Linkage - Jan 27
Afterwards I asked Calderon what Mitchell used to called him.
“I cannot say that for the media,” he said in his thick Spanish accent. “It was ‘beeeeep rook.’” He made a long beeping noise to emphasize the abundance of syllables.
“In the beginning it was tough, because, you know, we didn’t win many games,” Calderon said. “He didn’t let me practice sometimes. It was hard. But right now I am here because of him too. It was tough on me, but look, everything worked out. I feel really comfortable with him and with my teammates, so it’s OK.”
So Mitchell made you stronger?
“For sure, for sure,” said Calderon. “I’m a better player because I have to wake up every day and work hard just to try to make it so he doesn’t call me nothing.”
Jamario Moon has an easy explanation when asked about the team’s recent run.
“Everyone is coming into their own,” the rookie said. “Everyone, at this point of the season, has figured out how everybody on the team plays and we’re feeding off of each other.
“We’re finding ways to win games.”
NOTHING LOST IN TRANSLATION
Andrea Bargnani’s english, while improving, is limited, but the Italian big man hit the nail on the head when Jose Calderon’s name was mentioned.
“Right now, he’s the perfect point guard,” Bargnani said of his Spanish teammate, who is playing at a very high level.
THE NUMBERS GAME
Not known for their ability to get to the foul line, the Raptors have nonetheless converted from the charity stripe in wins over Boston and Milwaukee, making 41 of 44 free throws.
If Calderon gets the all-star call, one that rests with the league’s coaches, it will provide the ultimate endorsement for a player who entered the NBA three years ago and whose stock continues to soar with each game and each precise pass to an open teammate.
“It will be dream come true,” Calderon said. “It’s up to the coaches. There’s unbelieveable talent in the Eastern Conference at the point guard position.
“Whatever happens, I will welcome it.”
The sources suggest Stoudamire is leaning toward signing a contract with the NBA-leading Celtics even though the Raptors remain in the race for his services as a backup to point guard Jose Calderon.
Any team signing Stoudamire would only have to pay him a pro-rated portion of the veterans’ minimum salary, which is just over $1 million for someone with his 13 years of experience. The first draft pick in Raptor history was stuck behind youngsters Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley in Memphis.
Standing in the locker room of Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden last week, minutes after Calderon had made two huge plays in the final seconds of a two-point Raptor win, Garbajosa pointed out all the subtle things Calderon does well rather than his statistics.
The ability to get the right teammate the right shot at the right time can’t be over-stressed; it is how good offensive teams keep it going during games. Calderon also knows who to look for almost every time he comes off a high screen because he’s aware of what defences are ready to concede.
“I know when they are going to be open, we figure out how they are going to defend the pick-and-roll and after that, I just try to find the open guy,” Calderon said after he blistered the Milwaukee Bucks for 12 assists in 35 minutes on Friday.
Stoudamire acknowledged yesterday that the Celtics, Suns, and Raptors are among the teams expected to have interest in him. The 5-foot-10-inch, 171-pounder could be an unrestricted free agent Wednesday after clearing waivers.
They called him “The Wall.”
He may have been one of the most aptly nicknamed players in National Basketball Association history. Anyone who ever felt the wrath of one of his 6-foot-8-inch, 255-pound picks could attest to that.
And during the 45+ years in the NBA, Wayne Embry became a pillar, too. The foundation of the Milwaukee Bucks would not be the same without him.
Here are the numbers for the 2006 Draft Class’ big men, by draft position. The numbers are their scoring and rebounding stats for December and January. (Four big men who were drafted in 2006 are still overseas.)
Andrea Bargnani - #1 - Toronto Raptors
December: 5.3 - 2.1
January: 8.0 - 3.4
LaMarcus Aldridge - #2 - Portland Trailblazers
December: 16.9 - 5.9
January: 15.3 - 7.8
Tyrus Thomas - #4 - Chicago Bulls
December: 5.3 - 3.6
January: 3.5 - 3.3
Shelden Williams - #5 - Atlanta Hawks
December: 4.9 - 4.1
January: 0.4 - 1.7
Patrick O’Bryant - #9 - Golden State Warriors
December: 3.0 - 1.0
January: 1.0 - 1.0
Mouhamed Saer Sene - #10 - Seattle Supersonics
December: 2.0 - 0.7
January: 0.0 - 0.0
Hilton Armstrong - #12 - New Orleans Hornets
December: 2.7 - 2.2
January: 1.7 - 1.7
Cedric Simmons - #15 - New Orleans Hornets
December: 0.0 - 0.0
January: 0.0 - 0.0
Oleksiy Pecherov - #18 - Washington Wizards
December: 0.0 - 0.0
January: 4.0 - 1.6
Josh Boone - #23 - New Jersey Nets
December: 8.5 - 7.3
January: 11.4 - 10.1
Solomon Jones - #33 - Atlanta Hawks
December: 0.8 - 1.2
January: 1.6 - 3.0
Paul Davis - #34 - Los Angeles Clippers
December: 0.0 - 0.0
January: injured
Craig Smith - #36 - Minnesota Timberwolves
December: 13.2 - 5.3
January: 8.1 - 4.9
Kosta Perovic - #38 - Golden State Warriors
December: 0.0 - 0.0
January: 4.0 - 2.0
James Augustine - #41 - Orlando Magic
December: 1.6 - 0.9
January: 1.0 - 0.8
Alexander Johnson - #45 - Miami Heat
December: 4.7 - 3.0
January: 2.5 - 2.1
Paul Millsap - #47 - Utah Jazz
December: 9.4 - 5.8
January: 7.8 - 5.2
Leon Powe - #49 - Boston Celtics
December: 3.0 - 1.6
January: 4.6 - 2.2
Ryan Hollins - #50 - Charlotte Bobcats
December: 2.8 - 2.0
January: 1.1 - 1.3
Cheick Samb - #51 - Detroit Pistons
December: 0.0 - 0.0
January: 0.0 - 0.0
And here’s my case for the Celtics. (I realize I’ve gone on record saying the Celtics should pursue Sam Cassell over Stoudamire. But with the Cassell rumors stagnant, I’m moving on…for now.)
1. The Celtics are better. Eleven games better in the standings, 3-1 against Toronto this season.
2. Kevin Garnett. How could you not want to play with this guy? The comparable star in Toronto is Chris Bosh. A really good player, but not on KG’s level.
3. Weather. On average, it’s ten degrees warmer in Boston. Go figure.
4. We never traded him away. Damon started his career with Toronto and then was shipped to Portland 2 1/2 years later.
5. Better sports town. Red Sox are better than Blue Jays. Patriots better than….Argonauts? Hell, the Bruins even have a better record than the Maple Leafs.
On a decidedly Euro Raptors team that has plenty of shooters, Moon is their only true defensive stopper and their best pure athlete. He shows great defensive instincts, the ability to get above the rim in a heartbeat and tenacity around the ball. Jamario can also finish a fastbreak or corral an alley-oop like few people on this planet can…
Leo believes the Raptors would be best served if they focused on enabling Andrea to find his comfort zone on the offensive end. Once his shots start dropping, Leo suggests that Andrea will gain confidence and that confidence will eventually spillover to Il Mago’s rebounding and defence.
That seems to be the way Andrea is wired. However, Sam seems intent on working it the other way. It is quite noticeable that the number of plays run for Andrea are down from last year. Andrea is looking over his shoulder because he knows that a couple of early fouls or a missed defensive assignment are quick tickets to the bench. None of that develops confidence.
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