Meet the Raptors: A closer look at Calderon

Note: This is the third of 10 previews of Toronto Raptor players as we head into the 2012-13 NBA season.

Birthplace: Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, Spain
Born: September 28, 1981 (age 31)
College: None
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 211 lbs.
How he became a Raptor: Signed as free agent on August 3, 2005.

By the numbers
  PPG RPG APG SPG FG% FT%
2011-12 season 10.5 3.0 8.8 0.9 .457 .882
Career
(Seven seasons)		 10.5 2.5 7.2 0.9 .482 .875
Full Jose Calderon bio

There are several clichés that are often used to describe professional athletes.

A player can be called scrappy (which means he isn’t afraid to dive for a loose ball), or said to have a great IQ for the game (which means he makes the most of his limited talents), or that he is soft (which means that he is afraid of contact).

While those are used entirely too often, one cliché that is underused is the term professional, especially when you consider how well-paid NBA players are.

Jose Calderon is one such player who is often described as being professional, and rightfully so.

Over the summer, the Raptors went out and made a deal for Kyle Lowry, who has been deemed as an upgrade by Calderon’s bosses. But so far in training camp, Calderon has answered all questions with his usual calm, patient demeanor and seems unfazed by the battle for time with his new teammate and rival.

“It’s always good,” Calderon said of the increased competition in the Raptors camp. “I think you’ve got to compete to get better.”

But Calderon is the type of player who is more concerned with team results rather than personal results so he will not put up a fuss.

“I think the main thing for a team is that everybody’s got to be on the same page,” he said.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Calderon has faced this kind of challenge before. T.J. Ford and Jerryd Bayless were both here to push the Spaniard and he thrived.

Listen now:Jose Calderon with Eric Smith

Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo knows Lowry represents Calderon’s stiffest test yet but believes he will handle it in a positive manner.

“That challenge, I fully anticipate that Jose will respond to it in a meaningful way,” Colangelo said. “He has done that before.”

But Lowry isn’t the only new face on the roster. The Raptors also signed former Chicago Bulls point guard John Lucas III in the offseason.

“Right now, we’ve got one of the deepest point guard combinations in the league,” Colangelo said. “I see them challenging each other for meaningful minutes.”

Calderon says that all three players provide something different for the Raptors and he can envision being on the floor with Lowry and Lucas as well.

“We can play together,” he said. “I think it (provides) different looks. It’s good for the team. Every time you add talent to a team, it’s good.

“It makes it more difficult for other teams to adapt their defence to our offence.”

Calderon is entering the final year of his current contract which would make him a valuable trade commodity, especially given the Raptors’ surplus at his position. While he may be expendable from a pure numbers standpoint, the Raptors don’t have to deal him as he is a valuable locker room guy and the team can still use the cap space next summer.

Colangelo mentioned that there were discussions of using the amnesty clause on Calderon’s deal in the summer but that was only in the event that the team signed Steve Nash.

With one year remaining on his deal, many would think that there would be added pressure on Calderon, but the veteran point guard says it’s no different than any other year.

“I think there is always pressure in the NBA. I think you’ve got to be out there in front of a lot of people, not just in the stands,” he explained. “They are all watching you. I think there is enough pressure to try and play good every night and play your best.

“I think after all of these years what you learn in the NBA is that you don’t know what is going to happen. There is a lot of stuff that you can’t control so you don’t have to worry about that stuff.”

Twitter handle: @josemcalderon8

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