
Point guard Jose Calderon is third in the NBA in assists per game and has a stellar assist-to-turnover radio of more than four to one. Yet there's more he could bring to the table.
Calderon's caution with the ball allows him to put up gaudy numbers but he could probably be a bit more of a risk-taker to get Toronto's offense running more smoothly. "Could he push the ball a little bit more? We all could," said coach Jay Triano. "Our wings could run a little bit faster and our post guys could be down the floor a little bit quicker. It's not just on him, it's on all of us. It's a mindset we have to get used to, and we're starting to get there."
The one thing the coach wants is for Calderon to get going a bit more quickly in transition, mostly to maximize the chances of Chris Bosh or Jermaine O'Neal getting down the floor ahead of the big men guarding them and establishing deep post position.
They don't want Calderon to necessarily get the ball and go all the way to the basket; they do want him to get it to Bosh or O'Neal more quickly.
Triano can see that happening more often if Calderon simply starts the offense a few feet further down the court. The point guard has a habit of going to the ball rather than waiting for it to come to him.
"We're still trying to get him to catch the ball a bit further down the floor," said Triano. "He's got a tendency to come back and get it from the rebounders but we think we'll get a bit better flow if he gets his back to the sideline and pushes it up.
"But he's working on that and he's getting better at it."
WARRIORS 117, RAPTORS 111: Despite 30 points from Chris Bosh and 21 from Jose Calderon, the Raptors had no answer for the Golden State's run-and-gun offense.
Stephen Jackson had 30 points, Marco Belinelli had five three-pointers as part of his 23-point night and the Warriors shot 50 percent from the field and buried Toronto under an avalanche of 12 three-pointers.
The Raptors, down 13 in the fourth quarter, clawed back within two with just over two minutes left but Jason Kapono missed three three-pointers, Anthony Parker missed one and Jose Calderon missed another in some of the most untimely misses of the season.
Toronto was just 10-for-24 from beyond the arc, including just two of nine in the fateful fourth quarter.