I keep forgetting we got this guy. If his minutes can be managed well and he stays healthy he's gonna be a really good backup, vet presence, and mentor to Russ hopefully.
^^ I love this pickup, Weezy. All we need is about 15 minutes a game from Calderon which should be perfect.
I'd be surprised if he played that few minutes. I'd expect him to get somewhere around 20 minutes and I think we're going to really enjoy when he's out there. He's going to do a great job of running the offense on the floor which is something the younger players will probably struggle to do at times.
Summer league made me forget about this guy. We have a vet guy for every young position. Deng for Ingram, Mozgov for Zublocka, Calderon for Russell/JC, maybe Bass for Randle again? He's going to be a great floor general for us.
I'm not sure if people don't realize or never knew, but Jose is one of the great shooters in the league. Just a couple years ago he shot nearly 45% from three while shooting over 5 threes a game. On top of that last season he played and started in 72 games. Over the years he's missed a lot of games, but hopefully a smaller workload and less minutes will help him play more games. I like this trade a lot. I think he's going to quickly become a player we like and someone who fits well in this offense.
The moment I understood Memphis is still a playoff team i realized we are not reaching the playoffs. The only way I can see it happening is if Westbrook moves to the east, and even then its a long shot. Right now - GSW, SAS, , POR, LAC, OKC, MEM, DAL, MIN and UTA are better than the Lakers. Maybe NOP also. So, there needs to be a miracle of injuries and one big trade to get this thing happening.
Speaking of Joe .... http://www.lakersnation.com/jose-calderon-ready-for-different-role-as-reserve-for-lakers/2016/07/17/ Jose Calderon Ready For ‘Different Role’ As Reserve For Lakers By Trevor Lane - 07/17/2016 With cap space to spare and free agency winding down, the Los Angeles Lakers made a smart move and acquired a pair of second-round picks from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for absorbing the contract of veteran point guard Jose Calderon. Fortunately, the 34-year-old Calderon can still fill a role for the Lakers as a backup for D’Angelo Russell. Calderon has spent most of his NBA career as a starter, but he frustrated New York Knicks fans for the past two seasons with his sub-par defense. However, in an interview with Marc Berman of the New York Post, Calderon admitted that he is ready to come off the bench, and probably should have been in that role for the past few seasons: “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.” For the Lakers, Calderon’s desire to move to the bench shows that he is realistic about where he is currently as a player, which is crucial whenever a veteran is removed from the starting lineup. He also sounded excited about joining the Lakers, and believes that a reduced role on the team will help extend his career: “(The Lakers have) a good mix of young players[…]I would like to play 15 years in the league, so hopefully three more years. 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 has been known as a maestro in the pick and roll, and the fact that he shoots 41 percent for his career from three will certainly help. His defense has not been good, but the Lakers wouldn’t have been able to extract assets from the Bulls if Calderon was a lock down defender on top of being a solid distributor and shooter. The recently resigned Marcelo Huertas figures to compete with Calderon for backup minutes, and together the duo gives the Lakers two veteran, professional players who should be a positive influence on a very young team.
good to hear calderon is good with a bench role. and no, huertas will not push for minutes. he'll play if people break bones. otherwise, nice hair.
Agreed. It's actually really refreshing hearing that from a veteran. We've all been assuming he's not starting, but it's great to know he's not just okay with it, but looking forward to it. That's fantastic news.
^^^ He's not just saying that to seem humble either, he played for Spain in the olympics and sat on the bench almost the entire time. He was there for whatever the team needed, to step in whenever his number was called, he's a very team first guy.
He might very well be my favorite acquisition of the off season. I desperately wanted a vet PG there behind DAR and JC and besides defense, he fits the bill.
