become more consistent in the other areas of his individual game.
Thanks for your comment.
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
The best example I can think of with respect to Jose’s poor defence is his coverage of Mike Bibby:
based on what I saw from Jose’s coverage of Bibby so far this year, Calderon’s defensive awareness was lacking as he watched the play but not his man. There were too may times that Bibby was allowed to loiter on the 3pt line unharassed. I don’t believe that Calderon is as bad on defence as it seems, but I do think that other PG’s are finding ways to exploit him by spreading the floor out, as Calderon seems to have had trouble keeping a track on his man.
I love Calderon, and if he stays healthy, and gets some support from a #2 that can at least SOMETIMES create his own shot, we will see more production out of him.
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
verbatim,
Thanks for your comment and Welcome aboard! [assuming that you're the same verbatim from RR]
re: Calderon vs Bibby
It is difficult to distinguish correctly between those times when a player legitimately loses track of his specific defensive check and those times when he is consciously abandoning that responsiblity in favour of another more urgent need, given the specific parameters of the defensive scheme his team is using in that game or on that possession.
That said … I would never say that Jose is a top notch defender, nor a very good on-ball Man-2-Man defender, or someone who does a terrific job keeping track of his check during the course of a game.
IMO … he is decidely “average” on the defensive side of the ball.
In general, though, there are a lot of starting PGs in the NBA who fit into this category [i.e. weaker on this side of the ball, in comparison with their individual offensive game] … which is, in part, an indicator of exactly where most NBA coaches actually think the emphasis SHOULD be placed for a player at this position in this League.
In general, the back-up PG spot is where a NBA team will choose to go with a solid defensive role player rather than an offensive specialist.
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Anyone who says Deron Williams should NOT be Top 5 definitely has not watched enough Jazz basketball.