What will your answer be the next time you are asked, “Who is the Raptors’ best player?”
In the after-glow of last night’s home-court victory against the New Orleans Hornets … and, as the Toronto Raptors head to London, England, to play in the NBA’s first set of regular season games held beyond the borders of continental North America …
It is worthwhile taking note of who, exactly, has been the Toronto Raptors’ BEST PLAYER, thus far, this season.
In sharp contrast to what you might have been told by various voices surrounding the team, and/or eminating from different sources across the internet, the correct answer to this question is not:
i. Andrea Bargnani/C, the team’s leading scorer by a wide margin;
or,
ii. Amir Johnson/PF, the team’s leading rebounder by a wide margin;
or,
iii. DeMar DeRozan/OG-SF, the team’s most athletic player and two-time participant in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend festivities.
To this point, the Raptors’ BEST PLAYER has actually been none other than … JOSE MANUEL CALDERON/PG:
|
JOSE CALDERON’S PERFORMANCE FOR THE TORONTO RAPTORS |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
TEAM |
|
|
SEASON |
MP |
kPER |
kPER/MP |
RANK |
Behind |
|
2010-2011 |
1687 |
+769 |
0.456 |
1st |
None |
|
2009-2010 |
1817 |
+750 |
0.413 |
3rd |
Bosh & Jack [0.416] |
|
2008-2009 |
2333 |
+1171 |
0.502 |
2nd |
Bosh |
|
2007-2008 |
2484 |
+1318 |
0.531 |
2nd |
Bosh |
|
2006-2007 |
1614 |
+743 |
0.460 |
2nd |
Bosh |
|
2005-2006 |
1487 |
+436 |
0.293 |
5th |
James, Bosh, Peterson & Villanueva |
|
LEGEND: |
|||||
… whose on-court performance, since first coming to the NBA for the 2005-2006 season, ranks him as the 2nd best Raptors’ player of the last 6 years, behind only Chris Bosh/C-PF.
Kudos to Toronto’s Numero Ocho!
… for piecing together another solid body of work, even amongst the ruins of a 17-win campaign, after almost being traded to the Charlotte Bobcats during the off season.
Tags: Amir Johnson, Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan, Jose Calderon
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Raptors Best Player Jose? wow I don’t think so. Keep him as the foundation or the quarter back of the raptors and you’ll be stuck with top lottery picks. Here comes another straight no show at the playoffs.. Just think about it. How many starting guards are better than Jose in the NBA…CP3, D-Will, Rondo, Rose, Chauncey, Curry, Parker, Ginobili, Nelson, Wall, Jennings, Nash…the list goes on. At best Jose is maybe 30th best starting guard in the NBA. Jose is an excellent care taker of the ball, dont get me wrong, but he’s simply the best… “Back-up PG”. next to the BEST Assistant Coach Jay Triano. Raptors need a better quality Starting PG that compliments the young gunz and Coach with NBA experience.
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:51 pm
I think one could easily argue that Amir is the team’s best player, but I do agree that neither Bargnani nor Derozan should even be in the discussion.
March 3rd, 2011 at 11:26 am
From your stat that you created it is clear that you have been a Raptors fan for too long and have bought into the meme’ that defense is irrelevant.
March 3rd, 2011 at 11:29 am
If a player is injured all the time how can they be the team’s best player?
Of course in your world shooting efficiency doesn’t matter either
So you created a stat that ignores
1. Defense
2. Time missed due to injury
3. Shooting efficiency
Okay, if you say so sport.
March 3rd, 2011 at 11:46 am
@ kris,
Of course there are better PG’s out there. But that doesn’t negate the point of the article. Even if I agree that he’s the “30th best starting guard in the league”, that still doesn’t disprove that he’s the best Raptor. It just goes to show you how crappy our roster is right now.
March 3rd, 2011 at 1:08 pm
I have very little interest in “debating” the correct answer to a specific question like this with individuals like “Buddahfan” or “kris”.
Those who think I am someone who actually fails to value specific aspects of the game – e.g. defense, rebounding, shooting efficiency, etc. – when evaluating players accurately, simply:
i. Have not taken the time required to read what I’ve actually had to say about the game of basketball, in a whole variety of locations on-line, over the last several years;
and,
ii. Are not worth the time it takes for me to reply to their myopic nonsense.
March 3rd, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Brasky,
I agree with your comment.
March 3rd, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Nilanka,
Jose Calderon is a different “type” of PG than a number of the other top practicioners, in the game today.
If aligned, however, with the right collection of teammates and coaches … who must do a good job of emphasizing Team Offense, Team Defense and Team Rebounding … he is “plenty good enough” … in the specific areas of the game that matter most, at the PG position … to Lead a solid NBA team to a series of victories in the playoffs.
Although Jose Calderon is nowhere close to being categorized properly as one of the very best PGs in the NBA today, this does not mean that he should not be considered as still being one of the most effective 15 PGs in the league at the moment … along with, for example:
Derek Fisher
Andre Miller
Kyle Lowry
in arrears of:
Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Tony Parker, Devin Harris and Jameer Nelson
and ahead of:
Brandon Jennings, Beno Udrih, Ty Lawson, Ramon Sessions, Stephon Curry, Darrin Collison, DJ Augustin, Jeff Teague, Mike Bibby, Luke Ridnour,
Rodney Stuckey [who has regressed this season], Mo Williams, Mike Conley and Jrue Holiday.