New York Knicks: Jose Calderon Understands Being Traded
By Nick Ziegler
The New York Knicks improved at the point guard position from last season, but Jose Calderon isn’t holding any grudges.
One of the biggest issues for the New York Knicks last season was a lack of production from the point guard position. In the NBA, most teams now have very athletic point guards that are able to use the new rules of the game to their advantage on the offensive end of the court. Jose Calderon has an old-school mindset as a point guard, and that didn’t get the job done for the Knicks last season.
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To the defense of Calderon, he was probably being asked to do way too much at his age, but the Knicks didn’t appear to have much confidence in rookie Jerian Grant to take minutes away from Calderon. This offseason, the Knicks pulled off a great trade with the Chicago Bulls which sent Calderon, Grant, and Robin Lopez to the Chicago Bulls for Derrick Rose.
Rose will be coming to New York with a length injury history, but he was able to stay healthy last season, and will give the Knicks an explosive player at the point guard position. Since being traded to the Bulls, Calderon has now ended up with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he has no hard feelings toward the Knicks.
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“It’s something they needed,’’ Calderon told Marc Berman of The Post. “Like I said, I was ready for a different role and I was ready for a different role the last couple of years. Maybe there wasn’t the player to put ahead of me.
“I always said I wasn’t the one putting me in the starting role or playing me 35 minutes. It could’ve been a guy like a Derrick Rose and I would’ve been the backup point guard. It’s a tough position to play. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been in the league 12 years and I know what I do best or not do as well. It’s nothing personal. It’s what the team needed. Hopefully, it will work better.’’
Now with the Lakers, Calderon will have the role that he seems to desire, as they have two talented point guards in D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson.
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“I would like to play 15 years in the league, so hopefully three more years,’’ Calderon said to Berman. “I played 30 minutes [28.1] last year. I don’t think I’ll play that much ever again, so I’ll be able to play more years. I’m happy and comfortable here.’’
Calderon should be able to have a nice final few seasons of his career as a backup point guard in the NBA, as his veteran leadership and high basketball IQ will be welcomed on most benches in the NBA.